In Brazil, world event debates sustainability, new global trade rules and ESG in coffee
In view of a growing global scenario that demands products with traceability and that adopt practices in line with ESG criteria (social and environmental governance), the Council of Brazilian Coffee Exporters (Cecafé) will promote a debate with specialists, leaders and opinion makers from the main commercial partners of the Brazilian product during the 9th Coffee Dinner & Summit, on May 25 and 26, in São Paulo (SP).
Under the theme “Production growth: its challenges and opportunities in times of ESG”, the event will count on the participation and contributions of important players in the national and international coffee sector – mainly from Europe, North America and Asia – who will debate the challenges that the global coffee industry has been facing in recent years, such as the economy and market trends, climate issues, sustainability, logistics, and the new regulations aimed at a greener consumer market.
Brazil plays a very important role in the world coffee trade, with a market share of approximately 40%, being an indispensable supplier for the main importing countries.
“With the country’s global importance, it is fundamental to bring up these discussions and present our successful case of sustainability during a period of great logistical difficulties and climatic anomalies. We did our homework and honored our commitments to the internal and external markets, showing efficiency, with the exporters doing exemplary work to guarantee that our coffees, which are sustainable, diverse and of high quality, reached all their destinations”, says Marcos Matos, general director of Cecafé.
At the 9th Coffee Dinner & Summit, according to him, Brazil’s coffee industry for the coming years and for future generations will also be thought of, especially in terms of economic, social, and environmental sustainability in times of ESG.
“We know that the challenges are many, but that there are great opportunities. It is important to communicate, in an intelligent and strategic way, the efficiency and sustainability intrinsic to Brazilian coffee farming. In the field, the producer adopts good agricultural practices, making coffee farming increasingly sustainable, with a diversity of origins, aromas and flavors, high quality, in addition to mitigating climate anomalies, as demonstrated by the study ‘Carbon Balance’ in Arabica coffee. The export segment, as a great partner of the producers, passes on the largest percentage of the FOB price of exports to the coffee grower, making every effort to overcome the logistical bottlenecks, which has allowed it to meet the most varied and demanding consumer markets, exporting to over 120 countries,” he points out.
CLEAR SUSTAINABILITY
In Brazil, coffee generates development where it is grown, improving the longevity, education, and income of the communities around it. This is proven by the fact that the Municipal Human Development Index (IDH-M) is higher in cities with a larger coffee-growing area, according to an analysis carried out by Cecafé in the main producing state, Minas Gerais.
The Council also has important actions aligned to the improvement of the lives of coffee growers, such as the projects “Coffee’s Child in School” (structuring of 137 digital laboratories, with the delivery of 1,370 computers); “Informed Producer” (qualification of 7,000 producers in good agricultural practices and digital inclusion); and “Safe Coffee”, which is focused on environmental training focused on the issue of residue limits.
There are also social initiatives of the entity aimed at improving living and working conditions in coffee communities, with actions to raise awareness about decent working conditions, in alignment with the rural labor legislation in Brazil, which is one of the most demanding in the world.
The coffees from Brazil are also important mitigators of global warming and a reference in regenerative agriculture. A study promoted by Cecafé, with scientific guidance from the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture of the University of São Paulo (Esalq/USP) and the Institute for Forest and Agricultural Management and Certification (Imaflora), assessed the impact of the transition from conventional practices, on coffee farms in Minas Gerais, to those that contribute more organic matter to the soil and keep it under vegetal cover.
The result highlights the magnitude of the environmental service associated with coffees from Brazil, since a negative carbon balance of around 10.5 tons of CO2 and equivalents per hectare of the cultivated product was obtained. In other words, the activity is carbon negative, contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere.
“Networking and knowledge transfer aside, the Coffee Dinner & Summit will also be an opportunity for us to show that Brazilian coffees are a global reference, produced with passion, history, and conservation of natural resources, focusing on family succession, gender equity, income increase, productivity, and quality, in addition to being grown with respect for the Labor and Environmental Laws in the field,” concludes Matos.
ZERO CARBON
In line with the carbon sequestration of the Brazilian coffee industry, Cecafé obtained the Green Seal from reforestation startup Ecooar Biodiversity to neutralize GHG emissions with the 9th Coffee Dinner & Summit. By calculating the carbon emissions generated during the two days of the event, the Council offset more than 2.5 tons of CO2 by planting native trees, contributing to the reforestation of Permanent Preservation Areas (APP) at Fazenda Santa Emília, a coffee producer in Garça (SP), where the regeneration of the environment and the preservation of spring waters benefit, directly and indirectly, about one million people in the 62 cities in the region.
COFFEE DINNER & SUMMIT
The event stands out as one of the main global forums of the coffee sector, bringing together, every two years, about one thousand people and leaders from all segments of Brazilian and world coffee growing to promote business prospection, create commercial opportunities, share experiences, and network, bringing together agribusiness players and coffee lovers in a spacious and cozy environment.
Under the theme “Production growth: its challenges and opportunities in times of ESG”, the ninth edition of the Coffee Dinner & Summit aims to promote debate and reflection on the economic, climatic, regulatory, and logistical challenges, and especially on the sustainable initiatives developed by Brazil and other coffee nations, which respect the criteria of socio-environmental governance.
Those interested can obtain more information and make their registrations at https://coffeedinner.com.br/.
INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
The 9th Coffee Dinner & Summit has the institutional support of the Brazilian Coffee Industry Association (ABIC), the Brazilian Soluble Coffee Industry Association (Abics), the Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association (BSCA), the European Coffee Federation (ECF), the National Coffee Association (NCA), and the Swiss Coffee Trade Association (SCTA).
SPONSOR
The 9th Coffee Dinner & Summit is sponsored by important partners of Cecafé and the global coffee industry. So far, there are 12 sponsors (below), a record number in the history of the event, and others are in the final stages of negotiation.
More information for the press:
Cecafé’s Communication Management
Paulo André Kawasaki
(61) 98114-6632 / pauloandre@cecafe.com.br
