Nearly 25 million farm families in more than 50 developing countries depend on coffee for a significant part of their livelihoods.

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In countries with developing economies, international coffee trade generates critical export earnings and tax revenue. However, despite the global importance of coffee production, coffee prices have reached historic lows and coffee farmers have few, if any, legal alternatives to coffee production. In addition to its economic value, coffee cultivation serves an increasingly important ecological purpose by buffering native ecosystems and habitat and conserving the biodiversity they harbor. The symbiotic relationships between producer prosperity, vulnerable landscapes, and political stability are under severe strain as declining coffee prices impact struggling farmers.

Brazil, Colombia, and Vietnam now produce more than 60 percent of the world’s coffee. Other countries are fighting for niches and marketing strategies that are increasingly tied to complex certification and labeling systems. While cupping quality remains the undisputed standard by which coffee is priced, other “values” or criteria related to fair producer pricing, land and water conservation, and food safety practices are becoming increasingly important in the marketplace. The promise of improved market access and price premiums for high-quality and differentiated coffees makes these market niches attractive and competitive.

The numerous standards, codes of conduct, and sustainability criteria that have proliferated in the last decade are designed to distinguish sources of consistent quality product produced in an environment of ecosystem conservation and land stewardship, fair labor practices, and reduced or zero agrochemical use. These certification systems are more easily applied in large estate situations. Implementing value chain standards and certification in smallholder systems is proving much more problematic.

Coffee topic editor: Danielle Giovannucci