Toward a Deeper Understanding of Value Measurement and Distribution

While the coffee supply chain has been widely mapped and analyzed in terms of its structure and governance, there is a lack of evidence about how value is created and distributed amongst the various supply chain actors. This research project aims to fill this gap by quantitatively and holistically measuring monetary and non-monetary value along the coffee supply chain.

In December 2019, the Specialty Coffee Association completed the Price Crisis Response Initiative (PCRI), a year-long endeavor to better understand and address low and volatile coffee prices.

Through research and engagement with hundreds of specialty coffee stakeholders it became clear that focusing not just on price, but also on the distribution of value along the coffee supply chain was key. This project builds on findings from the PCR Initiative by answering the following questions:

How can we measure value along the coffee supply chain and how is value distributed?

How does the value created at each node relate to the costs born and investments made there, and how do we interpret and reconcile these differences?

We expect to form the foundation of future Coffee Science Foundation sustainability research and to serve as a valuable tool for the larger coffee community.

We are seeking a funding partner, or partners, willing to underwrite this work and serve as a research partner, helping perfect the research question, research design, and participate in dissemination of research findings. Get in touch with us to participate.