SUSTAINABILITY: A BALANCING ACT

In recent years, one of the most frequently used words is (probably) sustainability, including in the coffee sector. It is fundamentally based on three pillars: economic, social, and environmental sustainability, all interconnected and interdependent, to which we could add the technological aspect as a cross-cutting element. It's a challenge for our planet that is not easy to solve, due to the difficult balances it entails, and it's also challenging for a significant and inherently global sector such as coffee.

How can we overcome it? A question to which I don't claim to give a full answer, but which I intend to delve into based on my experiences, reasoning on its various aspects. 

The European Coffee Federation (ECF) is the representative organisation for the European coffee trade and industry, speaking for over 700 companies ranging from SMEs to internationally operating companies, representing approximately 35% of the world coffee trade volume. EFC offers its members a forum for exchange, identifying industry-wide issues of common interest in the areas of food safety, sustainability and international trade.