Dunkin’ has joined the Sustainable Coffee Challenge, a collaborative effort among companies, governments, non-government organis undefined
ations, and research institutions, dedicated to making the coffee sector fully sustainable.
Together with the Sustainable Coffee Challenge, Dunkin’ says it will work to find solutions for the coffee community while stimulating the need for sustainable coffee.
Dunkin’ says its participation in the Sustainable Coffee Challenge builds on its recently announced initiative with World Coffee Research (WCR). The company is donating a percentage of sales from every pound of its Original Blend coffee sold for use in Dunkin’ restaurants over the next five years to WCR in support of its sustainability efforts.
This financial contribution, which could amount to US$2 million over the course of the agreement, will support WCR’s mission to grow, protect, and enhance supplies of quality coffee, while improving the livelihoods of the families who produce it.
This funding for WCR's research will advance several key objectives towards coffee sustainability, including:
• Increase the supplies of quality coffee for the global coffee market through innovative, collaborative research on key supply constraints, including climate change, disease and insect problems, yield and quality, and the lack of genetic diversity.
• Better understand the causes and effects of genetic, agronomic, and post-harvest factors on the quality of coffees in order to increase quality and volumes of coffee.
• Improve the livelihoods of coffee growers by providing them with better, higher revenue-earning varieties and agronomic technologies.
• Increase the capacity of coffee origin countries to execute advanced coffee research that will result in increased cup quality and volumes of quality coffee.
“As a leading coffee retailer, we have a responsibility to protect the commodities we source, and the farmers and producers whose livelihoods depend upon them,” says Karen Raskopf, Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer at Dunkin’ Brands.
“On behalf of our franchisee community, we are proud that every cup of Dunkin’ Original Blend coffee sold will support World Coffee Research’s ambitious and vital research efforts.”