Mauro Bazzara, CEO of Bazzara Express, talks about the Sustainable Development Goals in the Global Agenda for sustainable development endorsed in 2015 and the role of coffee industry in an extract from the book CoffeExperts, the encyclopedia book focused on coffee we talked about here. Soon in these pages, there will be other insights from the various coffee expert authors who contributed to the writing of CoffeExperts.
The Sustainable Development Goals
by Mauro Bazzara
MILAN, Italy – “The Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, are 17 macro-objectives included in the Global Agenda for sustainable development endorsed in 2015 by 193 member countries of the United Nations, including Italy.
The purpose of these goals, to be met ideally by 2030, is to share a collective commitment (by individuals, companies, national governments and supranational bodies) to guarantee a better present and future for our planet and its inhabitants. The agenda covers responsible consumption; clean energy; fighting hunger, poverty and inequalities; building peaceful and healthy communities; providing quality education, water, sanitary services, decent jobs for all and equal opportunities.
The pace of progress in each country is assessed periodically by the UN, which monitors over 240 cross-disciplinary indicators, i.e. economic and social parameters as well as environmental ones. This is based on the conviction that true sustainability can be pursued on the basis of a systemic approach, through joint actions and partnerships that take into account all three elements together.
Companies too are expected to do their part. At this historical juncture of great concern about the future, they are being asked to fill a leadership vacuum by assuming a guiding role in social, environmental and governance matters.”
The coffee sector
“The needs of the new generations are grounded on many of the values expressed by the SDGs. As the growing demand for sustainable products shows, the younger consumers demand that the market makes the right choices and they penalise businesses lacking environmental and social sensitivity.
The coffee sector plays an important role in this transformation, as coffee is the most consumed beverage in the world after water and also a most widely traded commodity after crude oil. It is a sector that involves thousands of workers, cooperatives, companies, farms and infrastructures.
It brings into play a variety of issues: the management of water, soil, energy and human resources; technological innovation; the handling of billions of tons of cargo; the preservation of ecosystems; and the disposal of specific waste.
Clearly, its impact on the planet is huge. Every single element of the supply chain, from the barista to the roaster, from the farmer to the importer, can do their part to ensure that this impact is positive, thus triggering knock-on effects.
In this context, the companies are finding that Agenda 2030 and the SDGs are valid starting points for the development of a strategic approach to sustainability. The aim is not only to contribute to an enhanced global sustainability, but also to tap into new market opportunities and to update the existing business models.”
