Forge your path

We are climbing a mountain – blazing trails, leading and following – working to make coffee the first sustainable agricultural product. Where are you in the journey? What is your next step?

© S&D Coffee and Tea/Lucia Hernandez

Navigating a complex terrain

Sustainability can seem complex, making it difficult to know where to start or what to do next. The Sustainability Framework provides a simplified map of the complex world of coffee sustainability to help guide companies, governments, civil society and others, in their individual and collective actions.

We start with a common destination in mind and use our compass to guide us through a complex terrain. We check guideposts to make sure we are on track, regardless of the path we take to get there. There are many different paths to choose from. Each journey starts with a single step.

A system of pathways

The coffee sector is investing 350M USD annually in a variety of sustainability efforts. These interventions form an interconnected system of 15 pathways all leading toward the same goal – achieving a sustainable coffee sector!

The 15 intervention pathways help show how actions help advance on a set of common outcomes and contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 8 common outcomes are organized along 4 compass points – sustain supply, improve livelihoods, conserve nature, strengthen demand – that serve as critical nodes that unite and guide our efforts.

8 Key Outcomes

  1. Income
  2. Access
  3. Equality
  4. Water Quality
  5. Forests
  6. Purchase of Sustainable Coffee
  7. Productivity
  8. Quality
Hover to view which SDGs play a role in these outcomes, and to see the long term impacts.

Navigating the sustainable development goals (SDGs)

The SDGs help us tell the story. They are the impacts we are working to achieve. The Framework is a simplified model of a complex coffee world. Success of achieving a sustainable coffee sector hinges on our ability to balance responsible consumption and production (SDG 12) in our quest to enable economic development (SDG 8) for coffee farmers and workers, in a way that maintains clean water (SDG 6) and conserves life on land (SDG 15). All of this must be done by making concerted efforts to alleviate poverty (SDG 1), achieve food security and promote sustainable agriculture (SDG2) and to combat climate change (SDG 13) and its impact on coffee production and producers.

Interlocking pathways

Because they are interconnected, most of our interventions produce multiple outcomes.The pathways focusing on ‘producer country policy’ as well as ‘standards and certification’ align with several outcomes and SDGs and contribute to multiple compass points. For instance, producer country policies affect how nature is managed, the conditions and social structures under which farmers and workers live, and the availability of infrastructure and investments that sustain coffee supply. Standards and certification programs provide assurance to the market that farms and mills are applying good social and environmental practices and have the ability to improve livelihoods and conserve nature while sustaining supply. Rather than being highlighted as individual pathways and shown in a single diagram, these should be considered as cross-cutting interventions.

Explore the pathways

The individual pathways each follow a logical flow, laying out the enabling conditions, actions and outputs that lead to the outcomes and impacts we are working together to achieve. Although each pathway is specific to a single type of intervention, the common outcomes and impacts enable us to see how numerous interventions work together to advance our goals. Click on a pathway below to find the right direction for you.

Gender, Youth + Indigenous People

Gender, Youth + Indigenous People

No Poverty Zero Hunger Gender Equality Clean Water and Sanitation Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

UN Sustainable Development Goals

1. ​Enabling Conditions

  • Supportive policies (land tenure, human rights, etc.)
  • Social science research + capacity

2. Investments

  • $ Invested in gender programs
  • $ Invested in indigenous people programs
  • $ Invested in youth engagement programs

3. Actions

  • Identify marginalized populations and engage
  • Identify barriers and needs
  • Training (leadership, management, skills, GAP, etc.)
  • PO governance and member ship requirements
  • Business development and organization strengthening
  • Develop credit and savings programs
  • Develop policy and legal support
  • Monitoring and adapting

4. Outputs

  • % of women / indigenous people/ youth participating / with leadership roles
  • Percent of women/indigenous people/youth accessing inputs
  • Percent of women/indigenous people/youth accessing services
  • Percent women/indigenous people/youth

