General cropping context

As a source of income and jobs in producing countries, coffee is grown on over 15 million small and very small family farms (60%<2ha). Research undertaken by the teams in Montpellier (CIRAD, IRD) aims to develop and promote coffee production standards that comply with sustainable development principles and are economically viable.

The challenges involve developing ecologically more sustainable systems and reducing negative impacts on the environment by using fewer fertilizers and pesticides and increasing the economic profitability of more or less intensified agroforestry systems managed by smallholders.

Pesticide reduction in coffee

Today, there is very little research available on pesticides used in the coffee sector. Whether or not coffee farmers abide by local laws (that are much less restrictive than in consumer countries, such as Europe or the US), many coffee-growing countries still use pesticides banned in the US and Europe. A recent search of the global maximum pesticide residue limits database listed 42 pesticides that are used on coffee (Source: https://puritycoffee.com/blogs/blog/importance-of-organic-pesticide-free-coffee).

Today, 97% of coffees available worldwide are conventionally grown using pesticides and other chemicals. Conventional coffee is heavily chemically treated in the countries producing most of the coffee marketed throughout the world, since they grow coffee in intensive cropping systems using large quantities of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides (herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides), such as in Brazil, Vietnam or Colombia. Beyond the concern of coffee consumers (health and related pesticide residue regulation for green coffee imports in consumer countries), there are serious concerns for the environment and for people who live in coffee-growing regions. Farmers are exposed to a high level of chemicals while spraying their coffee plantations and while picking coffee during harvests. The surrounding communities are also impacted through chemical residues in the air and water.

At the initiative of CIRAD, supported by Agropolis Fondation, a large private-public consortium has been created to tackle this pressing issue in coffee. Alongside CIRAD, seven roasters (illycaffè, Jacobs Douwe Egberts, Lavazza Group, Nestlé, Paulig, Starbucks Corporation and Tchibo), three green coffee suppliers (ECOM, Mercon and Olam) and three research organizations in Brazil (Universidade Federal de Viçosa), Nicaragua (the NicaFrance Foundation) and Vietnam (the Western Highlands Agriculture & Forestry Science Institute) have joined the initiative. Recognizing the relevance for the entire coffee sector, they agreed on an agroecological initiative designed to make the coffee value chain more sustainable: gradually reducing pesticide use in coffee, and aspiring towards zero chemical pesticides, while ensuring viability and sustainability for farmers - these are the ambitions set out by the founding members.

ECOFFEE R&D’s trajectory and governance are still under construction. In line with their ambition, the partners are bringing together extensive experience on coffee producing systems worldwide, and knowledge in all the disciplines, including the social sciences, required to address agroecological transition in coffee in a systemic manner. They intend to go further and seek all possible expertise that could help reach ECOFFEE R&D’s goals, while developing producer best practices and economic viability.