At Sustaain, our mission is to bring clarity and accountability to global commodity supply chains. When we asked ourselves where to start, we looked for an industry that combined scale, urgency, and structure. Coffee stood out immediately.
A Market That Touches Billions
Coffee is not just a beverage—it’s one of the world’s most valuable and widely traded agricultural commodities. The global coffee market is estimated at over $200 billion annually, with 170+ million bags produced each year.
More than 12.5 million farming households grow coffee across 70 countries, the majority of them smallholders. Yet the way value is distributed along the chain is strikingly unequal:
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Producers capture less than 10% of the final retail value.
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Exporters, traders, and roasters dominate margins, with major international players like Nestlé, JDE Peet’s, and Starbucks shaping global demand.
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Consumption is concentrated in Europe and North America, while production is centered in Latin America (Brazil, Colombia, Honduras), Africa (Ethiopia, Uganda), and Asia (Vietnam, Indonesia).
This combination of global reach and highly structured trade—organized around exchanges like ICE in New York and LIFFE in London—means that innovations tested in coffee can scale rapidly across geographies.
A Sector Under Pressure
Coffee production sits at the intersection of some of the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges:
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Deforestation: Expansion into forested areas remains a key concern, particularly in Latin America and Southeast Asia.
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Climate vulnerability: Rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns threaten yields and farmer livelihoods.
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Fragmented data: Despite decades of sustainability initiatives, from voluntary certifications (Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance) to industry-driven commitments (through the Global Coffee Platform or ICO’s Coffee Public-Private Task Force), the sector still lacks consistent, reliable, and scalable data.
Regulation adds a new layer of urgency. In the context of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) implementation, Importers and traders now need robust, verifiable data on origin and land use—a demand that current systems struggle to meet.
Where We Saw the Opportunity
Coffee’s scale and structure make it a proving ground for innovative approaches to supply chain data. We saw the chance to build solutions that could have immediate impact for both regulators and industry.
Our current focus is twofold:
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A Global Coffee Detection Model
Using satellite imagery and probabilistic methods, we are developing a consistent baseline for identifying coffee production areas. Unlike fragmented national datasets, our model provides uniform coverage, enabling actors across the value chain to work from the same reliable reference. -
A Flexible Supply Chain Model
We are designing a comprehensive yet adaptable framework that can support compliance with EUDR and other emerging regulations—while recognizing the realities of complex supply chains. Our model balances traceability with feasibility: strong enough to satisfy regulators, but pragmatic enough not to block entire flows of coffee that are vital to livelihoods and markets.
Rapid Impact, Lasting Change
By targeting coffee first, we can demonstrate what’s possible: an approach that combines global detection with supply chain modeling to create actionable, regulator-proof data. The benefits extend beyond compliance:
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Operational efficiency: less time lost chasing incomplete supplier declarations.
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Bargaining power: stronger positions in negotiations with downstream buyers.
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Competitive edge: the ability to meet regulatory and customer expectations ahead of the curve.
And while coffee is our entry point, it won’t be our endpoint. The tools we’re building—scalable detection models, flexible supply chain frameworks—are designed to apply across other high-risk commodities. Success in coffee will open the door to cocoa, palm oil, soy, and beyond.
Coffee First, But Not Coffee Only
The coffee sector is already supported by influential organizations such as the International Coffee Organization (ICO), the Global Coffee Platform (GCP), and national sustainability programs. By aligning with these efforts and adding the missing piece—consistent, scalable data—we believe we can accelerate sector-wide progress.
Coffee matters because it touches billions of people, from farmers to consumers. By starting here, we’re showing that better data isn’t just a technical solution—it’s a lever for systemic change.