Value Chain Coffee

• Cultivation
• Production, harvesting
• Processing
• Marketing, Transport
• Processing,
  finishing
• Final distribution

• • Environmental
    indicators
  • Emissions, effluent and waste
  • Resource consumption

    A further risk lies in the high consumption of resources, particularly water. Coffee cultivation exacerbates local water stress in regions with water scarcity or adverse climatic conditions. Furthermore, water-intensive primary processing methods – particularly wet processing – place a strain on the environment due to high water consumption and wastewater. In Ethiopia, for example, there is a shift in suitable growing areas due to rising temperatures, changes in rainfall patterns, post-harvest losses and extreme weather.

  • Biodiversity

    A major environmental risk is the conversion of natural or near-natural areas into agricultural land. The loss of these forests destroys habitats and reduces biodiversity. This is particularly problematic where coffee cultivation, through conventional intensification, involves increased use of agrochemicals.
    In addition to the immediate loss of forest areas, this risk area encompasses the downstream impacts on ecosystems, biodiversity, the climate and human health.

  • Transport emissions
  • Animal welfare
  • Human rights
  • Discrimination
  • The interests of the local community

    Anyone who considers the interests of the local population will recognise a fundamental risk: smallholder farming structures, price fluctuations and unequal bargaining power between producers and traders create a structural problem that gives rise to further risks. In short: as incomes fall, the incentive for deforestation, the use of intensive chemical farming, and problems relating to informal labour practices and quality standards increases.

  • Child labour

    As well as forced labour, child labour is also common in supply chains. Poverty and a lack of basic social protection drive children to take on inappropriate work, particularly at the earliest stages of the supply chain. In doing so, they risk physical and psychological harm. Without adequate education, they lose prospects for the future, which reinforces the vicious circle of forced labour, debt bondage and poverty across generations.

  • Forced and compulsory labour
  • Freedom of association
  • Work practices/
    -quality
  • Employment
    status

    Precarious employment conditions are among the key social risks. Particularly in the early stages of the supply chain, informal employment, seasonal work, unregistered employment, long working hours during harvest periods, health risks and even forced labour can occur.

  • Health and Safety at Work

    Precarious employment conditions are among the key social risks. Particularly in the early stages of the supply chain, informal employment, seasonal work, unregistered employment, long working hours during harvest periods, health risks and even forced labour can occur.

  • Discrimination / Diversity
  • Governance
  • Corruption, bribery, accepting benefits

    At the supply chain stages of collection, local trade, export and customs clearance, risks arise from unclear proofs of origin, mixed flows of goods, false declarations and the circumvention of regulations. Particularly when it comes to deforestation, weak or manipulated controls, as well as problems with audits, certification and traceability, are significant factors. Corruption also plays a role: abuses frequently occur in the allocation of land titles, usage rights and permits. Furthermore, price fluctuations between producing countries encourage the cross-border smuggling of coffee beans.

  • Anti-competitive behaviour
  • Compliance
  • Tax evasion
  • Poor Governance
  • Product
    responsibility
  • Customer safety
  • Labelling of products
  • Marketing, Advertising
  • Protection of customer data