From small Farms to Starbucks, Sustainability is a Growing Force in Coffee Market

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From small Farms to Starbucks, Sustainability is a Growing Force in Coffee Market

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From small Farms to Starbucks, Sustainability is a Growing Force in Coffee Market

NEW YORK, NEW YORK, May. 12 -/E-Wire/-- WHAT? Coffee industry leaders, from small farmers in Latin America to Starbucks executives, will gather in New York from around the world this week to attend a sustainable coffee gala awards dinner May 14 hosted by the Rainforest Alliance. They are available for interviews while in New York to explain to audiences what goes into their coffee cups and how consumers' choices -- such as buying shade-grown, certified sustainable coffee -- profoundly affect the environment, society and quality of life in coffee producing countries. The trend towards environmentally and socially certified-sustainable coffee production has gathered steam in the industry and is poised to affect large segments of the global coffee market. But it requires consumers to vote with their dollars to fulfill its vast potential to save endangered species, prevent forest destruction, and encourage sustainable development.

WHO? The following growers, traders and retailers are either receiving sustainability awards or co-chairing at the Rainforest Alliance gala this week, and are available for interviews while in New York:

Mary Williams, senior vice president, Starbucks Coffee Tensie Whelan, executive director, Rainforest Alliance Simon Wakefield, London-based specialty importer, DR Wakefield & Co. Sabrina Vigilante, marketing coordinator, Rainforest Alliance Dieter Nottebohm, coffee farmer, exporter, Guatemala Michael Neumann, Neumann Kaffee Group of Germany Martin Keller, coffee farmer, Santa Isabel, Guatemala Hans Johr, Swiss-based head of agriculture and assistant senior vice president, Nestlé Markus Fischer, Costa Rica-based worldwide sustainability coordinator, Volcafé Ltd.

Everardo and Astrid Bernstoff (father and daughter), coffee farmers, Santa Elena Farm, Chiapas, Mexico

WHERE & WHEN? These guests are in New York during the week of May 12 and will be available for in-person or phone interviews. To request an interview, to cover the May 14 sustainable coffee event or for more information, please call Stephen Kent, Kent Communications, [REDACTED-PHONE], or cell [REDACTED-PHONE]

The sustainability trend in coffee production is now reaching a scale where it affects large segments of the global market. It has the potential to change the recent volatile economics of the coffee commodities market because it keeps small scale growers in business, limits the phenomenon of large-scale, full-sun, chem-intensive growers flooding the market with inferior qualty beans, and produces consistently high-quality beans that lend themselves to gourmet and specialty markets as a way into mainstream consumer markets.

NGOs such as Rainforest Alliance now take an active business role in connecting the sustainable growers they certify to key distribution points to reach consumers on a large scale. The growers probably couldn't get such access on their own. This is an emerging business model in which non-profits can have far-reaching, potentially transforming, impacts on the global market. For consumers, it means more choices and more availability of certified-sustainable coffee they can buy.

If they're managed sustainably shade-grown plantations actually protect endangered species by providing a wildlife-friendly buffer zone of secondary habitat around big national parks. Often clear-cut monoculture plantations come right to the border of a sensitive biodiverse park. Sustainable projects also have a growing social impact since the certification of best practices covers things like working conditions, living wage, health, education, childcare, contribution to the local community, etc.

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