Bertilio Portillo, Coffee Farmer, 2009 Honduras Cup of Excellence winner, Santa Bárbara, Honduras

In the specialty coffee industry we talk a lot about the term sustainability, or more specifically, sustainable coffee. But there is sadly no common definition as to what sustainable coffee really means, very little clarity or consistency in the conversation, and sometimes it seems that we are speaking completely different languages. The focus tends to be almost exclusively on the issue of environmental sustainability, but at Transcend Coffee we believe this should not be the dominant criteria by which sustainable coffee is defined.

Of course the coffee industry should be very mindful of the environmental controls employed on coffee farms. Horticulture and plant husbandry are vitally important, and certainly have an impact on cup quality. In other words, it is very difficult to obtain delicious coffee without starting with producers which demonstrate exceptional growing practices, maintain plant health and work towards meticulous processing.

But sustainable coffee is more than the absence of herbicides or pesticides, the carbon footprint of a given farm, or whether or not they produce strictly organic coffee beans. Sustainability should include the overall impact that the farm’s management and business model has on its economic viability and the standard of living that the farmer and their employees enjoy. True sustainability should also contemplate the social and environmental implications of shipping, storage, roasting, brewing and retailing coffee. Perhaps sustainablility should be aimed more intensely at the notion of economic inidcators and the producer's standard of living?

There is no simple answer to the issues facing true sustainability within the world of specialty coffee. Transcend’s own definition of sustainability is not yet completely formulated, or set in stone. What is needed is thoughtful and meaningful dialogue between those in the industry and an awareness amongst industry and consumers alike of the real issues facing those who work with coffee at origin. It will take mutual understanding, and real relationships that span borders and economies. It will take like minded people putting aside personal and corporate goals, rolling up sleeves and diving in to some difficult work and issues in order to make real change within the industry. But it is absolutely worth the effort to ensure truly sustainable coffee.