Having a cup of coffee is the perfect way to kickstart your morning, but it can come at a great cost many people don’t know about. There’s a long road from the farm to your cup, and ensuring every step of the way remains sustainable and ethical coffee practices is a must. So, what are the ethical and environmental challenges in the coffee industry?
The coffee industry has to face monoculture, deforestation, and child labor, among other things. Certain initiatives, such as the Fair-Trade certification and guilt-free farming, lead the change for companies. The customer has to put their money into sustainable and ethically-sourced products too.
Can one cup of coffee cause so much harm? That depends on whether you’re making a conscious choice to get it from the right place. Sustainability, ethical production and consumption, and customer choice will bring a much-needed change in this industry.
Sustainability In Coffee Bean Farming
Can companies push for sustainable practices in coffee farms? Certain unsustainable practices are the norm, and it will cost a lot more than money if corporations don’t put their best foot forward to fix that.
What Are Unsustainable Farming Practices?
There are three harmful coffee farming practices:
- Monoculture
- Sun-grown coffee
- Excessive water usage
Monoculture means using the same land over and over again for the same purposes. Growing coffee on the same soil drains that soil of much-needed nutrients that humans can’t replenish in time.
Sun-grown coffee is exactly what it sounds like. Growing coffee directly under the sun requires deforestation to happen. In contrast, shade-grown coffee helps biodiversity and provides a richer, higher-quality coffee grain.
Last but not least comes excessive water usage. Certain farming practices require more water than others. Coffee-producing countries have a hard time not contaminating water that goes back into local waterways, making matters worse.
Benefits Of Sustainable Farming Practices
Sustainable farming practices prevent the issues mentioned above and revert already-caused damage. For example, making an effort to switch from sun-grown coffee farming to shade-grown practices improve biodiversity and reverts deforestation.
Sometimes, a change in ways is not enough, and that’s the case for monoculture. This farming method can bring soil close to the point of no return, draining it of the necessary nutrients to make anything grow there, coffee included. Soil, like humans, needs a rest after long periods of activity. In that case, not doing anything (for a while) is a sustainable option.
The end goal of sustainable coffee practices is to preserve the land where we stand. Coffee is important (and a strategic resource for several regional economies), so finding the right initiatives to make this activity economically viable and sustainable is key.
Sustainable Coffee Bean Farming Initiatives Examples
Companies all around the world are making an effort to make coffee farming 100% sustainable. The Fair-Trade organization (which we’ll talk about below) puts sustainability on the map, forcing both big and small companies to change for the better.
For example, Nestle, a coffee giant, is pushing towards making its entire coffee production sustainable by 2025. As of 2022, they’re 88% sustainable. That means they’re the necessary investments in coffee-producing countries to provide the proper market and labor conditions.
One of their biggest advances comes from technology. Their coffee plantlets allow crops to rejuvenate, bringing more coffee at fewer resource costs, thus reducing its carbon footprint in the process.
Ethical Coffee Production And Fair Trade Certification
Coffee companies are making an effort to stop certain practices from staying in this business, but we need to do more to achieve sustainability in the industry. Working with one another is how we can make changes happen. The Fair-Trade certification is the difference between good coffee and unsustainable coffee.
Unethical Production Practices
Unsustainability isn’t the only problem in coffee farming. Unethical practices have been the norm in this industry for a long time, and in certain places, it’s hard to get rid of old ways of doing business.
Child labor and worker exploitation are two of the biggest ethical issues in coffee farming and production. Certain coffee-producing countries have lax child labor laws or can’t deal with the issue altogether.
At the same time, when unethical companies can’t put kids to work, they resort to paying workers pennies on the dollar. Certain studies show coffee workers may get less than 3% of the retail price of coffee for their effort.
Importance Of Fair-Trade Certification
A product having a Fair-Trade certification could mean the difference between getting your coffee from ethical or unethical sources. That small logo is proof of huge changes in coffee production.
Picking up coffee that’s Free Trade-certified means you’re choosing coffee produced in an environment that provides safe working conditions, environmental protection, and sustainable practices.
Customers have learned to recognize how important ethically-sourced coffee is. That’s why studies show close to 80% of all customers trust coffee brands with the Fair Trade logo.
What Are Some Companies With Fair-Trade Certification?
The number of coffee companies working under Fair Trade guidelines is too big to mention. You can check their list or search for “company name + fair trade certification” if you’re not sure whether you’re sourcing your coffee ethically or not.
However, it’s important to mention companies, both big and small, are making the right changes. You’ll find plenty of small and medium businesses that partnered with Fair Trade, but that doesn’t mean huge players are not part of this game too.
Giants like Amazon, Costco, and Walmart have partnered with Fair Trade in an attempt to make coffee sustainable and ethical.
Sustainable And Ethical Coffee Consumption
Is there something better than starting your day with a cup of sustainable and ethically-produced coffee? There are more reasons than feeling good about where you got your first cup of joe of the day. Not making a conscious choice in favor of ethical coffee may mean there won’t be coffee in the long term.
