VOCAL cited as Swiss trade veteran resigns over sustainability
The Pourover has covered the resignation of Walter Zwald, honorary president of the Swiss Coffee Trade Association (SCTA), who stepped down after the association failed to respond to his open letter demanding mandatory sustainability criteria for all members, including no deforestation, full farm-level traceability, zero tolerance for forced and child labour, and a living income for farmers and a living wage for workers.
The piece draws directly on the 2026 Coffee Barometer, noting the report’s finding that two decades of voluntary, market-driven measures have delivered gains that are “genuine yet insufficient” while sidestepping the changes that would challenge the commercial terms of trade, such as price transparency and tax reform.
VOCAL’s coffee lead, Ashlee Tuttleman, is quoted describing Zwald’s stance as an echo of the Barometer, which highlights the outsized role Switzerland and the SCTA can play in mainstreaming sustainability investment and outcomes into the coffee trade.
Read the full article here.