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Coffee
Coffee
is one of the world's most widely traded commodity. However, it regularly
suffers from periods of over supply and low prices followed by periods of
short supply and high prices. From 2000 to 2003, green coffee prices were
at unprecedented low levels. While the situation is better this year, the
sector still suffers from structural deficiencies such as weak farmer organization
and limited access to information and extension services. This cyclical prices
movement when it is low has dramatic consequences on developing countries
where less money is available for health care, communication & education.
In particular, farmers survive with difficulties in coffee plantations or
abandon them, adding up to the overall number of unemployed people.
SAI Platform believes that resolving the structural deficiencies in the sector requires an active & coordinated action from the international community. For its part, it acts as a catalyser for food industries to help resolve the crisis by developing sustainable green coffee practices. SAI Platform is persuaded that the development of such practices for the mainstream coffee market would have several positive effects in the medium term: reducing the current oversupply of green coffee; contributing to protecting the environment; helping improve the livelihoods of sustainable coffee farmers; and contributing to improve the quality of green coffee.
SAI Platform's Working Group on Green Coffee was formed on April 1st, 2003. Shortly after its creation, it released a Mission Statement on Sustainable Green Coffee in English; Engagement pour un café durable en Français; and Definición de misión por un café verde sostenible en Español. A Common Understanding of Mainstream Sustainable Coffee was also produced with the Common Code for the Coffee Community (4Cs) in December 2003. In April 2004, the Working Group drafted Principles and Practices for Sustainable Green Coffee Production. These were tested through the pilot projects, and a new version of Principles and Practices for Sustainable Green Coffee Production was released in December 2007.
Today, twelve pilot projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America are running under the responsibility of the Working Group's member companies. Progress of these projects and ways to roll- out best practices on a wide scale were discussed in depth during three workshops in producing countries (Nicaragua, El Salvador and Uganda).
NEW! Latest Workshop Documents
The documents related to the latest workshop, which was held on November 28 - December 1, 2007 in Uganda, are now available to all.
Ecom, Efico, Kraft, Nestlé, Neumann Kaffee Gruppe, Sara Lee DE, Tchibo and VOLCAFE are SAI Platform's active members of the Working Group on Green Coffee. Patrick Leheup, Nestlé, is the Working Group's Chairman.