Sustainable Harvest

Sitting at my desk in Portland, Oregon, I am a long way away from the farmers and communities who grow coffee. Yet amid my surroundings of computers, spreadsheets, and reports, I feel close to what’s happening in the field right now and connected to what will come tomorrow. Each small step I take here contributes to long-term changes in coffee growing communities from Central America to South America to East Africa. Although my reality is quite different than that of a coffee cooperative or farmer, I believe that our common goals enable us to align objectives and share experiences. I first came to learn the immediacy of the local and the gradual of the global seven years ago working in the flower trade in Ecuador. At the other end of the supply chain from where I sit now, I witnessed the challenges estate growers faced from dropping prices, labor pressures, and environmental impacts. Today, after pursuing a Masters degree in International Development, I have returned to global commodity trade with the aim to make an impact through my time with Sustainable Harvest and beyond. Over the summer, I have collaborated with cooperatives and the Sustainable Harvest offices at origin to measure the impact and sustainability of the company’s trade model. My journey has come full circle along the supply chain.

Sustainability is now in its second decade as a buzzword. Like many, I am still trying to understand exactly what it means. Surely, its definition varies depending on who you are, where you are, and what you do, as you add or take away from the mix of social, economic, and environmental ingredients of the sustainability recipe. With the framework and methodology we developed here at Sustainable Harvest, we prepared reports on our carbon footprint, our sustainability performance, and our suppliers’ sustainability.

To share our efforts to quantify our contribution to sustainable development, we’re writing a series of three blog posts to describe the scope of the process, the challenges, and the results as they unfold. This post discusses the trend of sustainability assessment as a tool to quantify qualitative descriptions of impact and enhance decision-making. The second post will focus on sustainability assessments conducted by independent, third-party organizations that evaluate our internal operations, most notably B Lab and Genuine Metrics. The last post of the series will address global sustainability initiatives and standards, and Sustainable Harvest’s pilot assessment of supplier sustainability. It will also address the challenges around that process and some of our initial findings on supplier well-being and needs.

Since emerging at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and gaining speed in both the Global North and South by the early 2000s, the concept of sustainable development has become mainstream. The trend of sustainability assessment and metrics emerged in the early 2000s as policymakers, managers and investors, civil society leaders, and the public began to demand evidence to support “green” claims. In response, consulting firms and experts such as the International Association for Impact Assessment organized and developed measurement tools. These tools help to analyze efficiency, effectiveness, and impact; demonstrate the extent of progress to management and key stakeholders; inform learning and strategic decision-making; compare actual results with those expected; ensure accountability; and ultimately, establish a strong foundation to bring sustainability efforts to scale.

Last month, we released a carbon footprint report that quantifies our business’ total carbon emissions. We see climate change as an increasing threat to the coffee supply chain, and it directly affects the farmers Sustainable Harvest works with in developing countries. Our sustainability team’s analysis shows 2009 CO2 emissions from the shipment of coffee in our legal possession (via ocean freight and trucking), as well as from staff air travel and from energy usage at all of our global offices (US, Mexico, Peru, and Tanzania). Our calculations show that carbon emissions from these activities totaled 657 metric tons (t) during 2009. In the process of transporting green coffee some 240,700 miles, 577t CO2e were emitted. In terms of operations, staff air travel resulted in estimated emissions of 78t CO2 and all office energy consumption emitted a total of 7t CO2. While approximately of 85% of our direct emissions are a result of shipping green coffee, it is important to note that coffee shipments transported by sea from origin to the US market contribute a relatively small portion (only 3 percent) of coffee’s total carbon footprint, on average (Clay, in Kornell 2009).

The carbon footprint report also analyzes the carbon sequestration from the Kigoma tree planting project in Tanzania. This initiative plants native tree species on denuded coffee plantations and was designed to restore local biodiversity, provide shade for coffee plants, reduce runoff, and sequester carbon. From 2008-2010, the project has planted 131,800 trees that will sequester an average of 805t CO2 each year.4 We estimate that this project sequesters 20% more carbon than we emit through business activities. The Kigoma project is one example of the ways in which Sustainable Harvest and coffee roasters support sustainability projects to improve conditions in the communities and ecosystems where their coffee is sourced.

Measuring our carbon footprint report is the first step in sustainability assessment and metrics that reinforce our work and the impact of our trade model. Another significant step is third-party certification and analysis, like B Lab and Genuine Metrics, the topic of our next blog post.

- David Short

Last week, a delegation of Burundian coffee farmers arrived here in Kigoma as part of an ongoing training project that Sustainable Harvest began last year in collaboration with Michigan State University and DAI. This is our third training with Burundians – since the first training in July of last year, Burundi has been sending more and more farmers to learn coffee producing techniques. The interest stems from the Kanyovu cooperative’s achievements over the past few years in increasing the quality and price of their coffee.

