Key Issues we work on

There are several interlinked issues in the coffee sector that we focus on. The two main branches of the coffee problem tree relate to prosperous & dignified people and a healthy & thriving environment. These two branches stand firmly on a tree trunk of responsibility and transparency of stakeholders in and beyond the sector. These problems – and potential solutions – are deeply anchored in asymmetry among actors based on their power, influence and resources; thus accountability is at the root of the coffee problem tree – and countless solutions.

01.

Prospersous & dignified people

Poverty, low prices, and wage gaps remain the root causes of unsustainable practices in coffee.

When farmers struggle to meet their basic needs, their limited choices often push them into practices that harm both the environment and their families or communities. Without fair compensation, safe working conditions, and the freedom to organize, farm workers cannot secure dignity, prosperity or resilience. Farmers, regardless of gender, must be supported to build independent, profitable businesses that enable collective action and bargaining power.

Healthy & thriving environment

Coffee farming is deeply linked to environmental challenges including deforestation, climate change, loss of biodiversity, poor soil health and agrochemical use.

The coffee sector is understood to be a leading greenhouse gas emitter in agriculture, a contributor to deforestation and biodiversity loss, and underprepared for climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Responsibility and transparency

With power comes responsibility – individually and collectively – and choice.

Confronting inequality, ensuring fair value and risk sharing, and mandating transparency and due diligence are all choices the sector can make for securing its long-term future.

Unfiltered accountability

Tackling the challenges in the coffee sector requires each stakeholder – and individual entity – to accept their responsibility in the system.

The coffee industry, producing and consuming country governments, and financial actors shape the rules, incentives, and flows of capital that determine whether prosperity, dignity, resilience and environmental protection are possible. Focusing on these stakeholders reflects both their outsized influence and the urgent need for collective responsibility beyond the farm level.