Dunkin’ signs five-year agreement with WCR

Dunkin’ and franchisee-owned supply chain National DCP have announced a five-year agreement that will see a percentage of sales from every pound of its Original Blend coffee beans sold to franchisees go towards World Coffee Research (WCR). “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.” 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. “The commitment by the Dunkin’s system makes them one of our biggest donors and a leader in collaborative, pre-competitive agronomic research and development,” WCR CEO Tim Schilling says. “With rising temperatures and more frequently extreme weather, the need to make coffee plants more resilient to threats like diseases and droughts has never been more urgent. “The support from Dunkin’ will be transformational in protecting the availability of quality coffee, and protecting the livelihood of coffee farmers across the globe through access to new coffee varieties and technologies.” This funding for WCR 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. “We are excited to support the work being done by World Coffee Research benefiting farmers around the world and shoring up long-term supply assurance for our franchisee cooperative members,” says Matt Daks, Director of Strategic Sourcing for Coffee and Tea at National DCP.