Cory Bush believes coffee could become a net positive commodity in the near future. He shares his thoughts with GCR on what to expect for 2024.
The past few years have taught the whole world lessons in facing unexpected challenges and finding resilience in unexpected places. We have faced multiple “once in a lifetime” challenges in less than a handful of years. From global pandemics to tragic wars and intense economic uncertainty, the coffee industry has somehow managed to navigate the storms and remain relatively intact.
At Beyers Koffie, we produce private label exclusively, meaning we must anticipate retailer and end-consumer demand simultaneously while only interacting with the retailer. In the past, this could sometimes create a tension between consumer ideals and commercial reality.
I believe that, in 2024, we will finally start to see a concerted effort at all levels of our industry to work towards making coffee a truly “Net Positive” commodity. I also believe that the consumer will reward those who demonstrate forward movement in this direction. Many retailers are already taking big steps in this direction, joining and perhaps very soon, surpassing the A-brands that have been hard at work on some of these issues for years.
Regulatory pressure such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) will combine with a deeper and broader desire on the part of our industry to solve ongoing challenges around living wages, packaging waste, and supply chain resilience. The impetus for this will partially be regulatory but also directly linked to generational changes in company management who increasingly see socially and environmentally positive business as being intimately linked to business strategy, and workforce retention.
Every day, I am humbled and inspired by the work that my colleagues at Beyers and our parent company Sucafina are doing to make our industry and the world a better place.
Every day, we create opportunities to improve lives and work to take coffee further. My hope and wish is that more of our clients and competitors will join us on this Net Positive journey in 2024.
This article was first published in the January/February 2024 edition of Global Coffee Report. Read more HERE.
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