CIRCULAR ECONOMY INSIGHTS
Driving Circular Economy Worldwide
The Circular Economy has undoubtedly gained significant traction in recent years. However, despite its growing popularity, understanding its implementation and reception within industries and territories remains a challenge. To effectively apply this model in the coffee sector, it is essential to assess the level of familiarity and receptiveness of industry, communities, and territory towards this approach.
Traditional supply chains have adhered to a linear model, focused solely on growth without considering the consequences to people and planet. The ‘take, make, waste’ approach has resulted in several issues within food systems, including reliance on fossil fuels, depleting soil health, biodiversity loss, and unsustainable water usage.
In contrast, Circular Economy aims to reinvent this model by fostering collaboration and considering the entire value chain’s results, outcomes, and impact on production and consumption systems. Key principles, such as waste elimination, material circulation, and nature regeneration, are crucial for shifting away from the linear approach.
3. Adapted from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Three foundational elements are essential to reach the holistic goals of a Circular Economy:
“A Circular Economy model for the coffee sector designs, balances, and implements regenerative practices, resource efficiency, and waste reduction while giving value to process outputs, achieving environmental, social and economic sustainability. Driven by a systemic and holistic approach, it draws inspiration from the dynamics of natural systems to regenerate, maintain, and create shared value for all stakeholders, across different contexts and within the entire coffee value circle.”
ITC COFFEE GUIDE NETWORK, CIRCULAR ECONOMY WORKING GROUP
PRINCIPLES FOR CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN COFFEE
From the “3R’s” to the “9R’s”
Modern circular economy thinking expands the traditional 3R’s – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – into 9 R’s.
Note: Adapted from Kirchherr et al (2017).
UNLOCKING THE HIDDEN VALUE OF COFFEE
Coffee by-products and their chemical compounds
The process of coffee production generates substantial biomass at every stage, from harvesting to final consumption. Instead of becoming environmental waste, this biomass can be minimized, reused, or upcycled into valuable products using circular and regenerative agricultural practices. Every part of the coffee plant — including the cherry’s skin, pulp, mucilage, husk, silverskin, and spent grounds — contains unique compounds that are suitable for various industrial applications.
Source: C4CEC (2024). Note: Based on data from Mendes dos Santos, É., Malvezzi de Macedo, L., Lacalendola Tundisi, L., Ataide, J. A., Camargo, G. A., Alves, R. C., Oliveira, M. B. P. P., & Mazzola, P. G. (2021).
Coffee by-products in topical formulations: A review. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 111, 280-291.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2021.02.064
COFFEE AND COFFEE BY-PRODUCTS CHALLENGES AND QUANTIFICATION
Global biomass generated through coffee processing
The image uses data from the 2022/23 coffee year to understand the challenges and opportunities of coffee by-products and to estimate their quantities.
Source: International Coffee Organization, 2024. Beyond Coffee: Toward a Circular Coffee Economy.
https://ico.org/coffee-development-report-2/
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS INSIGHTS
Center for Circular Economy in Coffee and Sustanable Development Goals
Center for Circular Economy in Coffee and Sustainable Development Goals.
The Center for Circular Economy in Coffee is committed to helping achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda. The activities and the best practices promoted by the Center contribute in particular to 10 of the SDGs.
Although these SDGs are considered the main ones, the different good practices can positively support additional SDGs, as highlighted in each good practice.
To explore the intersection of coffee value circle with the SDGs, several goals are particularly relevant: choose the SDG for further details!