Coffee has been the only crop that definitively integrates people in every nation. History dictates that coffee shops were, and still are, essential places for the development of art, music, philosophy, and politics over the centuries. But perhaps the most important role has been merely to gather people. As a beverage, coffee has reached a similar stature to wine, where taste and aroma attributes are defined by cultivation practices, varieties, soil quality, environment, post-harvest treatments, blends, roasting, etc. Thus, quality has driven the coffee market. But science has shown that drinking coffee confers more than merely the awakening effect of caffeine, it also brings health benefits when moderately consumed such as protection against type 2 diabetes, antioxidant effects, and protection against Parkinson’s disease, among others.
Much of this is related to sustainability, which is a broad discipline embracing technology, environmental and social aspects. We may define coffee sustainability as "practices or processes in the coffee chain that allows future generations to produce and consume coffee". The coffee chain must be understood as from the field to the cup. This begins with the improvement of field practices, such as the use of mineral and organic fertilizers, soil conservation, disposal of coffee processing products, disease and pest control, environment conservation, and social aspects that, in turn, affect the coffee quality and, by consequence, health. Thus, sustainability is related to efficiency, leading to more profits for coffee producers. Sustainability may also be linked to certification labels, raising the price of the product and by consequence bringing together economic and social aspects of the coffee chain.
This Research Topic aims to understand and collate knowledge on sustainability in the coffee supply chain to ensure that future generations will be able to produce and consume coffee. We will consider manuscripts on any element from the field to the cup, including agricultural practices, botany and physiology, processing, chemistry, quality, health benefits, conservation practices, technology, and the economy.
Coffee has been the only crop that definitively integrates people in every nation. History dictates that coffee shops were, and still are, essential places for the development of art, music, philosophy, and politics over the centuries. But perhaps the most important role has been merely to gather people. As a beverage, coffee has reached a similar stature to wine, where taste and aroma attributes are defined by cultivation practices, varieties, soil quality, environment, post-harvest treatments, blends, roasting, etc. Thus, quality has driven the coffee market. But science has shown that drinking coffee confers more than merely the awakening effect of caffeine, it also brings health benefits when moderately consumed such as protection against type 2 diabetes, antioxidant effects, and protection against Parkinson’s disease, among others.
Much of this is related to sustainability, which is a broad discipline embracing technology, environmental and social aspects. We may define coffee sustainability as "practices or processes in the coffee chain that allows future generations to produce and consume coffee". The coffee chain must be understood as from the field to the cup. This begins with the improvement of field practices, such as the use of mineral and organic fertilizers, soil conservation, disposal of coffee processing products, disease and pest control, environment conservation, and social aspects that, in turn, affect the coffee quality and, by consequence, health. Thus, sustainability is related to efficiency, leading to more profits for coffee producers. Sustainability may also be linked to certification labels, raising the price of the product and by consequence bringing together economic and social aspects of the coffee chain.
This Research Topic aims to understand and collate knowledge on sustainability in the coffee supply chain to ensure that future generations will be able to produce and consume coffee. We will consider manuscripts on any element from the field to the cup, including agricultural practices, botany and physiology, processing, chemistry, quality, health benefits, conservation practices, technology, and the economy.