National Coffee Day
Picking coffee at a farm in Temas Mumanang. supplied
Making a positive impact with every drink
KDP sets new science-based targets to address climate change and chart a path towards greenhouse gas reduction
Sustainable business practices are nothing new to Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP). For several years, the organization has focused on reducing its environmental impact, supporting coffee farmers and enhancing the health and well-being of local communities. KDP is working to further its commitment towards making a positive impact with every drink.
These important initiatives are part of KDP’s Drink Well. Do Good. corporate social responsibility platform. As the challenge of eliminating waste impacts us all, KDP has deployed tremendous efforts over the past few years to transition K-Cup pods to a recyclable format, and has committed to use only recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025. The company has also developed partnerships towards better recycling capabilities and the use of recycled materials across the country. With regard to the circular economy, Cynthia Shanks, director of communications and sustainability at KDP Canada, says the company started manufacturing its first coffee makers made in part from post-consumer recycled plastic, sourced in Montreal. She also notes that in addition to pursuing its efforts related to sustainable packaging, KDP has recently set new science-based targets to address climate change and ensure the company has a clear path towards greenhouse gas reduction.
On this National Coffee Day, KDP wants to emphasize its commitment to responsibly source 100 per cent of its coffee by the end of 2020 and wishes to celebrate the coffee farmers without whom our mornings would not taste the same.
“As one of the largest global purchasers of coffee, we embrace both our ability and our responsibility to support farmers throughout our supply chain. For years, we have been working with various certification programs, namely Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and UTZ, to improve the resilience of our supply chain,” says Ms. Shanks. “By the end of this year, consumers will know that when they buy a Keurig product, it has been responsibly sourced under one of these certifications.”
In 2019, for the tenth consecutive year, KDP was named the largest buyer of Fairtrade coffee in the world. And since 2001, the organization has paid $96-million in Fairtrade community development premiums, which have a concrete and long-lasting impact on farmers’ livelihoods.
She points out that by purchasing Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and UTZ certified coffee and investing in robust social impact investment programs, KDP helps improve the lives of farmers and workers. This critical work addresses key long-term challenges and leads to increased crop yields, profitability and resiliency, in addition to protecting the environment through the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices.
“We have been working with the Embera Chami indigenous community of San Lorenzo, in Colombia, since 2001. Since the beginning of this relationship, we have ensured a buying commitment at premium prices for this high-quality, designated origin product. We have supported community development through projects that included the construction of schools and health clinics, agricultural training and farmer income diversification programs like the current beekeeping project, which provides additional revenue for women.”
But no single company working alone can solve the complex challenges facing the global coffee sector. Climate change, price volatility, food insecurity, and lack of access to credit and agricultural equipment are all issues impacting farming families that demand collaboration and leadership from the entire industry. KDP works with various global organizations such as Blue Harvest and Root Capital, and is a co-founder of World Coffee Research, an organization developed to safeguard coffee’s future.
Coffee means so many things to so many people, from comfort to warmth and so much more. KDP will keep working to support the entire coffee ecosystem and the connections that coffee allows us to make around the world.
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