Images of sustainable coffee in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) demonstrate positive developments in the country’s coffee industry. According to a recent report from the Global Coffee Platform (GCP), the DRC is among eleven African countries supplying sustainable coffee to eight major global roasters and retailers in 2022.
This report titled “GCP Snapshot 2022 – Sustainable Coffee Purchases” reveals that renowned companies such as Nestlé, JDE Peet’s, Julius Meinl, Keurig Dr Pepper, Melitta Group, Supracafé, Tesco and Westrock Coffee Company have sourced their sustainable coffee from 34 countries and territories around the world. Among these countries, the DRC joined the group in 2022, alongside Burundi, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.
According to the report, Uganda has even risen to the top ten suppliers of sustainable coffee, with companies such as Tesco, Keurig Dr Pepper and Nestlé leading the list of responsible buyers. These companies’ purchases of sustainable coffee increased by 28.1% in 2022, representing 73.7% of their total purchases.
Brazil occupies first place in the ranking of suppliers of sustainable coffee, with 533,295 tonnes, followed by Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, Peru, Honduras, Mexico, India, Uganda and Guatemala.
Purchases considered sustainable are those made under sustainability programs such as Certifica Minas, 4C, Enveritas Green, Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance/UTZ, Nespresso AAA, Volcafe Verified and Volcafe Excellence. In 2022, sustainable purchases of the eight companies mentioned in the report reached 1.6 million tonnes, up 28.1% from the previous year. These record volumes now represent 73.7% of their total coffee purchases, compared to 55.5% the previous year.
It is also worth noting that sustainable coffee purchases from these eight companies represent 22.8% of global coffee exports and 15.1% of global coffee consumption in 2022.
These figures clearly demonstrate the global coffee industry’s growing commitment to sustainability and demonstrate efforts to promote socially, economically and environmentally responsible practices. The DRC’s participation in this positive trend is encouraging and can help strengthen the country’s position in the global coffee market.
In conclusion, images of sustainable coffee in the DRC illustrate the transition towards a coffee industry that is more respectful of the environment and local communities. It also demonstrates the growing recognition among key industry players of the importance of adopting sustainable practices to ensure a prosperous future for coffee and the producers who depend on it.