Lecture Description
This roundtable is framed around a shared value-chain perspective on coffee. We will open with the European Coffee Federation’s (ECF) new economic impact assessment, which quantifies coffee’s
contribution to jobs, value creation, and fiscal revenues within the European Union. Importantly, the analysis also recognises that the EU market plays a role well beyond Europe’s borders, and that
understanding coffee’s economic impact requires looking at the full global chain rather than Europe in isolation.
This EU-focused analysis will be complemented by data from the International Coffee Organization (ICO), whose statistics provide a global reference point on production, exports, and the economic dependence of producing countries on coffee. ICO data illustrates how millions of farmers and workers rely on access to consuming markets such as the EU, and how policy choices in Europe translate directly into economic and social outcomes at origin.
Finally, the Specialty Coffee Association will bring the consumer and market lens, highlighting how evolving consumer preferences, on quality, sustainability, and transparency, are reshaping demand and value creation. Ultimately, it is consumers, through their purchasing choices, who drive the economic engine behind coffee.
Together, these perspectives connect economic impact, global responsibility, and market evolution, offering policymakers a balanced and forward-looking evidence base that recognises coffee as both a strategic European economic asset and a cornerstone of sustainable development in producing countries.
Why now? The discussion is particularly timely as the EU reviews its agri-food, trade, and sustainability frameworks and seeks to strengthen the competitiveness and resilience of key value chains.
Date: Thursday, June 25, 2026
Time: 15:00 - 16:15
Location: Room 1122
Category: Sustainability
Access: This lecture is free to attend with a World of Coffee entry badge. Register to attend World of Coffee here.
Please note that lecture sessions are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Early arrival is highly recommended to secure your seat.
Speakers
European Coffee Federation
International Coffee Organization
Specialty Coffee Association