Resource Hub Launch

Written By Michelle Ocfemia

Dear members and community!

The education subcommittee is excited to launch our resource hub to the community to ignite conversations and raise awareness about important topics in the coffee industry. This quarter we are focusing on Sustainability. Our resource hub will be updated on our website, scacanada.coffee with plans to discuss topics on our planned discord server (coming soon!). Resources will be released throughout the quarter by each education subcommittee member. Thank you to Bryce, Jordan, Rumila, Amalia and Nikolay for volunteering their time and submissions.

Now to start off this quarter - what do we mean by Sustainability? I am going to quote The Chain Collaborative here who have explained it succinctly:

 “Think of sustainability as a three-legged stool, with each leg representing a different element that makes the stool stand up, stable, and strong. The three legs, or pillars, of sustainability, represent social, environmental, and economic considerations. Without one of these pillars, the stool is bound to fall. ⁣

As a non-profit focused on investing in local leaders to drive sustainable development in their own communities, we're also guided by the principles expressed in the Brundtland definition of "sustainable development," which understands SD as "development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."⁣

So let's put those two things together: in order for development work in the coffee industry to support everyone in the coffee chain equally and equitably, and for the industry to be maintained and improved over time without compromising anyone, true 'sustainable development' must factor in all three pillars.⁣

But let's add something else in, just 'cause we're The Chain Collaborative. Sustainable development should also work to restore wrongs: environmental, economic, and socials wrongs. Sustainable development should also regenerate environmental resources, address global inequities, and dismantle the traditional top-down power dynamic and approach that most international development agencies promote. Communities don't need to be given a voice in project planning. They are already made up of people with voices. Listen first, and then take action. Accompany local power and change-makers, y'all.⁣” (The Chain Collaborative, 2021)

Our first resource (next post!) centers around the IG live that we held on Jan 17 (@sca_canada) with subject matter expert Erika Koss (@AWorldInYourCup). We learned the basics of sustainability, intersectionality and the importance of community. Please check out the IG live when you have the time!  Our first resource reiterates the main points in my discussion with Erika. We hope that you will find this resource hub helpful and that it sparks discussions on what we can do in our Canadian coffee community to make the industry better.

Thank you for reading!

Michelle Ocfemia
Education Coordinator
education@scacanada.coffee

Reference

SCA Canada