develoPPP Project: Boosting yields for climate friendly Robusta coffee in Tanzania

Measuring current GHG emissions is the first crucial step to understand and quantify the negative environmental impact of coffee production in the project region. By March 2022, this first major phase of the project was completed with the mapping of the JDE Peet’s coffee supply chain in the region to allow for an adequate baseline measurement of GHG emissions. Based on the mapping results, Meo Carbon Solutions conducted an in-depth baseline study to calculate actual GHG emissions with the support of KDCU, the local coffee cooperative organization and Touton, international supply chain manager. Data was collected from 126 coffee farmers and 13 Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Societies (AMCOS).

The baseline data collection was complemented by the work of Global Risk Assessment Services (GRAS) who conducted a land use change analysis to determine the potential deforestation risk areas within the project area.

The baseline study provided an in-depth understanding of the drivers of GHG emissions and amounts emitted along the Robusta coffee supply chain in the Kagera region. Other activities that 4C and its partners carried out under this work package included the development of a transparent GHG calculator, as well as the setting up of a monitoring and evaluation system.

The results from the baseline study support the identification of potential emission reduction strategies as well as in-setting opportunities. 4C, Meo Carbon Solutions, JDE Peet’s, Touton and KDCU are working together closely to identify suitable measures and to provide technical and financial support to farmers to implement the identified measures.

Further research will explore carbon offsetting options to enable reasonable compensation for unavoidable GHG emissions. Implementing the strategies will create sustainable market opportunities, support farmers in their efforts towards climate change mitigation and at the same time facilitate coffee firms in Europe and beyond to achieve their climate neutrality goals

4C developed a Climate Friendly Add-on to be used on top of our core standard. The farmer groups participating in this project in the Kagera region will be among the first 4C users to implement this new feature. Awareness-raising campaigns will be conducted to distinguish coffee with reduced GHG footprint and the 4C Climate Friendly label will increase its market uptake in Europe. The long-term viability and continuous market uptake of Climate Friendly green coffee from the project region will be ensured through credible high-level sustainability certification, marketing and communication campaigns and the development of local and international partnerships.

The project partner JDE Peet’s is the world’s leading pure-play coffee and tea company, serving approximately 4,500 cups of coffee or tea per second. JDE Peet’s sources coffee from diverse coffee growing areas, processes the beans, and sells coffee in more than 100 countries with a portfolio of over 50 brands. Tanzania is an important coffee origin and coffee growing supports the livelihoods of many smallholder farmers.  Our Common Grounds programme carries out long term farmer initiatives to increase sustainable coffee production, regenerative agriculture and improve the livelihoods of smallholder coffee farmers. As part of the company’s global sustainability targets and as a result of this project, JDE Peet’s will be sourcing climate friendly coffee free from deforestation and with limited carbon emissions from Tanzania.

Meo Carbon Solutions is an independent consulting company with longstanding experience in sustainability. They are active in Europe, South-East Asia, Africa, and the Americas and they manage projects for public and private sector clients. Meo’s projects regularly involve the participation of stakeholders from industry, agriculture, NGOs, research institutions and public authorities. Within the scope of the develoPPP project, Meo performed a baseline greenhouse gas (GHG) emission calculation covering the coffee supply chain in Tanzania, followed by the support of the implementation of emission reduction activities and the monitoring of future emission levels. Meo’s analysis covers activities such as cultivation, processing, storage, transportation, and distribution of coffee to the final client.

Forging a strong link between thousands of coffee producers and worldwide roasters, Touton is the global green coffee trader offering ambitious, responsible, and tailor-made services. Building on 15 years of experience, we offer all ranges of green coffee, Robusta, and Arabica, of which we master both the qualities and the complexities of supply chains. Through our vast and reliable network of partners and offices in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, we bring a unique and comprehensive expertise for innovative market intelligence, financial, logistics and sustainability services to meet our clients’ needs, with the highest degree of flexibility. Touton Group’s sustainability model of shared value creation is at the core of our coffee sourcing strategies. Beyond certification, we co-create with clients and growers, targeted and evolving sustainability programs to bring transformational change. Touton is also engaged in collective action through sectoral platforms such as the European Coffee Federation, the Global Coffee Platform and Sustainable Coffee Challenge

Karagwe District Cooperative Union Limited (KDCU LTD) is a Coffee Cooperative Organization located in North-West Tanzania, within Kagera region. It is a wholly farmer-owned cooperative organization with a membership of over 64,330 peasant coffee farmers, represented by 123 primary cooperative societies from across Karagwe and Kyerwa districts. KDCU aims at increasing coffee production and quality to enhance coffee farmers’ incomes and livelihoods.

KDCU Ltd is also vital in providing crop finance, transport, processing, grading, packaging and marketing its members’ coffees. The Union has an annual output of approximately 32,000MT of green coffee comprised of Robusta (97.5%) and Arabica (2.5%) varieties. Over 90% of the Union’s coffees are sold on the Tanzania Coffee Board national auction, and about 7% to specialty markets primarily in Germany, Japan, USA, Italy and Netherlands.

GRAS is a comprehensive solution to implement and monitor sustainable and deforestation-free supply chains by the verification of compliance of relevant sustainability criteria using the latest remote sensing technologies. GRAS supports crop-specific mapping, quantification, and assessment of risks from deforestation, grassland conversion, and other environmental parameters, such as fire, water shortage, drought, and erosion, from the field to the country level.

GRAS conducted a detailed Land Use Change Assessment for the project, through a semi-automated analysis based on remote-sensing technology. GRAS uses current and historic satellite images and EVI Enhanced Vegetation Index time series to detect and verify actual land-use change activities as well as to identify potential GHG emissions due to deforestation or conversion of other high carbon stock areas.