Brighton runs on coffee. There is a thriving scene of independent coffee shops, with the number doubling in the last decade, and Brightonians are some of the greatest consumers of coffee in the country. But coffee is a global commodity and, like all global commodities, its value chains are problematic. Volatile markets exacerbate poverty among small-scale growers, high-yield cultivation affects biodiversity and water security, coffee processing, packaging and transportation carries a weighty carbon footprint.

As a country, we have signed up to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. SDG 12 – on sustainable consumption and production – demands that we combat the detrimental ways that consumption and production affect planet, people and economy. As consumers, we can make a difference. Through local, communal, national and global actions, we can challenge inequalities in the value chain; demand transparency and fairness in its supply; and apply pressure to stop the planet being further degraded by its production.

Join the Sussex Sustainability Research Programme of the University of Sussex for an interactive coffee evening and world cafe in Brighton to explore some of the issues around coffee, and what we can do to address them. With roasters, café owners, recyclers and academics to launch discussions.

Speakers include:

• Konrad Brits (Falcon Coffees)
• Cat Fletcher (Freegle)
• Emma Keller (WWF)
• Dr Jonathan Newman (University of Sussex)
• Fi O'Brien (Girls Who Grind Coffee)
• Al Tomlins (Small Batch Coffee Roasters)
• Ben Szobody (Pro Baristas)

We’ll show how sustainable consumption and production of coffee could get us a step closer to achieving goals across the spectrum of the SDGs.