5. Outcomes

  • Increased representation of women, youth + minorities in decision making + planning with in value chains
  • Increased representation of women, youth + minorities in decision making + planning within communities
  • Increased adoption of good agricultural practices
  • Professionalism among farmers and cooperatives (farmer organization)

6. Impacts

Impact Compass

Explore this pathway in further detail

UN Sustainable Development Goals

No Poverty Zero Hunger Gender Equality Clean Water and Sanitation Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Education + Health

Education + Health

No Poverty Good Health and Well-Being Quality Education Clean Water and Sanitation Responsible Consumption and Production Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

UN Sustainable Development Goals

1. ​Enabling Conditions

  • Supportive policies
  • Infrastructure
  • Technical training + capacity

2. Investments

  • $ Invested in educational/social and health programs
  • $ Invested in best practices training

3. Actions

  • Identify education and/or medical care gaps
  • Implement education + medical care/WASH interventions (schools, teachers, school fees, clinic workers, sanitation, training, etc.)
  • Integrate natural resource management + WASH in school curriculum
  • Promote education + health care best practices via standard + supplier programs
  • Develop M+E framework + verify + monitor results

4. Outputs

  • Number of children in school
  • Percent of farms with access to medical care
  • Percent increased awareness of natural resource management and WASH best practices among farmers
  • Percent of farms complying with education + health care best practices

5. Outcomes

  • Increased access to education
  • Increased access to medical care
  • Increased education levels of farm households
  • Increased uptake of best practices for education and health
  • Increased uptake of best practices for water, biodiversity and forest conservation

6. Impacts

Impact Compass

Explore this pathway in further detail

UN Sustainable Development Goals

No Poverty Good Health and Well-Being Quality Education Clean Water and Sanitation Responsible Consumption and Production Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Labor Conditions

Labor Conditions

No Poverty Good Health and Well-Being Gender Equality Decent Work and Economic Growth Reduced Inequalities Responsible Consumption and Production

UN Sustainable Development Goals

1. ​Enabling Conditions

  • Supportive laws + policies (e.g. minimum wage, overtime, anti-discrimination, health + safety)
  • Strong local enforcement mechanisms
  • Consumer-side regulations + laws (e.g. TETF act)
  • Culture encouraging voicing grievances, including from marginalized populations
  • Established business case for labor interventions
  • Institutional alliances

2. Investments

  • $ invested in projects to improve labor conditions and worker welfare
  • $ invested in responsible sourcing programs

3. Actions

  • Establish + communicate supply chain codes of conduct
  • Research labor flows, conditions, + living wage at country-level
  • Conduct supply chain mapping/ traceability
  • Audit/measure/track compliance to norms
  • Remediate non-compliances
  • Train workers + farm owners on rights + labor best practices
  • Increase capacity of supply chain actors to support compliance
  • Establish grievance mechanisms
  • Engage government agencies on policy/regulations

4. Outputs

  • Diagnostic on labor conditions at country level w/ identified hotspots
  • % traceable purchases
  • % compliance to norms
  • # of workers + farm owners trained on rights + labor best practices
  • % of workers aware of specific rights
  • % coverage of grievance mechanisms
  • Use of grievance mechanisms
  • # incidences reported, by severity
  • % of total export volume in compliance w/ benchmarked code of conduct
  • Results from pilot projects confirming the business case for labor interventions
  • Average worker wage (and as % of living wage)

5. Outcomes

  • Improved compliance
  • Reduced non-compliances reported/ reduced severity
  • Improved worker wages
  • Improved worker retention/ reduced worker scarcity
  • Improved farm performance (productivity, quality, cost savings

6. Impacts

Impact Compass

Explore this pathway in further detail

UN Sustainable Development Goals

No Poverty Good Health and Well-Being Gender Equality Decent Work and Economic Growth Reduced Inequalities Responsible Consumption and Production

