“Coffee Made Happy” Stirs Up Global Industry’s Approach to Sustainability

Mondelēz International is the world’s second-largest coffee company. That makes us think a lot about coffee farmers. About a quarter of our European revenue comes from beverages, and most of that’s coffee. In fact, we're the market leader in those countries where we compete. It’s why we’ve already made our mark as pioneers in agricultural sustainability, bringing sustainably-sourced coffee to mainstream consumers.

Now we’re going even further with a commitment that’s bigger, braver and bolder than ever before. Coffee Made Happy – our latest sustainability initiative -- will invest a minimum of $200 million to empower one million coffee-farming entrepreneurs by 2020. It’s an inspirational program that’s a huge leap forward for us, and for the coffee industry.

Accelerating progress
We’re already well on our way to achieving our commitment to sustainably source 100% of our European coffee brands by 2015. In fact, we’re nearly half way to our goal. But there’s an urgent need to accelerate efforts to improve the skills, crop yields, and quality of life for small-scale coffee farmers.

We’re doing this because our long-term supply of coffee beans is under pressure, which could impact our business. Some projections show future demand for sustainably-sourced coffee may surpass what farmers may supply.

Coffee farmers are also under increasing pressure – from the impacts of climate change, increasingly scarce resources, lack of infrastructure and development in farming communities and challenges getting the latest skills to grow crops more effectively. It’s not surprising fewer young people have been following their parents’ footsteps as the next generation of coffee farmers. So what are we to do?

Coffee Made Happy is our response. It’s something we need to do for the future of farming, our brands and our planet. It goes beyond the purchase of sustainably-sourced coffee beans to focus on the heart of coffee growing communities. Together with our existing partners like Rainforest Alliance and the 4C Association, it will improve the livelihoods of today’s coffee farmers and their families and attract new generations to the small-scale farming sector.

Leading the way
How do we intend to do this? By making coffee farming both sustainable and rewarding again. We’re going to focus on upgrading farmers’ agricultural and business skills in addition to improving community infrastructure. This will help farmers to grow healthier crops and get access to the basics for happy family life, like clean water and decent schools. We believe this approach is the best way to help bring professionalism and respect back into small-scale farming for generations to come.

Safeguarding the joy
“We believe coffee grown with joy is more of a joy to drink,” says Roland Weening, Vice President, Marketing and Sustainability, Global Coffee at Mondelēz International. “Coffee supplies are in real danger in countries like Peru, Vietnam, Brazil and Indonesia. We won’t be able to continue creating joy unless we intervene to make farming an attractive business for the long term.”

Coffee Made Happy reflects our company’s core values and one of our new global strategies: protecting the wellbeing of our planet. And it makes sense to focus on farming, because farming is by far the biggest impact on our company’s land, air and water use.

Making a Stand
“Coffee Made Happy is a bold program, but we think it’s achievable,” says Hubert Weber, President Global Coffee. “We don’t profess to have all the answers, but we believe it takes vision and leadership to set your destination farther than you can actually see down the road. We are determined to be one of the companies that is brave enough to do this.”