
Coffee is a highly
environmentally-dependent crop
and the increase of a few degrees
of average temperature in coffeegrowing
regions around the world
threatens both the steady supply
of quality Arabica coffees and the
livelihood of millions of people
who grow and produce coffee.
Source World Coffee Research.
Smaller restaurants like
coffee shopsare estimated to use,
on average, 2.5 times more energy
per square foot [KH1] than any
other commercial buildings.1
Having an impact can be as simple
as changing a light bulb.
Source The Green Guide.
"We're only just beginning the journey towards a sustainable industry...we are learing what we need to ensure a coffee industry..where the natural environment is enhanced by coffee rather than damaged by it. We can actually sustain our industry if we want to. And I think we've never wanted it more."
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Over the past decade, there have been persistent
disruptions to the supply chain attributed to weather, exacerbating
challenges in an already strained supply chain.
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Because small-scale farmers produce
the vast majority of coffee—89% in Ethiopia, nearly 100% in Rwanda, just
as two examples—their challenges quickly become ours. A very real
outcome of systemic poverty is migration away from farms. In less than
a generation, we could see the foundation of our supply chain move
elsewhere.
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When farmers struggle, the surrounding communities
can suffer, making access to basic education and healthcare services
difficult. As communities strain, poverty becomes embedded in
the genetic code and a more difficult cycle to escape.
It's not enough simply to make an effort; we need to be able to measure the impact of our efforts to ensure we are driving outcomes.
Large scale industry outcomes always depend on the comittment and
dedication of individuals. If everyone believed their efforts wouldn't
make a difference, we'd never see community driven results. By
committing to ongoing applications of identified solutions and
consistent data entry into START you can drive significant outcomes for
both the planet and your business.