In April of this year, Carly, Thangale, and Boss traveled to coffee cooperatives in Burundi to meet with the washing station managers and cooperative leaders. They discussed quality control systems, washing station management, traceability, and sustainable practices such as composting. After that visit, the Burundians promised to visit the Kanyovu Cooperative in Tanzania to see first-hand the systems in place that have contributed to the co-op’s success. Below, see some photos of this promise finally realized, a great example of peer-to-peer exchange.

- The Sustainable Harvest team in Kigoma, Tanzania

The delegation of coffee cooperative members from Burundi (pictured here with Thangale) arrived in Kigoma, Tanzania this week to visit the Kanyovu Coffee Cooperative and see first-hand the farming practices and quality improvement systems they have been learning about.

The training involved a hands-on look at the Penagos machines, Colombian de-pulpers that Sustainable Harvest brought to Kanyovu. Penagos machines use just one-tenth of the water that is used with regular de-pulping machines, making them great resources for coffee cooperatives in Africa.

The Burundian representatives took notes and photos during their many farm tours in Kigoma, recording what they learned about coffee agronomy and sustainable agriculture to bring back to their peers in Burundi.

(An English version appears below)

El año pasado iniciamos el programa de capacitación en control de calidad, que a la fecha viene capacitando a más de 150 catadores peruanos de 25 organizaciones de productores. Estas capacitaciones han sido muy intensas y ahora en su segundo año podemos ver los resultados no solo en la cantidad de catadores que hemos formado, sino también y más importante, en la cantidad de productores que se han capacitado a través de las dos promociones de catadores que hemos formado en nuestro centro de excelencia, una suerte de “Peer-to-Peer” entre productores.

El equipo de control de calidad de Chirinos inicio un programa para capacitar a los productores en la catacion.

Una de las experiencias más ricas que tenemos es la del equipo de Chirinos, conformado por Eber, Miguel e Isela, jóvenes productores y catadores responsables del área de control de calidad, quienes a través de su líder Eber, comenzaron a realizar capacitaciones en cada base, aplicando la metodología desarrollada por Oscar en el Centro de Excelencia, y que ellos rebautizaron con el nombre “APRENDE HACIENDO”, donde se trabaja el desarrollo de los sentidos a través de la experimientación con olores y sabores, probando frutas y especies de la zona, asi como diferentes calidades de cafés. Estos ejercicios, fueron de gran aceptación por los productores, llegando a tener un índice de asistencia del 80%.

En un inicio, comenta Eber, ellos no creían en la catación, ni entendían su importancia, pero hoy día esta experiencia los ha ayudado y motivado a tal extremo que no solo están siendo más cuidadosos en la cosecha y procesos, sino algo más increible, están haciendo investigaciones para determinar cual es la mejor forma y el tiempo más óptimo para la fermentación, haciendo diferentes ejercicios, llegando con sus muestras al laboratorio para que este grupo de jovenes catadores, liderados por Eber, evalue las muestras y sus diferentes procesos, para luego indicar cual fue el proceso que intensificó más favorablemente los atributos de la taza. Este trabajo ha requerido mucha dedicación, pero gracias a estos ejercicios, se ha podido observar que los cafés de las primeras cosechas ya no tienen el frescor y sabores de mani tan marcados que se veía el año pasado.

Talleres en finca ayudan a los productores entender cuales procesos de post-cosecha contribuyen a una mejor calidad

Otro gran beneficio que Chirinos ha visto en este proceso de capacitación es la disminución de rechazos de lotes en el centro de acopio, lo que ha originado colectar mayor café de los socios, con puntajes muy interesantes desde el inicio de la cosecha. La capacitación que estos jóvenes han trasmitido a los 370 productores, ha sido una de las más exitosas y de resultados muy rápidos. Ahora los productores llegan a la cooperativa preguntando como salio el resultado de su café en físico y en taza. El grado de participación ha sido increiblemente del 80%, y todos ellos tienen como objetivo lograr el tan ansiado 85 puntos.

Este es solo un ejemplo, de como las capacitaciones trascienden los umbrales de los centros de capacitación, transmitiendo este conocimiento y enseñanza de boca en boca hasta llegar al mismo productor.

- Claudia Aleman, Coordinadora de Relacion Directa, Peru

Last year, Sustainable Harvest started a cupping training program at our Center of Excellence in Peru. Through this program, Sustainable Harvest has trained more than 150 Peruvian cuppers from 25 producer cooperatives. These trainings have been rigorous and now, with the program its second year, we are seeing the measurable impact it has had. We see the results not only in the number of cuppers who we have trained, but also in the numbers of farmers who those cuppers have in turn trained — a peer-to-peer exchange among producers that multiplies the impact of our training.

The Chirinos quality control team started a program to educate co-op members about coffee cupping.

