The Global Coffee Platform (GCP) Sustainable Coffee Purchase Reporting Program, now entering its second year, has received the commitment of some of the world’s leading coffee companies.
GCP’s Snapshot on 2018 Sustainable Coffee Purchases provided first insights on collective reporting by JDE, Melitta, Nestlé, Strauss and Supracafé. These businesses agreed to act transparently in an effort to promote a sector-wide move towards sustainable coffee and to show the progress being made.
This commitment was applauded at the recent GCP Member Assembly, which drew more than 100 GCP Member representatives from 27 countries and spans the entire value chain – including leading coffee companies, civil society, banks and development agencies.
“Our GCP Members and National Coffee Sustainability Platforms have made great strides in moving forward on collective action during an incredibly challenging year, and the GCP Reporting process has become one of the great successes,” says Annette Pensel, GCP Executive Director.
“Collective sustainability reporting has become a powerful tool to encourage greater transparency and increase sustainable coffee purchases from diverse origins. This is a crucial opportunity to demonstrate commitments in measurable, comparable ways right now.
“We are now inviting all GCP Member roasters and retailers and extend a special invitation to ICO London Declaration signatories to join the GCP Reporting on Sustainable Coffee Purchases.”
With the reporting framework in place and initial positive results already recorded by participating companies and major coffee sustainability standards, GCP says the reporting program will track the sector’s move towards sustainable sourcing and provide key information to all segments of the value chain, as well as the public sector.
Currently, work is underway to expand the recognition for the reporting to additional sustainability schemes and programs, using the Baseline Coffee Code as reference. It is expected that more companies – regardless of size – will step up to the program and help lead the sector.
“Participating in the newly upgraded GCP Reporting on Sustainable Coffee Purchases enables roasters and retailers to show leadership on progress underway that supports transitioning the entire coffee market to sustainable sourcing from diverse origins,” says Pensel.
“There is value in aligning our efforts and using a common language, as we will all be better placed to understand sustainability progress being made.”
She says increasing sustainable purchases from diverse origins is essential to scale positive impact for coffee farmers, workers and their environment, and thus contributes to achieve the SDGs.
“Sustainability takes time, but this is something we can start today that will have impact,” Pensel says.
GCP will discuss the GCP Sustainable Coffee Purchase Reporting Program in an exclusive online meeting at 4pm CET/10am EST on 28 January 2021.