Climate

Climate

No Poverty Zero Hunger Good Health and Well-Being Quality Education Gender Equality Clean Water and Sanitation Affordable and Clean Energy Decent Work and Economic Growth Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

UN Sustainable Development Goals

1. ​Enabling Conditions

  • Supportive policies
  • Research + science
  • Demand for carbon credits

2. Investments

  • $ Invested in climate adaptation
  • $ Invested in climate mitigation

3. Actions

  • Climate risk assessment
  • Adaptation plans / curriculum development
  • Training on climate smart practices
  • Credit + access to technical innovations (varieties, shade trees, irrigation, etc.)
  • Disaster relief
  • Monitoring + adapting
  • Renewable energy
  • REDD+ project

4. Outputs

  • Number of farmers participating
  • Number of hectares under climate smart agriculture practices
  • Number of farms or ha in a carbon mitigation project

5. Outcomes

  • Diversification of farms (adaptation)
  • Increased adoption of climate smart practices for coffee
  • Increased adoption of water conservation practices
  • Increased adoption of soil conservation practices
  • Increased conservation of primary forest and other high conservation value areas
  • Reduced greenhouse gas emissions

6. Impacts

Impact Compass

Explore this pathway in further detail

UN Sustainable Development Goals

No Poverty Zero Hunger Good Health and Well-Being Quality Education Gender Equality Clean Water and Sanitation Affordable and Clean Energy Decent Work and Economic Growth Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Water Access + Conservation

Water Access + Conservation

No Poverty Good Health and Well-Being Clean Water and Sanitation Decent Work and Economic Growth Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

UN Sustainable Development Goals

1. ​Enabling Conditions

  • Supportive + enforced policies
  • Research + science

2. Investments

  • $ Invested in water access
  • $ invested in water resource management
  • $ Invested in water conservation

3. Actions

  • Assess water risks
  • Inform watershed management plans
  • Improve access to potable water in producing communities
  • Train producers on good water management practices
  • Improve access to credit + technical innovations (wastewater processing, drip irrigation, etc..)
  • Monitor + adapt

4. Outputs

  • Number of communities participating
  • Number of improved water sources
  • Number of people with sustainable access to water
  • Number of farmers receiving credit +/or applying new technology
  • Number of improved wet mill facilities
  • Number of farmers trained on improved practices (forest, soil + water conservation)

5. Outcomes

  • Increased access to potable water
  • Improved farm and mill infrastructure (SDG9)
  • Increased adoption of water conservation practices
  • Increased adoption of soil conservation practices
  • Increased conservation of primary forest and other high conservation value areas
  • Reduced greenhouse gas emissions

6. Impacts

Impact Compass

Explore this pathway in further detail

UN Sustainable Development Goals

No Poverty Good Health and Well-Being Clean Water and Sanitation Decent Work and Economic Growth Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Forest Conservation + Reforestation

Forest Conservation + Reforestation

No Poverty Zero Hunger Clean Water and Sanitation Decent Work and Economic Growth Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

UN Sustainable Development Goals

1. ​Enabling Conditions

  • Financial Partners
  • Government Partners
  • Platforms for identification, certification + exchange of habitat credits
  • Awareness + Implementation of Training among Farmers
  • Platforms for Conservation Easements
  • Cooperation of Local Coops
  • Available + Affordable Expert Knowledge on habitat assessment
  • Remote sensing capacity

2. Investments

  • Develop coffee habitat credits
  • Develop conservation / mitigation banks
  • Develop easement programs
  • Develop in lieu fee programs

3. Actions

  • Develop + deliver restoration training materials
  • Identify farmers for participation
  • Establish benchmark/baseline values
  • Identify + secure financial incentives for restoration
  • Develop + Implement restoration plans

4. Outputs

  • # farmers gaining financial benefit from restoration
  • # hectares restored
  • Yield (area remaining under production)

