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Improving Lives - One Cup at a Time -
10/4/2010
Posted By:
Steve Hawthorne
I spent this past weekend in Houston, TX at the SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America) Annual Leadership Summit. For the past two years, I have served as a member of the Sustainability Council, which is a group tasked with providing guidance to the SCAA staff and board of directors on sustainability issues and to develop projects that will support sustainability initiatives.
One exciting result from our work this weekend was the first round of training for the Sustainability Tracking and Reporting Tool (START), a database that will allow the specialty coffee industry to track our combined sustainability initiatives in coffee.
Background
In September of 2000, world leaders came together at a meeting of the United Nations and adopted the UN Millennium Declaration, committing their nations to a global partnership aimed at reducing world poverty by 2015. This declaration became known as the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs):
1. Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger
2. Achieve Universal Primary Education
3. Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
4. Reduce Child Mortality
5. Improve Maternal Health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure Environmental Sustainability
8. Develop a Global Partnership for Development
Just five years later, in September 2005, the SCAA joined world leaders in signing the Global Compact and began to work towards achieving the MDGs, focusing in coffee growing countries.
The Sustainability Tracking and Reporting Tool (START)
START was developed to give participants the ability to compile and track their data around sustainability practices. By asking members from all sectors of our industry to report on a set of indicators, we will be able to generate comprehensive data on the impact participants have toward improving quality of life and advancing the MDGs. START will also provide a forum for nongovernment organizations to post projects in a given area and solicit support from members of the coffee industry.
This database was first conceived of six years ago. Many hours have been spent developing the indicators and fundraising in order for it to come to life. Now, in just a few weeks, the first group of users of the START database will begin inputting data. These early adopters will provide the information that will give the first glimpses into the coffee industry’s combined progress towards the MDGs. In April, START will be unveiled at the SCAA’s Annual Conference and Exposition so that people from all parts of the industry can see the progress that has been made so far and have the opportunity to join us in reporting on their own contributions to the MDGs.
Stone Creek Coffee is very proud to be among the group of early adopters of the START database. We have committed to operating our business in a way that is supporting the MDGs and working to improve the quality of life of coffee producers. We’re excited to share our experiences along way.
Sip Slowly.
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