This 1 October 2024, on International Coffee Day, we are proud to present VOCAL, the Voice of Organisations in Coffee Alliance. This freshly-ground alliance is a network of civil society organisations that want to highlight the urgent need for action on issues facing the coffee sector. Rikolto is one of these civil society organisations, along with Coffee Watch, Fairfood, Fern, Forests of the World, Inkota Netzwerk, Oxfam Belgium, Public Eye, and with support of Ethos Agriculture and the VOICE Network.
Ah, coffee. Our source of energy, inspiration and comfort. But with a bitter aftertaste: labour rights and human rights violations are endemic in the sector; coffee production drives deforestation in rainforests; and poverty is widespread among coffee farmers. At the same time, the brunt of the sustainability challenges fall on their shoulders, while regulators and the industry as a whole often shirk their responsibilities. It's time to wake up and smell the coffee!
“All too often, sustainability in the coffee sector is seen as a nice-to-have. Sustainability should be a requirement, not an option: it is vital for the survival of the sector. This is why we are one of the co-founders of the VOCAL alliance.”
Abdulahi Aliyu, Global Director of the Sustainable Cocoa and Coffee Programme | Rikolto
In VOCAL’s first report, “Coffee’s regulatory blend”, the alliance points to the benefits of the forthcoming regulations (EUDR, CSDDD, CSRD and the Green Claims Directive), refutes some dubious claims, and urges the sector to catch up and step up compliance, rather than backtrack. It also calls on the EU to not bow to pressure to reopen the negotiations on the regulation, and provide support to smallholders.
Regulation is a long overdue necessity: it establishes a level playing field that prioritises human rights and environmental preservation.
Regulations bring significant benefits for the planet, farmers, and coffee companies alike, despite concerns about their implementation: they aim to curb deforestation, ensure human rights protections, and compel companies to commit to a living income for smallholders, thereby improving the sector’s overall sustainability and resilience. And companies can gain from a level playing field in which all players must adhere to the same sustainability standards.
Yet, the industry response is too little, too late. Unlike other industries, the coffee sector has been slow to engage in key discussions on implementation, resulting in a lack of comprehensive strategies for operating under these new regulations. Issues such as accountability, traceability, cost coverage, and the credibility of sustainability claims remain unresolved.
“The short-term costs of implementing sustainability measures are far outweighed by the risks of doing nothing and losing viable coffee-growing land due to environmental neglect or a waning appeal of coffee farming for future generations.” VOCAL (2024): Coffee’s regulatory blend
A reliable regulatory framework is the missing link. Regulations should provide clear guidance, robust support and reliable compliance tools. For example, any regulatory environment that demands compliance must provide financial and technical support to enable smallholders to comply.
“The key lies in a scenario where private sector commitments, international policies, multistakeholder collaboration, and financial assistance converge to embrace smallholder coffee producers.” VOCAL (2024): Coffee’s regulatory blend
Rikolto has boots on the ground in coffee producing and consuming countries alike. This gives us a unique insight into the root causes of sustainability risks in the coffee sector, such as deforestation and farmer income challenges, and how they are interconnected with the broader context of food systems. In our Sustainable Cocoa and Coffee programme, we focus on three interlinked aspects: sustainable production (think climate-smart practices such as agroforestry systems and introducing coffee producers to additional income generating opportunities), market inclusion (for example, brokering inclusive commercial partnerships between farmer cooperatives, buyers and retailers, and facilitating access to finance) and an enabling environment (for instance by sharing evidence in multi-stakeholder settings to influence policies and nudge sector actors to take more action).
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“Our approach has shifted from a focus on coffee production and value chains to a systemic approach that integrates social, environmental and economic factors, and that considers the resilience and prosperity of coffee-producing communities.”
Collaborative models that empower farmers and their communities, and involve governments, private actors, NGOs and financial institutions are needed to make local communities and their environments thrive. Progress happens one sip at a time. What does that look like in the field?
In Uganda, the “Change Brewing” project aims to promote low-carbon coffee in Robusta growing areas by providing training in regenerative agriculture, distributing shade tree seedlings for agroforestry, improving soil health trough biochar and bioslurry innovations, creating VSLAs and establishing youth groups to implement climate-smart practices. It is a partnership between agro-commodities trader ETG (lead), together with the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute and Rikolto, and funded by the AGRI3 fund linked to IDH. The aim? To improve the livelihoods of 2,000 smallholder coffee farmers and expand the responsible sourcing of coffee across Uganda.
In the DR Congo, by investing in innovative diversification initiatives, coffee cooperatives and their members have built resilience while contributing to environmental conservation and creating new economic opportunities. In the Kivu region, diversification initiatives have led to a remarkable increase in coffee farmers’ income of over 47%, and to a 55% increase in Ituri.
In Ecuador and Peru, our "More Coffee, Less CO2" project has supported sustainable practices through a range of initiatives. These include training programmes on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and agroforestry system design for technicians, producers and farmer leaders, and systematising experiences that contribute to sub-national and national climate change policies and strategies. In Peru, more than 160 producers, technicians and managers have already attended workshops to prepare them to apply the EU's Due Diligence on Deforestation. And we aim to reach 17 agricultural cooperatives in Amazonas, Cajamarca, Cusco, Junín and San Martín, Peru. We also contribute to the Cajamarca Coffee Multi-Stakeholder Platform, which promotes carbon sequestration solutions. In Ecuador, Rikolto has been involved in technical discussions with the government on the EU's zero deforestation regulations. Furthermore, in Ecuador, through the CREA project, together with our partners, the support of the EU and public and private entities, we support MSMEs and producer associations that want to bring their sustainable products, including coffee, to the European market.
In Honduras, beyond our work in the field, in 2023, we worked with the Ministry of Agriculture to improve access to financial services for coffee producers. The COCAFCAL cooperative served as a pilot project, and received a $1 million loan for infrastructure and equipment. We also participate in the Economic Sustainability Committee of the Sustainable Coffee Platform and contribute to an inter-institutional committee focused on the EU's Deforestation Free Regulation.
In Belgium, we actively lobbied for changes in EU legislation, in particular the forthcoming Due Diligence Regulation, to ensure responsible sourcing throughout the supply chain. We also promoted the concept of a living income for farmers as part of a sustainable food system.
In Indonesia, we have been supporting the Koerintji Barokah Bersama cooperative since 2017 to produce high-quality Kerinci speciality coffee and provide a living income for its members. We do this by building farmers' capacity in good agricultural practices, facilitating multi-stakeholder partnerships, promoting income diversification strategies and fostering innovation. This long-standing collaboration has shown that adopting sustainable practices and innovative techniques can increase yields and enhance the quality of coffee beans, leading to higher coffee prices and a more sustainable income. We share the findings of research on the benefits of adopting agroforestry models widely with government agencies, universities, research institutes, NGOs, and the private sector.
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Are you interested in collaborating to build a sustainable coffee sector? Connect with Abdulahi Aliyu, Global Director of the Sustainable Cocoa and Coffee Programme, Rikolto
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