5. Outcomes

  • Improved biodiversity + ecosystem services/ greater C sequestration
  • Complete restoration of non-productive coffee areas to natural forests
  • Conservation or mitigation credits established
  • Conservation easements issued
  • Conservation in lieu fee programs exist + are available for wetland + streambank restoration

6. Impacts

Impact Compass

Explore this pathway in further detail

UN Sustainable Development Goals

No Poverty Zero Hunger Clean Water and Sanitation Decent Work and Economic Growth Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Technical Assistance

Technical Assistance

No Poverty Clean Water and Sanitation Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

UN Sustainable Development Goals

1. ​Enabling Conditions

  • Coordination of TA programs
  • Research + local knowledge
  • Infrastructure

2. Investments

  • $ Invested in training on best practices
  • $ Invested in establishment of demo plots
  • $ Invested in training materials

3. Actions

  • Identify skills gaps/training needs of farmers
  • Identify or develop relevant training material
  • Train technicians on best practices & teaching methodologies
  • Train producers on best practices (workshops, farm visits)
  • Develop support materials to reinforce best practices
  • Develop farmer action plans
  • Monitor adoption of new skills

4. Outputs

  • Number of farmers receiving support
  • Number of farmer groups strengthened
  • Number of workshops or individual visits
  • Number of TA hours received per farmer

5. Outcomes

  • Increased adoption of best practices (# of hectares)
  • Improved farm performance: productivity, quality, cost savings

6. Impacts

Impact Compass

Explore this pathway in further detail

UN Sustainable Development Goals

No Poverty Clean Water and Sanitation Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Renovation

Renovation

No Poverty Zero Hunger Good Health and Well-Being Quality Education Gender Equality Clean Water and Sanitation Decent Work and Economic Growth Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Life Below Water Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

UN Sustainable Development Goals

1. ​Enabling Conditions

  • Research into new varieties
  • Finance partners
  • Availability of inputs

2. Investments

  • $ Invested in renovation programs

3. Actions

  • Nurseries established
  • Seedlings produced
  • Farmers identified
  • Renovation plans developed
  • Farmers trained
  • Seedlings distributed

4. Outputs

  • Number of trees planted + percent plantlets surviving through year 1
  • Number of hectares renovated
  • Number of farmers participating

5. Outcomes

  • Improved farm infrastructure (new trees)
  • Improved farm performance: productivity, quality, cost savings due to efficiency gains

6. Impacts

Impact Compass

Explore this pathway in further detail

UN Sustainable Development Goals

No Poverty Zero Hunger Good Health and Well-Being Quality Education Gender Equality Clean Water and Sanitation Decent Work and Economic Growth Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Life Below Water Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Access to Inputs

Access to Inputs

No Poverty Responsible Consumption and Production Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

UN Sustainable Development Goals

1. ​Enabling Conditions

  • Product research + development
  • Distribution infrastructure
  • Supportive policy environment

2. Investments

  • $ Invested in purchase of inputs
  • $ Invested in improving access to inputs

3. Actions

  • Identify key inputs needed
  • Identify nurseries and establish relationships with input distributors
  • Support negotiation of bulk distribution rates
  • Communicate input options to farmers
  • Farmer training on proper use of inputs

4. Outputs

  • Number of farmers receiving inputs
  • Number of farmers receiving training
  • Number of farmer groups strengthened
  • Number of trees, bags of product, tools, etc. sold / provided

5. Outcomes

  • Increased adoption of best practices (# of hectares)
  • Improved farm performance: productivity, quality, cost savings due to efficiency gains

6. Impacts

Impact Compass

Explore this pathway in further detail

UN Sustainable Development Goals

No Poverty Responsible Consumption and Production Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Access to Finance

Access to Finance

No Poverty Clean Water and Sanitation Affordable and Clean Energy Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

UN Sustainable Development Goals

1. ​Enabling Conditions

  • Financial infrastructure
  • Supportive policy environment
  • Land tenure
  • Research