One of the richest experiences we have had is with the Chirinos cooperative cupping team, including Eber, Miguel and Isela (all of them trained at the Center of Excellence).  These young producers and cuppers are responsible for Chirinos’ coffee quality control, which, led by Eber, started a program  to educate and train members of their cooperative in applying the cupping methodology developed by Oscar in the Center of Excellence. They renamed the methodology “learn by doing” because it is experiential, allowing the producers to use their sensory skills to taste and smell the different aromas and flavors of the fruits and spices of the region, as well as having them drink coffees of differing qualities. These exercises have been widely accepted by producers, with an attendance rate of 80% at the training sessions.

In the beginning, Eber says, the producers were reluctant to believe in cupping and its importance for producing high quality coffee, but this experience has helped and motivated them not only to be more careful when harvesting and processing, but–even more incredible– it has encouraged them to do research to determine the best material and optimal fermentation time for their coffee. The Chirinos producers have done different experiments, arriving to the cupping lab with samples and requesting that these young cuppers evaluate the samples and indicate which is the process that best intensifies the attributes of the cup. This work has required a lot of dedication, but thanks to these experiments, we’ve seen an improvement in the quality of the coffees that have arrived since the beginning of the harvest, reducing the green taste and peanut flavor founded in last year’s crop.

On-the-farm cupping training has helped producers tweak processing to create a higher quality cup.

Another great benefit that the Chirinos cooperative has experienced as a result of this training program is a decrease in rejections of the lots of coffee that producers deliver to the collection warehouse. The cooperative has been able to collect more coffee from their members, with exciting scores from the beginning of the harvest. The training that these young people have provided to 370 producers has been one of their most successful workshops, with positive and tangible results. Producers now go to their cooperative asking about the cupping evaluation of their coffees, and they are working very hard to get closer to achieving the expected 85 points.

This is just one example of how all Sustainable Harvest’s training efforts are extending  beyond the classroom or laboratory and impacting producers directly.

- Claudia Aleman, Relationship Coffee Manager, Peru

A few weeks ago, I found myself standing alone on a damp, narrow, forest path with honeybees swirling angrily around me. The tally of stings on my legs and hands was growing quickly.

It was the fourth day of Food Security Solutions, a farmer training event organized by Sustainable Harvest in Matagalpa, Nicaragua, and I had come to this forest to visit beehives as part of the beekeeping workshop. From where I stood on the path, I could make out my fellow workshop participants in a clearing up ahead, listening intently to the trainers talk about hive maintenance and honeycomb harvesting. Minutes earlier, some bees had swarmed around me, and the singular layer of denim I had worn did not protect me from stings. I had retreated into the woods for a few minutes of respite.

Despite the constant hum and all-too-often prick coming from the bees that had followed me into the woods, I was not thinking about bees or pain. I was thinking about mushrooms. My seemingly incongruous train of thought stemmed from a simple question posed on the first day of the event, one that has stuck with me ever since:

What is the best way to utilize the resources we have at our fingertips?

One workshop at Food Security Solutions taught participants how to grow edible, protein-rich mushrooms using materials already available on their farms.

Recognizing the value of the resources around us was a pervasive theme at Food Security Solutions, the four-day event which gathered together representatives from coffee cooperatives, NGOs, finance institutions, and development organizations together to learn innovative ways to tackle food insecurity in coffee communities. How can coffee growers with few resources see new potential in what they already have on their farms? How can they use those resources in different or better ways to reduce their families’ hunger? A final cup of brewed coffee represents a small percent of the tree that farmers work so hard to nurture — what are other ways to use the rest of the plant?

Throughout the event, I noticed participants and trainers answering these questions. I saw plump, delicious oyster mushrooms grown out of coffee pulp, a harvest byproduct which normally piles up unused on farms. I saw everything from riverbed rocks to molasses to leftover eggshells from the morning’s breakfast thrown into the mix during a lesson on the production of organic fertilizers; the idea being that effective fertilizer can be made using many resources already available on the farm. I saw bees carefully tended to, producing honey for consumption and sale.

These sights are why, in the midst of a harrowing swarm of bees on a forest path, I was peering at a decaying log, studying the clump of mushrooms growing out of it. I widened my gaze and pondered how the leaves and moss scattered around me could be harnessed in a healthy, sustainable way to improve the livelihoods of the people living in the area.

Today I am far from that forest path in Nicaragua; my bee stings are healed. The Food Security Solutions participants have all returned to their homes throughout Central America, bringing with them new skills to teach and projects to implement. And while I don’t live on a farm, I find that the idea of utilizing resources to their fullest potential often applies in a much broader context. To me, Sustainable Harvest’s relationships with coffee cooperatives, finance institutions, development foundations, and NGOs are resources at our fingertips. Bringing these heads together to share ideas and tackle the critical issue of food insecurity in coffee communities is our best idea for a new and effective way to utilize this network.

- Wynne McAuley, Finance and Communications Assistant, Portland