Evaluating and responding to social, environmental, and economic conditions in the places where we source coffee is an integral—and evolving—aspect of our business. For us, Responsible Sourcing starts with an honest assessment of conditions. From there, we work with farmers and others to enact changes that benefit farmers, their families, farm workers, and the natural environment.

Our Coffee Verification Program is the cornerstone of Responsible Sourcing at Peet’s. Since 2016, we’ve implemented the program with non-profit partner Enveritas which has developed the most innovative, inclusive, and accurate measurement of farm-level sustainability conditions. The program’s focus is in two areas:

Measurement

Each year during the coffee harvest, Enveritas evaluates our farmers and millers according to key social, environmental, and economic standards. We review results, celebrate successes, and identify opportunities for improvement. We’re on a pathway to measure all coffees annually in this manner, and we’re most of the way there.

Impact

With these evaluations as our starting point and guide, and working alongside partners at the point of origin, we undertake targeted efforts to make sustainability improvements. This work is long-term in nature, and we aspire to reach every origin from which we source. We detail some of these efforts in the Impact section below.

Direct Trade coffees are from farmers with whom we have a long history, and whom we visit regularly and in person. Crucially, Peet’s Direct Trade coffees are also verified by Enveritas, an impartial third-party sustainability verification organization. Peet’s definition of Direct Trade also requires that we collaborate with the farmer on a community project.

Certifications are another way to evaluate social, environmental, and economic conditions at farm- and mill-level during coffee production and processing. A number of our coffees carry Organic, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, and Bird-friendly certifications.

Globally, there are some 12.5 million coffee farmers, and many millions more living in coffee farming communities. We owe these dedicated, hard-working business partners our utmost support, especially as they face mounting challenges posed by climate change and other issues. We have a shared future; when we invest in training opportunities, coffee plant science, and community services in coffee origins, we’re positioning everyone involved in coffee to thrive today and beyond.

We offer training to smallholder coffee farmers through TechnoServe a non-profit raising farmer incomes and quality of life. Training integrates three topics:

Agronomy & Quality

Using agricultural and processing best-practices, farmers can produce more higher-quality coffee, entering stable sourcing relationships and earning better prices.

Business Skills

To lead viable, profitable enterprises, farmers need to operate like small businesses. Training in record keeping and basic accounting helps farmers establish a critical foundation for success.

Sustainability

Environmental and social best practices are integrated into all trainings, and we partner with farmers to address specific improvement opportunities identified through our Coffee Verification Program.

We’ve partnered with TechnoServe for over 20 years to offer training and other support to smallholder farmers in many of the world’s high-quality coffee-growing zones, including in Western Ethiopia as explained in this video.

In 2012 we founded World Coffee Research with other forward-thinking companies, the only organization applying advanced agricultural science for coffee on a worldwide, collaborative basis.


WCR uses research in coffee genetics and agronomy to develop better, GMO-free coffee varieties, establish better agronomic approaches, and create market opportunities that empower farmers to navigate the impacts associated with plant diseases and pests, poor soil health, and climate change.

Location: Antigua Valley, Guatemala

Finca San Sebastián—50 years a partner of Peet’s—operates a school serving the children of employees as well as of families in the nearby community of San Miguel Dueñas. Our annual support for the school was a natural outgrowth of our long sourcing relationship with the Falla family, owners of the farm.


Over 100 elementary, middle, and high-school students receive a high-quality education from 10 teachers and enjoy specialized coursework in physical education, music, computer literacy, and ethics.

Location: Central Valley, Costa Rica

Finca La Hilda is a stand out in sustainable coffee production, so it was an easy decision to partner with the Vargas family to make a joint investment in supporting the healthcare needs of the farm’s employees, many of whom are seasonal workers traveling from their homes in Nicaragua to pick coffee during the harvest.


Designed as a simple and important response to the lack of healthcare access many coffee pickers experience, this annual “pop-up” clinic provides basic medical care and education to 100+ employees and their family members. (Photo credit: ©Wimblu)