2. Investments

  • $ Invested in loan products / funds
  • $ Invested in insurance / pools

3. Actions

  • Identify specific needs for loan / insurance products
  • Establishment of loan / insurance criteria and conditions
  • Communication of products to farmers
  • Loan application and due diligence
  • Provision of accompanying TA (where necessary)

4. Outputs

  • Number of loans issued
  • Percent of farmers receiving loans
  • Value of loans $
  • Percent of farmers with crop insurance policies

5. Outcomes

  • Improved cash flows
  • Improved farm + mill infrastructure
  • Increased adoption of good agricultural practices

6. Impacts

Impact Compass

Explore this pathway in further detail

UN Sustainable Development Goals

No Poverty Clean Water and Sanitation Affordable and Clean Energy Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Producer Country Policy

Producer Country Policy

No Poverty Zero Hunger Good Health and Well-Being Quality Education Gender Equality Clean Water and Sanitation Decent Work and Economic Growth Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

UN Sustainable Development Goals

1. ​Enabling Conditions

  • Extension services
  • Supportive policy environment / alignment across ministries / alignment across the sector

2. Investments

  • $ Investment to develop and implement national or sub-national sustainable coffee strategy/plan/policy

3. Actions

  • Identify key stakeholders and conduct multi-stakeholder consultation
  • Align and advocate for supportive policies
  • Develop and implement farmer support programs
  • Design + implement conservation incentive programs
  • Develop + implement M+E program

4. Outputs

  • Number of various actors from stakeholder categories participating in drafting and consultation process
  • Number of stakeholder consultation sessions convened
  • Number of farmers receiving training about sustainable practices
  • Number of farmers implementing sustainable practices

5. Outcomes

  • Improved labor conditions
  • Increased access to education
  • Increased access to medical services
  • Increased representation of women, you and minorities in value chain
  • Increased adoption of good agricultural practices
  • Improved farm and mill infrastructure (SDG9)
  • Improved market access
  • Improved farmer organization
  • Increased adoption of water conservation practices
  • Increased adoption of soil conservation practices
  • Increased conservation of primary forest and other high conservation value areas
  • Reduced greenhouse gas emissions

6. Impacts

Impact Compass

Explore this pathway in further detail

UN Sustainable Development Goals

No Poverty Zero Hunger Good Health and Well-Being Quality Education Gender Equality Clean Water and Sanitation Decent Work and Economic Growth Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Standards/Certification

Standards/Certification

No Poverty Zero Hunger Good Health and Well-Being Quality Education Gender Equality Clean Water and Sanitation Affordable and Clean Energy Decent Work and Economic Growth Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

UN Sustainable Development Goals

1. ​Enabling Conditions

  • Research on best practices
  • Supportive policy environment
  • Research on best practices

2. Investments

  • $ Invested in standard-setting, policy and systems
  • $ Invested in standard roll-out and training
  • $ Invested in farmer capacity building + organization

3. Actions

  • Convene stakeholders
  • Identify best practices
  • Communicate best practice
  • Train producers on best practices
  • Verify performance
  • Train and approve assurance
  • Monitor results

4. Outputs

  • Number of farmers participating
  • Number of workers participating on farms
  • Pounds of green coffee produced in compliance with a standard
  • Number of hectares complying with a standard

5. Outcomes

  • Improved labor conditions
  • Increased access to education
  • Increased access to medical services
  • Increased representation of women, youth and minorities in value chain
  • Improved price received for coffee exceeds cost of production
  • Improved purchases of sustainable coffee in markets
  • Increased adoption of water conservation practices
  • Increased adoption of soil conservation practices
  • Increased conservation of primary forest and other high conservation value areas
  • Reduced greenhouse gas emissions

6. Impacts

Impact Compass

Explore this pathway in further detail

UN Sustainable Development Goals

No Poverty Zero Hunger Good Health and Well-Being Quality Education Gender Equality Clean Water and Sanitation Affordable and Clean Energy Decent Work and Economic Growth Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Sourcing Policies

