Specialty coffee has a place in the farm-to-table movement, but it’s complicated

In an increasingly interconnected world, our food systems have become more and more global. Many of us consume fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients produced thousands of miles away from where we live. While this introduces us to new cuisines and expands our palates, it can create a certain level of disconnect with our food.

The same can also be said about coffee. Geographical constraints mean people in majority-consuming countries have little opportunity to engage with coffee production in more meaningful ways.

A big part of marketing in specialty coffee is making consumers feel more connected to producers, but there are limitations. Sharing information about origin or photos of producers doesn’t always help to bridge the gap in the supply chain.

In turn, there’s demand for new and more sustainable ways to experience food. One is the farm-to-table concept: a growing social movement in restaurants that promotes direct trade with local producers to use fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. 

Coffee, however, is not “local” to majority-consuming countries, but there are ways that it can intersect with the farm-to-table movement.

Emanuele Dughera, Slow Food Coffee Coalition coordinator at Slow Food Italia, tells me more.

You may also like our article on the Slow Food philosophy in specialty coffee.

Farm-to-table and coffee: How does it work?

First and foremost, let’s define what farm-to-table really means. Also referred to as farm-to-fork, the movement was born from a shift in attitudes about food quality, freshness, and seasonality in the early 2000s. In a nutshell, it encourages restaurants to source high-quality and nutritious food and ingredients from local producers. 

The movement encompasses a wide range of goods, including wine, beer, meat, fish, cheese, fruit, and vegetables. Ultimately, the goal of the farm-to-table concept is to improve food traceability and inform consumers about where these products come from to bridge knowledge gaps in supply chains.

It’s important to point out that there are many comparisons between farm-to-table and the Slow Food philosophy, which has been embraced by the specialty coffee industry.

Emanuele Dughera is the Slow Food Coffee Coalition coordinator at Slow Food Italia – a network of producers, traders, companies, chefs, and consumers invested in improving food traceability and quality.

“Slow Food is a global movement working to ensure good, clean, and fair food for all,” he tells me. “We cultivate a worldwide network of local communities and activists who safeguard cultural and biological diversity, promote food education and traditional knowledge, and influence food and agricultural policies in public and private sectors.”

He further explains the three main principles of Slow Food philosophy:

• Good – ensuring all people have access to delicious, healthy, and culturally-appropriate food
• Clean – supporting local and resilient food systems which regenerate natural resources and safeguard ecosystems and wildlife
• Fair – building value chains based on solidarity, cooperation, inclusion, and equality that benefit and empower all supply chain actors and stakeholders

Where does coffee fit in?

The similarities between these principles and the values of specialty coffee are easy to identify, which led Emanuele to start the Slow Food Coffee Coalition a little over three years ago.

“It’s an international, open, and collaborative network that works to unite everyone in the coffee supply chain,” he explains. “We improve representation of producers to raise consumer awareness and coffee knowledge, and we believe that sensory quality and good agricultural practices go hand in hand.” 

Circling back to the farm-to-table movement, however, specialty coffee’s place becomes less clear. Although producers, roasters, traders, and consumers can certainly work to improve coffee quality and freshness, the product itself is not “local” to where most people in the world consume it.

Majority-consuming markets such as North America, Europe, and Australia are located far away from countries where coffee is grown, which is essentially at odds with the values of the farm-to-table movement. Without an emphasis on sourcing local produce, many may argue that coffee can’t be a part of the farm-to-table concept.

Exploring the farm-to-table movement in producing countries

Looking beyond major export markets, the farm-to-table concept is more applicable. In different regions of producing countries, coffee is, of course, a local product – which makes the movement more fitting in these contexts.

Moreover, specialty coffee consumption is growing in some of these countries, which presents even more opportunities to increase consumer awareness of high-quality and traceable coffee.

“People in an increasing number of producing countries have started to drink more specialty coffee,” Emanuele says. “Although coffee may not always be locally-sourced in these places, awareness of drinking better quality coffee is at least increasing at a national level.”

According to research from the Specialty Coffee Association, Brazil’s specialty coffee market share doubled between 2016 and 2018 from 6% to 12%. Similarly, specialty coffee accounts for between 3% and 5% of Colombia’s total coffee consumption. In 2018, the estimated value of the Colombian specialty coffee market was around US $1.52 billion, and is sure to have grown since.

Overall, specialty coffee consumption in producing countries remains comparatively low to majority-consuming markets. But as targeted, policy-driven initiatives and a growing middle class help to drive interest in specialty coffee in these regions, some producers may be able to leverage this to their advantage. This could range from selling more of their coffees in the domestic market to partnering with local roasters to hosting on-farm tastings and cuppings for consumers to experience coffee as close as possible to its origin.

Inevitably, not all producers (especially smallholders) will have the capacity or resources to do this, but it presents a valuable way to help consumers feel more engaged with where their coffee comes from.

Improving consumer awareness of the supply chain

Similar to Slow Food philosophy, the farm-to-table movement is an opportunity for consumers to experience coffee in more conscious and appreciative ways.

“Networking is a huge part of the farm-to-table and Slow Food movements,” Emanuele says. “One way to include specialty coffee could be to connect chefs, restaurateurs, and consumers to local roasters so they can better understand and appreciate coffee.

“It’s also important to communicate to people that their coffee purchasing decisions have an impact on the climate,” he adds. “We all need to think more about the environmental footprint of our daily coffee intake.”

Emanuele explains how the Slow Food Coffee Coalition has worked with the SCA to improve awareness of how coffee is grown.

“The Slow Food network is made up of thousands of consumers who have started to ask more questions about coffee, so together, we can bring about significant change to the value chain,” he says. “The focus should be on the pivotal role of farmers, as well as how vital it is to safeguard nature and biodiversity to secure a sustainable future for coffee production.”

Specialty coffee’s place in the farm-to-table movement is nuanced and complex, but it presents roasters (and some producers) with an opportunity to engage with consumers on a deeper level.

Although coffee will never be local to majority-consuming countries, consumers can buy from local roasters who source high-quality, traceable coffee. In doing so, we can bridge knowledge gaps in the supply chain and make people feel more connected to the coffee they drink.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on the link between artisan bread and specialty coffee.

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