Ag Tech 30

This interest is fueled by a growing niche market for agricultural commodities that are produced in an environmentally benign and socially responsible manner. This Note builds on the experience from World Bank/Global Environment Facility projects in Mexico, El Salvador, and Uganda to develop more sustainable coffee production (Box 1). Coffee, one of the most widely traded global commodities, is at the forefront of the debate on how consumer demand can foster changes toward sustainable agriculture. Coffee processors and marketers recognize that consumers have legitimate demands for transparent environmental and social impacts, and sustainable coffee has been gaining a foothold in high-value markets. Improving the sustainability of coffee production is currently approached from the perspectives of agronomy, biodiversity conservation, and social effects (Box 2). This approach offers significant opportunities for developing countries to break the vicious cycle of poverty, environmental degradation, and disruption of the social fabric of local communities, as well as minimizing price volatility. However, market forces must translate the added consumer value into a tangible income transfer to rural communities, a link obfuscated in today’s international coffee market dominated by large-scale roasters. Why more sustainable coffee?