Global coffee companies adopt new procurement principles to support farmer sustainability
Leading coffee firms agree on new sourcing principles focused on partnerships and sustainability to improve farmer livelihoods and strengthen long-term resilience across global coffee supply chains.
GLOBAL – Stakeholders across the global coffee sector have agreed on a shared approach to coffee procurement guided by two new principles aimed at supporting the long-term economic health of coffee farmers.
The principles focus on strategic partnerships and sustainable coffee production, with the goal of encouraging more responsible sourcing practices throughout the value chain.
The framework was developed through a nine-month collaborative process led by the Global Coffee Platform (GCP), IDH and Solidaridad. It builds on insights from the 2024 publication The Grounds for Sharing, which examined value distribution within the coffee sector.
A total of 14 major coffee companies participated in the process, including Caravela, ECOM, Export Trading Company, illycaffè, JDE Peet’s, Louis Dreyfus Company, Neumann Kaffee Gruppe, ofi, Sucafina, Sucden Coffee, Taylors of Harrogate, Touton, UCC and Volcafe.
Annette Pensel, Executive Director of the Global Coffee Platform, said the initiative addresses a critical need within the sector. “Ensuring the long-term economic viability of sustainable coffee farming, and overall farmer prosperity is essential for a resilient supply and a competitive coffee sector. This requires shared responsibility and a more coordinated approach across the industry,” she said.
The first principle, Strategic Partnerships, promotes a shift away from short-term transactions toward long-term, trust-based relationships among farmers, traders, roasters and retailers.
The second principle, Sustainable Coffee Production, encourages companies to support conditions that enable farmers to recover production costs and improve their livelihoods over time.
Mette-Marie Hansen of IDH said the principles represent a step toward aligning value creation in the sector.
“These common procurement principles represent an important step towards aligning how the coffee sector creates and shares value. By moving beyond short-term transactions and embedding longer-term partnerships and sustainable production conditions, companies can contribute to more resilient supply chains and improved economic viability for farmers,” she said.
She added that the initiative is intended to serve as “a foundation for scaling more responsible purchasing practices across the sector.”
Andrea Olivar of Solidaridad emphasized the importance of collaboration across the value chain. “We are creating a base to ensure that all those directly involved in coffee supply chains, from farmers to retailers, have a positive output from their efforts. These principles, that should be implemented across the sector, are fundamental to promote prosperity of coffee producers and security of supply,” she said.
Pensel added that the agreement demonstrates growing industry commitment to sustainability and resilience.
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