Championing coffee traceability

Global coffee supply chains are inherently complex, and so are our coffee sourcing operations. Having boots on the ground across 15 origins, allows us to reach producers and our suppliers. As part of our firm commitment to transparency and due diligence, we implement strong traceability systems.

Traceability and transparency are key drivers of business and provides assurance for our customers. We test our traceability systems through frequent audits, and over time, it is our goal to improve the granularity of traceability for conventional coffee.

We source green coffee both directly from producers in origin countries as well as from third-party suppliers, both at origins and destinations. The level of assurance we can provide naturally varies depending on our proximity to each supply chain segment and whether the coffee is responsibly sourced. Rather than viewing this complexity as a limitation, we see it as a reason to strengthen our due diligence systems. By working closely with our suppliers, we continue to enhance visibility, address risks, and drive continuous improvement across all our supply chains.

As part of our commitment to greater transparency, we apply our traceability systems across all supply chains and routinely stress-test them through certification audits, internal audits, and due diligence. All coffees sourced through third party suppliers and purchased through our origin operations are traceable to Tier 1 supplier level, while responsibly sourced (Volcafe Excellence, Volcafe Verified and third-party certified) coffees and EUDR-compliant coffees can be traced all the way back to the farm.

Traceability is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Our goal is to expand traceability to farm-level across our entire supply chains over time, tailoring our systems to the diverse ways we source coffee across different origins.

Volcafe engages with a dynamic network of thousands of suppliers, or aggregators, each year. Because this supplier base changes over time, we focus on maintaining robust due diligence and traceability systems rather than publishing a static list of Tier 1 suppliers.