Markets for sustainable products have expanded significantly over the last five years, growing much faster than those for conventional products, according to the State of Sustainability Initiatives (SSI) Review 2010, published in November last year. The report revealed that sales of certified sustainable coffee have more than quadrupled over the past five years; sustainable tea production by more than fifty times over the same period and sustainable cocoa sales, by 248%.

We talk a lot about sustainability nowadays, but what does it actually mean and has it really established itself in practice? Vending International investigates...

The Dictionary of Sustainable Management insists that there are many ways to measure or define sustainability, with organisations using a set of criteria to assess sustainable products, services and other activities by taking into account their social, financial and environmental impact.

The FAIRTRADE Mark ensures that the producers of goods have received what has been agreed to be a fair price, as well as the social premiums to invest in the future of their communities. Talking of coffee farming, the Foundation explains: “Around 70% of the world’s coffee farmers are small scale growers and they face particular disadvantages in the marketplace. Fairtrade’s mission is to make trade work for marginalised or disadvantaged producers, and therefore is a global agreement that the system should offer champion purchase of sustainable coffee from organisations of small coffee farmers explicitly.” The Foundation believes that in its 13 years of existence in the UK, Fairtrade has proven to be an extremely successful model of how people centred trade can effectively reduce poverty and improve livelihoods.

Kraft Foods, parent company of The Kenco Coffee Company, is continually working to reduce the environmental impact of its activities, preventing pollution and promoting the sustainability of the natural resources upon which it depends, while providing high quality products that meet the needs of its consumers.

There has been a noticeable change in the public’s general attitudes towards ethically sourced and sustainable products over the past decade. With an ever increasing number of businesses and local authorities putting sustainability and ethical sourcing at the heart of their corporate social responsibility, it is now more important than ever before for businesses offering hot beverage vending services to be able to show 100 per cent commitment. Beyond the accepted norm of sustainable sourcing, it is now possible to offer consumers and operators full transparency and traceability, so that they can find out exactly where and how their coffee products are produced. This adds yet another factor into the equation of which brand and blend of coffee a vending operator should choose.