The future of coffee holds ambitious promises driven by digital and scientific innovations. However, deforestation remains a critical challenge for the industry, threatening vital ecosystems and contributing to biodiversity loss. Over the past two decades, an estimated 130,000 hectares of forest have been cleared annually for coffee cultivation, further endangering the livelihoods of smallholder producers who depend on these lands (Solidaridad, 2023).
In response, the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), effective by 2024, will enforce stringent sustainability standards on coffee imports, aiming to safeguard ecosystems while promoting ethical and socially responsible sourcing. Yet, the shift toward compliance presents considerable challenges, particularly for smallholder producers who produce 70-80% of the world's coffee. Many lack the resources and infrastructure needed to meet these new standards, making sustainable transitions both complex and costly (IISD: 2022; ECF: 2022). This underscores the growing complexity of global coffee production, compounded by environmental challenges and new regulations, demands urgent collaboration and innovative solutions.
World Coffee Innovation Summit 2024: Scaling Agritech Solutions for Sustainable Coffee and Driving EUDR Compliance
These pressing challenges are pushing the coffee industry to rethink its traditional practices and explore new pathways toward sustainability. As a result, there is a growing emphasis on shared value—an approach that integrates social and environmental goals into the core of business strategies. The need for innovation, collaboration, and scalable solutions has never been more critical, and the World Coffee Innovation Summit London 2024 aims to address this by focusing on how the industry can redefine shared value through innovation.
The World Coffee Innovation Summit London 2024 with a theme “Redefining Shared Value: Innovation Towards a Net Positive Future will bring together industry leaders to showcase scalable innovations that enhance traceability, sustainability, and regenerative solutions, driving both business growth and positive social and environmental impact for farming communities. This aligns with our mission to provide end-to-end solutions that empower farming communities, promoting sustainable supply chains and innovations that benefit both the environment and coffee communities
Represented by our CEO & Co-Founder, Manfred Borer, Head of Markets for EMEA, Fanny Butler, and Customer Success Manager, Valeria Galvez, we will be involved in the discussion to the betterment on the coffee sector. The event will take place on 16-17th October 2024 at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre and the UK House of Lords. Key topics include updates on EUDR, Regenerative Agriculture, biodiversity, and the role of capital markets in decarbonizing global trade.
Our CEO will speak during the event and tell the story on how we have become a leading agritech provider, helping companies of all sizes across six continents, including the coffee industry, achieve sustainability goals, transition to traceable sourcing, and positively impact the communities and ecosystems they rely on. Managing 58 commodities in 65 countries, to date, we have mapped and verified over 270,000 coffee producers and assessed over 860,000 hectares of coffee farmland. As the EU Authorized Representative, we will assist businesses in submitting the Due Diligence Statement, ensuring compliance with the EUDR standards.
In an increasingly regulated and environmentally conscious market, businesses must adapt to stricter standards and sustainable practices to thrive. Join us at the World Coffee Innovation Summit 2024 to explore how your business can meet compliance standards and drive sustainability in the ever-evolving coffee commodity supply chain
Resource
Solidaridad. (2023). Coffee Barometer 2023 reveals worrying impact on smallholders' livelihoods and deforestation. Solidaridad Network. Retrieved from https://www.solidaridadnetwork.org/news/coffee-barometer-2023-reveals-worrying-impact-on-smallholders-livelihoods-and-deforestation/
European Parliament. (2023). Deforestation: Causes and how the EU is tackling it. Retrieved from https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20221019STO44561/deforestation-causes-and-how-the-eu-is-tackling-it
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). (2022). Global market report: Coffee prices and sustainability. Retrieved from https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-09/2022-global-market-report-coffee.pdf
European Coffee Federation (ECF). (2022). ECF reactive statement: Deforestation regulation proposal. Retrieved from https://www.ecf-coffee.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ECF-reactive-statement-deforestation-regulation-proposal.pdf
Vega, R., & Carrillo, F. (2023). Navigating the coffee business landscape: Challenges and adaptation strategies in a changing world. ResearchGate. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373730681_Navigating_the_Coffee_Business_Landscape_Challenges_and_Adaptation_Strategies_in_a_Changing_World
European Parliament. (2022). Towards deforestation-free commodities and products in the EU. Retrieved from https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2022/698925/EPRS_BRI(2022)698925_EN.pdf
Koltiva. (2023). Empowering smallholder farmers: The path to deforestation-free rubber supply chains to meet the EUDR. Retrieved from https://www.koltiva.com/post/empowering-smallholder-farmers-the-path-to-deforestation-free-rubber-supply-chains-to-meet-the-eudr
Koltiva. (2023). Deforestation-free coffee production: Compliance with European Union regulation (EUDR). Retrieved from https://www.koltiva.com/post/deforestation-free-coffee-production-eudr
European Parliament. (2022). Deforestation: Causes and how the EU is tackling it. Retrieved from https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20221019STO44561/deforestation-causes-and-how-the-eu-is-tackling-it
Writer: Kumara Anggita, Content Writer
Editor: Boby Hermawan Arifin, Head of Digital Marketing
About Writer
Kumara Anggita, serving as Koltiva's dedicated Content Writer, brings a wealth of experience from her six-year tenure in journalism in the fields of humanities and lifestyle, as well as her role as a writer in the tech industry. Her deep-rooted passion for gender equality and sustainability spurred her to enhance her reporting and storytelling skills through the EmPower Media Bootcamp by UN Women. Now, Kumara utilizes her platform to advocate for sustainable practices and gender equality through her compelling writing.
