Growing a sustainable coffee future

ofi's Coffee LENS (Livelihoods, Empowerment and Nature at Scale) strategy focuses on making a lasting and tangible impact on the livelihoods of farmers, their communities, and the landscapes they rely on. It’s guided by a comprehensive framework, encompassing specific goals and targets that are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Raising our sustainability ambition for 2030: Coffee LENS 2.0

Building on the progress made with our partners against our 2025 targets, we’ve refreshed our strategy to simultaneously accelerate climate action and improve farmer livelihoods.

Focusing on four impact areas:

  • Prosperous farmers: Enhancing coffee farmer livelihoods and resilience through customized support that optimizes inclusive economic opportunities.
  • Thriving communities: Supporting the empowerment of coffee communities of today and tomorrow, to protect health, safety and human rights.
  • Climate positive:  Accelerating the decarbonization of our supply chain through climate-smart actions and resource efficiency that supports sustainable growth.
  • Regenerating the living world: Working towards a regenerative production system that will restore coffee landscapes and preserve healthy ecosystems.

Follow our journey from the beginning, from setting targets to our impact reports. Read more to find out how we’re making a difference.

Coffee LENS stories

Coffee, bees, and an appetite for more: how can we shift the sustainability lens from ambition to action?

It has been one year since we announced our public commitments for a more sustainable coffee future, with Coffee LENS (Livelihoods, Education, Nature at Scale).

Creating a circular coffee economy

Working as part of the Circular Coffee Economy project in Peru with Solidaridad and other partners, ofi engages 1,564 producers in the San Martín region on circular farming practices to improve productivity and implement agroforestry systems, wastewater management and other activities that will build their resilience to climate change.

Tailoring support to each coffee farmer’s reality

In 2020, we performed a detailed literature review and analysis to assess if we’re focusing on the right interventions to really make a difference to farmer profitability and close the gap on living income.

Addressing the root cause of child labor in coffee

High poverty rates in rural areas and a lack of school infrastructure result in a high risk of child labor in some coffee growing regions. While there are often complex socio-economic factors at play, child labor in coffee is never acceptable.

Three critical actions to lift smallholder farmers from coffee ‘limbo’

By Vivek Verma, MD & CEO Coffee, ofi

 

Since launching our sustainability ambition for the future of coffee two years ago – Coffee LENS - we’ve seen coffee prices swing from a four-year low, to record highs. The current spike will be offering some respite to the world’s 12.5m smallholder producers.

Maximizing Opportunities in coffee & cacao in the Americas (MOCCA)

Through project MOCCA, we’re providing technical training and resources to help smallholders improve coffee quality and livelihoods.

Read ofi news

How ofi is creating actionable pathways to unravel the complexity of decarbonization

In a move by the Global Coffee Platform (GCP) to advance transparency and sustainability in the coffee value chain, two tiers of Olam International’s sustainability insights platform.

Global Coffee Platform recognises two tiers of Olam’s AtSource programme as sustainability schemes

In a move by the Global Coffee Platform (GCP) to advance transparency and sustainability in the coffee value chain, two tiers of Olam International’s sustainability insights platform AtSource – AtSource Entry Verified1 and AtSource Plus - have been added as new sustainable sourcing schemes to the GCP Reporting on Sustainable Coffee Purchases programme2.

Screenshot of the homepage of the Atsource website
A ‘Landscale’ Approach to Powering Coffee Sustainability in Mexico

Olam Coffee, part of Olam Food Ingredients, is working with the Rainforest Alliance in Mexico as part of the Alliance for Sustainable Landscapes and Markets, funded by USAID, to conserve biodiversity and provide sustainable farmer livelihoods in the biological corridor of the “La Frailescana” region of Chiapas.

Two men in a green forest
Olam Coffee develops novel superfruit products from upcycled coffee cherry cascara

Olam Coffee, part of olam food ingredients (ofi), has developed a range of coffee cherry cascara products as a key ingredient for beverage infusions and concentrates across multiple applications, from ice teas to nutrition bars, to meet the growing trend for healthy indulgence.

Wet cascara on a conveyer belt
Global Coffee Platform recognizes ofi’s AtSource as sustainability scheme under the Coffee Sustainability Reference Code

Two tiers of ofi’s sustainability management system AtSource – AtSourceV and AtSource+ - are recognized in the 2nd  party assurance list as equivalent schemes to the newly upgraded Coffee Sustainability Reference Code (CSRC), a sector framework to advance coffee sustainability efforts collaboratively and effectively.

 

AtSource was one of the first private schemes recognized by the Global Coffee Platform in 2021. It offers ofi’s customers – global roasters and retailers – granular data on key sustainability metrics that allows customers to build their brand by demonstrating impact to consumers, building in 3rd party verification on sustainability performance, end-to-end traceability, carbon footprint calculations, and risk assessments that customers can address through interventions with ofi’s teams to drive real change for people and planet.

 

Juan Antonio Rivas, Global Head - Sustainable Business Development, ofi, said:

“This recognition marks ofi’s ongoing efforts to drive greater transparency in the sector and accelerate sustainability impact in coffee farming communities and landscapes in line with key sector concerns such as farmer prosperity and climate change.

 

“For our coffee customers, it allows them to report AtSource purchases as “sustainable” in line with the GCP Collective Reporting on Sustainable Coffee Purchases, thereby supporting their commitments and targets.”

 

As part of the equivalence process, GCP partner the International Trade Centre assessed AtSource against the GCP CSRC Code for alignment with its principles of sustainable coffee production and the needs of the sector.

 

Annette Pensel, GCP Executive Director, added:

"We're thrilled to have had ofi continue their coffee sustainability advancement with GCP. With the GCP recognition of AtSourceV and AtSource+ as equivalent to the Coffee SR Code, 2nd party assurance, ofi is highlighting the importance of and dedication to sustainability in their work for their customers and for coffee farming communities around the world."

 

Discover much more about what ofi and AtSource has to offer at atsource.io

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