LONDON, United Kingdom – Celebrating the International Coffee day and building on the success of its inaugural in-person event in 2023, the World Coffee Innovation Summit London 2024 – a solution driven and the only cross-industry-centric global event – organized by the World Coffee Alliance (WCA), is meeting once again in London on 16-17 October 2024 at QEII Centre, with a much stronger coffee, climate, finance and farmer-centric agenda and a top-lineup of global speakers, government and policy makers in its second year.
A two-day intensive discussion through its Keynotes and cross-industry panels, this high-level Summit convenes Governments, Ministers, ambassadors, and stakeholders both from coffee producing and coffee importing countries, global brands including Starbucks, JDE Peet’s, Volcafe, Tchibo, Olam (ofi) and Lavazza as well as non-coffee specific global brands including Salesforce, ESA,CDP, WWF, Gold Standard, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, Novartis, WWF，B Lab Europe and IBM Consulting to discuss coffee, climate change and finance through innovation and a cross-industry exchange of best practices and scalable solutions.
Innovation, being the front and center of this Summit, will also gather startups, scaleups, Agri-funders and coffee and climate Innovators showcasing their unique products and solutions on the INNOVATION HUB & EXHIBITION SHOWCASE. This unique gathering will highlight the “Innovators meet Farmers” panel from coffee origin countries to discuss how technology can change the way producers manage their farms through eco-systems and digital platforms to increase their yields and adaptation measures to fight climate change.
Against the backdrop of high prices and unpredictable weather patterns, the world confronts major challenges in climate change, biodiversity loss and financial inclusion – there is a growing demand from consumers and coffee producers to provide an ethical and data-driven coffee sourcing mechanism that is sustainable across the global value chain.
In this year’s Summit Theme – Redefining Shared value – a concept described by Professor Michael Porter and Mark Kramer of Harvard Business School, as “policies and operating practices that enhance the competitiveness of a company while simultaneously advancing the economic and social conditions in the communities in which it operates. Shared value creation focuses on identifying and expanding the connections between societal and economic progress.
This concept will be tested and scrutinised at this event on whether it can work as a guiding principle in the coffee industry or requires revisiting or redefining.
Topics include EUDR Countdown, CSRD & CS3D, Sustainable Sourcing, Regenerative Agriculture, Climate, Nature Based and Farmer-centric innovations, Coffee Science & Innovation, Sustainable Finance and Fintech, Geo-spatial and Traceability, Climate Action and Carbon Credits and Digitalisation of Global Trade.
Joseph de Villiers, CEO and Founder of World Coffee Alliance, the organiser of World Coffee Innovation Summit London said, “We are delighted to have attracted a roster of top-level global brands speakers, thought leaders and policy makers to highlight our unique approach in fostering cross- industry partnerships to pull ourselves together against Climate Change, biodiversity loss and promotion of financial inclusion”.
“Mere collaboration within the coffee industry is no longer enough to face the existential threat of Climate Change. We need to reach out to outside experts and cross- industry leaders and incorporate some of proven solutions from other industries that will equip us better to face this bigger challenge that requires a bigger innovation. “Let’s redefine shared value in favour of nature”, he added.
The Summit will also feature the Global Leaders Forum – the men and women who leads their organisation through example, including governments, business, industry and policy makers, adopting practical and hands-on style of leadership and inspires his organisation toward a mission-centric agenda driven by innovation.
This year’s hot topics include the most important and most-challenging regulation by far, The EUDR, which is part of the European Green deal – as Operators face regulatory compliance challenges and operational bottlenecks as the deadline approaches on 30 December 2024.
The EUDR requires that commodities placed on, or exported from, the EU market that are covered under the regulation — cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soy, timber and rubber, as well as derived products such as beef, furniture and chocolate — don’t come from land deforested or degraded after December 31, 2020.
The EUDR also introduces corrective measures for non-compliance and regulates a sanctioning regime with penalties amounting to 4% of the company’s turnover in the EU, as well as measures for the confiscation of products and income. There has been call from business organizations to delay its implementation, but so far, the EU remains firm and steadfast in its position.
Other EU legislations to be tackled include the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) marking a significant milestone in sustainable corporate governance and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D) which focuses on acting against violations of human rights and child labour through due diligence procedures.
This Summit highlights include a “Networking Soiree” at the UK House of Lords with limited tickets on a first-come, first serve only.
Summit Keynotes include Jennifer Jordan-Saifi, CEO, Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) who will deliver the inspirational speech, Dr Dongyu Qu, Director-General, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General, World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr Alvaro Lario, President, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD),The Lord Deben, H.E. Johnston Busingye, High Commissioner for the Republic of Rwanda to the UK, Graham Turnock, Special Advisor, European Space Agency, Jennifer “Vern” Long, CEO World Coffee Research (WCR), Sylvia Megret, President and CEO, ACDI/VOCCA, Chris Southworth, Secretary General, ICC UK, Antii Rautavarra, Special Envoy for Water from Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Clive de Ruig, President, ICE Benchmark Administration (IBA) and Sarah Nelen, Acting Director-General of the Department of Environment, European Commission, who will share the last quarter details and explain the plans IN FULL on EUDR as she highlights the EU Green Deal and Climate action towards a free-deforestation future.
Gold Sponsors include ICE Benchmark Administration (IBA) and osapiens, Silver Sponsor Agmatix, Bronze Sponsor Koltiva and Co-Sponsors regenagri and NAEB.
Cross Industry partners include Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI), ICC UK, Fairtrade International, GSMA, Soil Association, B Lab Europe, International Trade and Forfaiting Association (ITFA) and DCSA.
Media Partners include Roast Magazine, Daily Coffee News and Perfect Daily Grind (PDG).
Early Bird registration is now available until 3rd October 2024. To register, click here.
For updates, agenda and confirmed speakers, please click here.
About World Coffee Alliance
World Coffee Alliance (WCA) is a leading network alliance of coffee professionals, market research consultants and stakeholders across the global coffee value chain. WCA assists SMEs in the UK, Europe, North America and smallholder farmers in South America, Africa, Greater China and Southeast Asia. World Coffee Alliance (WCA) is the official organiser of World Coffee Innovation Summit London.