Why Purchase Sustainable And Ethically-produced Coffee?
It’s not hard to understand why your coffee choices have to be sustainable. You can drink poorly-sourced coffee today and have none tomorrow, or you can make the right choice and continue drinking coffee without trouble.
The price factor should also favor sustainable practices in coffee. Choosing cheaper products that don’t follow sustainability guidelines means scarcity will happen in the future, making prices skyrocket in our lifetime.
Ethical reasons are also plenty. Nobody wants to take part in abusive industries where exploitation and child labor are the norm. Picking the right coffee brand prevents that.
How To Identify Sustainable And Ethical Coffee Products
The best way to identify ethically-sourced and sustainable coffee products is to look for the Fair-Trade logo on the package. That logo proves that these coffee companies are treating their workers and the planet the right way.
Several companies are not partnered with Fair Trade, but that doesn’t mean they participate in unsustainable and/or unethical practices. However, it makes it harder to verify if they meet the requirements to make the proper distinction.
At that point, you have to do your research, which includes contacting the company itself to learn about its coffee-sourcing process.
Individual Choices, The Coffee Industry, And The Environment
Doing the right thing is often difficult. When it comes to purchasing coffee, it means picking the right brand, looking for certified companies, and, sometimes, spending a little extra.
Is this process worth the trouble? Yes! You, the customer, are in charge of showing companies how to run their business. You won’t achieve that with a thought-provoking public letter but by spending your money wisely.
You giving your money to companies that source their products ethically and sustainably means other companies will start doing the same. It’s an investment that will pay out in the future.
The Future Of Sustainable And Ethical Coffee Practices
Are companies making an effort to put coffee in a good place? We can’t bet on the future unless we follow sustainable practices, and those rich and powerful enough to make a change know it better than the customers. What are these corporations doing to make change?
Innovations In Sustainable And Ethical Coffee Practices
The coffee industry is working around the clock to make its business model sustainable and, at the same time, transform wasteful byproducts into green opportunities.
Coffee grounds, for example, were put in a landfill not so long ago, causing a huge problem. Nowadays, they are being used as biofuel. On a similar note, used coffee beans can be used to store methane.
Big companies are also working to improve old ways of doing things, such as reducing excessive water use. Not so long ago, Nestle introduced a water conservation program in Vietnam they hope to expand worldwide.
The Impact On The Coffee Industry And The Environment
Companies and customers being conscious of the coffee industry is the biggest change in recent history. People are starting to catch up to what may happen if we continue to drink coffee without thinking about where it’s coming from and how we’re getting it.
We have talked about Fair Trade certs, which is a huge thing. We’re talking about brands that go out of their way to show they’re following ethical and sustainable models. That means coffee-producing companies and farms will not take part in harmful practices, such as choosing sun-grown coffee.
At the same time, coffee-producing countries are making an effort to improve their workers’ conditions. As companies put people over profits, child labor, exploitation, and inhumane conditions slowly stop being the norm.
Supporting ethically-sourced coffee means making the world a better place, both helping the planet and the people living in it.
How To Support Sustainability And Ethical Practices In Coffee
Companies have the biggest share of the burden when it comes to switching from unethical to ethical coffee, but customers have to put their best foot forward to make these corporations march toward the finish line. What can customers do to make a change? You put your money, trust, and the future of coffee in the same place.
Purchasing Guilt-Free Coffee
Purchasing guilt-free coffee is what we want everyone to do.
Look for companies that provide a proper work environment and safe conditions, as well as follow sustainable business models. That’s the meaning of guilt-free.
How can you do that? Some companies are incorporating a guilt-free map. They place a QR scan on their products to show you every step, from the farm to your house. In other words, they show you they’re doing the right thing, so you can drink your coffee guilt-free
Does the package come with no QR? You’ll have to do your research to check.
Participating In Coffee Recycling Programs
This article focuses on how to find ethically-sourced and sustainable coffee. It’s a task that requires plenty of effort. Keep in mind it brings great results.
However, the coffee bean is not the only thing that you purchase. You’re also buying a package that could provide less than ideal for the environment. Let’s take coffee capsules as an example.
Are you buying from brands that have a recycling program, or are you making an effort to look for sustainable coffee that comes in an unsustainable package? Nespresso has an ongoing capsule recycling program, for example.
Avoiding Products From Certain Areas
Sometimes, looking for ethically-sourced coffee products from certain areas is more trouble than its worth. A handful of countries have no desire or manpower to make sure coffee farms are running ethical and sustainable operations.
Can you take the trouble to look for sustainable and ethical companies in those countries? Absolutely! Should you? Probably not. There are plenty of companies and countries that run ethical and sustainable business models.
Remember, your money dictates how businesses will work in the future. It’s not that different with countries.
Conclusion
People need to emphasize sustainability and ethical practices when it comes to buying a great cup of coffee. Plenty of organizations, both big and small, are working to deal with environmental issues, child labor, and other problematic areas in this industry. The customers have the final say, and where they put their money matters.
Resources
This post may contain links that we earn a small commission from, at no cost to you, read more.