Löfbergs's sustainability work – ​Because we want, can and have to

There are many reasons why sustainability work is high on the agenda at Löfbergs Coffee Group. That it permeates everything we do and our entire value chain – from bean to cup. The past year was no exception.

As the climate effects of coffee and the social challenges are greatest in the producing countries, this is where our focus is. It is about development projects that help small-scale coffee farmers meet climate changes and improve their living conditions. In Next Generation Coffee, we especially aim at the next generation, which is important as fewer young people see a future in coffee. We deepened our efforts in Colombia last year.

We have urged to increase supply and demand for certified coffee for a long time, and we are well on our way to reach our goal of 100 per cent certified for all our brands. Fairtrade is one of the certifications we work with, it is especially important now when the world market prices for coffee is record-low.

We are doing a lot at home too, of course. One of our sustainability goals has been to reduce our own emissions of greenhouse gases with 40 per cent by 2020. We have reached that goal now. Less air travels and an increase of the share of bioLPG are two measures that have contributed to the reduction of our emissions with 50 per cent per produced tonne coffee compared to the base year of 2005. A milestone that shows how important it is to set concrete targets for one’s sustainability work.

Great progress is made on the packaging side as well. Together with our supplier we have found a solution that makes it possible to phase out the fossil plastics and replace it with a plant-based alternative. In the UK, we were first with the Plastic Free Trust Mark. The goal is that our packages only will contain renewable or recycled material by 2030.

Meeting customers and consumers gives us important input in our sustainability work. We get to talk to them in personal meetings, in our coffee bars and at different events. We can see that an interest for circular economy is increasing. With our coffee farm in Denmark as a base, we develop products and solutions where more of coffee biomass is used. It can hopefully give the coffee farmers new sources of revenue at the same time as we can offer new and exciting products.

Working with our new strategy has been allowed to take much time, and we have involved large parts of the organisation. It is about understanding the age and the world we live in, and how we can be even more relevant in the future. An exciting and important process that will be realized and put into a new strategy during 2020.

We continue to work for increased equality and inclusion, and we were awarded for our work last year. Naturally, we are happy and proud about that. At the same time we realize that we and society as a whole still have a long way to go.

The year has not been as good financially. We work on mostly mature markets where the competition and the price squeeze are tough, but we still have a positive view on the future. We invest in new products within the Ready To segment to meet new consumer patterns. We are also investing in a new ERP that gives us better control, and we are building a new, modern roasting house for whole beans that improves our competitiveness.

We who work with coffee have a unique opportunity to contribute to a positive future. We work with a product that means a whole lot for many people. Both farmers and consumers. 25 million people support themselves and their families on farming coffee. Every day we drink about 2.25 billion cups of coffee around the world. Every little step we take for a more sustainable production makes a difference. We will continue to take those steps. Because we want, can and have to.

Kathrine Löfberg, chair of the board
Lars Appelqvist, CEO