Unire all players in the coffee supply chain, from producers to roasters, from distributors to consumers, united by the love for this drink and inspired by the idea of a good, clean and fair coffee for everyone”: under the banner of these intentions and objectives, the Slow Food Coffee Coalition was born, an open network to which Slow Food and the Lavazza Group have given life, not surprisingly launched today on the occasion of the Earth Day
It was conceived as a new relationship model, inspired by the values of cooperation, which takes into account the evolution of production and consumption paradigms. The goal is to create new connections and improve the relationship between farmers and consumers, to strengthen the first and most fragile link in the supply chain and promote the identity and knowledge of coffee with those who choose it every day.
"This coalition is the real response to the crisis we are experiencing and which is clamoring for a change of pace," comments Carlo Petrini, president of Slow Food. "It's a concrete example of ecological transition and as such it needs the conscious involvement of those who have to internalize and implement it, from those who take care of the coffee bean to those who savor it in the cup. There is a need to move from a society based on competitiveness to one based on collaboration, and this supply chain that dialogues at all levels will be able to represent it perfectly. For a real ecological transition to take place, it is necessary to create awareness and generate shared knowledge within this community. This is why it is essential to prepare ourselves to face future challenges with tools such as alliances, unions and collaboration», continues Petrini.
«The concept of the Slow Food Coffee Coalition includes the assumption of responsibility and the creation of value along the supply chain. A challenging and innovative model in which all players in the world of coffee are called to take part. An open working group, the importance of which is increasingly evident in a composite supply chain such as that of coffee. The need to build alliances in the pre-competitive sphere to develop knowledge, planning and concrete actions is therefore increasingly clear», comments Giuseppe Lavazza, vice president of the Lavazza Group, with which Slow Food has been collaborating since the mid-90s.
«We are in a moment in which there is an increasing desire to create links and cooperate, all together, towards new goals, otherwise difficult to achieve alone. That's why we need to farmers, traders, roasters, baristas, restaurateurs, sector experts, public institutions, large companies, coffee enthusiasts and simple coffee drinkers, animated by curiosity and the desire to know something more. Only through an open and collaborative dialogue table can we change the system and improve the coffee production chain, increasing the awareness of those who produce it, those who distribute it and those who consume it», comments Emanuele Dughera, coordinator of the Slow Food Coffee Coalition .
This is why the Slow Food Coffee Coalition invites all players in the supply chain interested in coffee to join its Manifesto because together "we are committed to guaranteeing and enjoying a good, clean and fair product. A worldwide network therefore, which believes in environmental protection, in safeguarding fundamental human and labor rights, in transparency, traceability, education and the right to pleasure, and which makes these elements the cornerstones of a new path".
The Manifesto of the Slow Food Coffee Coalition directly calls them into question and asks them to commit themselves, through educational activities, support to the global network and activism in their own territories. Challenges that have already been launched through the ten objectives declared in the Manifesto and which are the very soul of the Slow Food Coffee Coalition. A well-defined commitment, between right and duty, between pleasure and responsibility, aimed at those who love, interpret, transform, buy, sell, promote, study or produce coffee.
The 10 pillars for a good, clean and fair coffee for everyone
• The protection of the environment and ecosystems as a fundamental element in resilience to
climate crisis
• biodiversity as a systemic approach between the environment, communities and local products;
• Food security guaranteed by the application of the principles of agroecology
• Safeguarding fundamental human and labor rights along the entire supply chain
• Social inclusion regardless of gender identity, race, ethnicity, age and religion
• The education and encouragement of dialogue between the participants in the supply chain because the
shared knowledge breeds awareness
• Transparency along the entire coffee supply chain
• Traceability as a good practice to protect the quality of the various coffee processes,
from the origin to the cup
• The specific origin of the coffee: by whom it is produced and in which place
• The right to pleasure: knowing how to appreciate the taste, aromas and scents of coffee