Sourcing Policies

No Poverty Zero Hunger Good Health and Well-Being Quality Education Gender Equality Clean Water and Sanitation Affordable and Clean Energy Decent Work and Economic Growth Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Life Below Water Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

UN Sustainable Development Goals

1. ​Enabling Conditions

  • Supply availability + transparency
  • Supportive policy environment
  • Technical assistance capacity
  • Farmer organization + market access
  • Credit availability

2. Investments

  • $ premiums paid
  • $ Invested to develop sourcing strategy

3. Actions

  • Engage suppliers
  • Define required practices / criteria and harmonize
  • Communicate requirements to suppliers / training
  • Create assurance mechanism
  • Train auditors
  • Verify performance
  • Database + analyze results

4. Outputs

  • Number of farmers participating
  • Pounds of green coffee purchased
  • Number of hectares in program

5. Outcomes

  • Improved labor conditions
  • Increased access to education
  • Increased access to medical care
  • Increased representation of women, youth and minorities in value chain and community
  • Professionalism among farmers and cooperatives
  • Increased adoptions of good agricultural practices
  • Improved farm and mill infrastructure (SDG9)
  • Improved market access
  • Improved prices received for coffee
  • Increased purchases of sustainable coffee in markets
  • Increased conservation of primary forest and other high conservation value areas
  • Increased adoption of soil conservation practices
  • Increased adoption of water conservation practices

6. Impacts

Impact Compass

Explore this pathway in further detail

UN Sustainable Development Goals

No Poverty Zero Hunger Good Health and Well-Being Quality Education Gender Equality Clean Water and Sanitation Affordable and Clean Energy Decent Work and Economic Growth Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Life Below Water Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Consumer Country Policy

Consumer Country Policy

No Poverty Clean Water and Sanitation Affordable and Clean Energy Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

UN Sustainable Development Goals

1. ​Enabling Conditions

  • Procurement targets
  • Supportive trade policy
  • Supportive overseas development assistance program
  • Sector level alignment in support of sustainability

2. Investments

  • $ Investment to develop and implement Green Public Procurement policy/guidelines
  • $ Invested in development assistance for sustainable coffee

3. Actions

  • Multi-stakeholder consultation in development and drafting of policy
  • Number of training materials for government procurement officials
  • Number of workshops conducted with government procurement officials
  • Design and implement development assistance strategy for sustainable coffee
  • Due diligence system for policy implementation

4. Outputs

  • Percent increased investment of suppliers in supply chain assurance and due diligence (duty to respect)
  • Percent of publicly procured coffee that is sustainably sourced
  • $ invested in sustainable coffee via development assistance

5. Outcomes

  • Professionalism among farmers and cooperatives
  • Increased adoptions of good agricultural practices
  • Improved farm and mill infrastructure (SDG9)
  • Improved market access
  • Improved prices received for coffee
  • Increased purchases of sustainable coffee in markets

6. Impacts

Impact Compass

Explore this pathway in further detail

UN Sustainable Development Goals

No Poverty Clean Water and Sanitation Affordable and Clean Energy Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Consumer Education + Awareness

Consumer Education + Awareness

1. ​Enabling Conditions

  • Research on consumer behavior

2. Investments

  • $ Invested in sector-wide/pre-competitive consumer education campaign or program

3. Actions

  • Establish collaborative partnership on consumer
  • Identify target consumers
  • Identify most effective communications vehicles
  • Develop and disseminate communications materials

4. Outputs

  • Number of consumers reached through campaign
  • Number of consumers/people participating in discussions
  • Increased consumer knowledge and awareness about sustainability in coffee sector

5. Outcomes

  • Increase in purchase and consumption of ‘sustainable’ coffee in relation to conventional coffee

6. Impacts

Impact Compass

Explore this pathway in further detail

Read our Sustainability Framework brochure and navigate all of the 15 intervention pathways:

Sustainability Framework Brochure
Sustainability Framework: 15 Intervention Pathway Cards

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