Going Beyond Responsible Sourcing with IMPACT 

Sustainable Growth for Farmers & Roasters, Together 

IMPACT is Sucafina’s strategic sourcing program that assures long-term, sustainable performance along every step of our supply chain. IMPACT empowers farmers and roasters to achieve their sustainability goals while delivering real business results. 

IMPACT Verified offers responsibly sourced, traceable coffees that comply with regulatory requirements and rigorous social, environmental and economic standards, supporting farmers in their business goals and helping roasters to mitigate supply chain risks. As of May 2025, we’ve verified over 63,000 farmers across 16 origins, with more supply chains being added as we expand the program.  

IMPACT Beyond goes even further, activating lasting transformation in 5 key areas of sustainability in coffee. 

Taking Sustainability Further with IMPACT Beyond 

Building on a foundation of compliance and sustainable practices, IMPACT Beyond identifies win-win opportunities for stakeholders throughout the supply chain to invest in transformation across the 5 IMPACT Goal areas: living income, regenerative agriculture, carbon emissions, human rights and forest conservation.  

IMPACT Beyond projects can be built upon recognized responsible sourcing schemes (such as IMPACT Verified, Rainforest Alliance and 4C). As a result, we describe these coffees as ‘sustainably sourced’. 

IMPACT Beyond ensures: 

• Data-driven insights to guide investment. 
• Co-creation and implementation of transformative projects. 
• Case studies and reports to showcase and market progress. 

 How IMPACT Beyond Works 

Roasters and partners can invest in IMPACT Beyond projects in 2 ways:  

1. Direct investment within your elected supply chain 

Roasters can partner with Sucafina to co-create and co-invest in sustainability projects that drive measurable change where it is most needed. Investment can be structured as a premium on coffee purchases or direct sponsorship. 

• Step 1: Partner with Sucafina to identify opportunities for measurable progress across the 5 IMPACT Goal areas in your supply chain. Using data from regional reports and local teams, we guide smart investments to drive the most needed transformations. 
• Step 2: Work alongside Sucafina’s in-country and Global Sustainability teams to co-design projects that align with your sustainability goals. 
• Step 3: Transformative project implementation. We use our data to monitor, measure, collaborate and improve, and we’ll share case studies and reports to showcase progress. We generate IMPACT Progress Reports aligned with our 5 IMPACT Goals, delivering transparency and shared value for all stakeholders. 

2. Beyond Flagship Project contributions 

Beyond Flagship Projects are initiatives linked to IMPACT Verified farmer groups within Sucafina’s direct supply chains. These projects offer partners a flexible way to support IMPACT Goals and drive meaningful change at contribution levels below the typical minimum threshold for full project sponsorship. 

Investments are made through a premium and do not need to be tied directly to coffee produced by the project’s participating farmers. Instead, support is Origin-specific – for example, purchasing Beyond Flagship coffees from Colombia enables investment in Colombia-based IMPACT Beyond projects. This approach increases flexibility, expands the potential for impact at scale and supports more consistent data collection and reporting across supply chains.  

By purchasing Beyond Flagship Project coffees, roasters can be a part of long-term projects that have a lasting impact on the communities that produce their coffee at a lower investment threshold. Roasters can also make direct contributions to Beyond projects that are meaningful to them.  

We want to maintain the richness of qualities and variety of Origins in our industry. To do that, we all need to work with our valued farmer partners to transition coffee production toward a more regenerative and resilient model. Farmers are already taking steps, and with the right knowledge, assets and incentives, we can accelerate this transformation together. That’s why we are calling on our partners to take action with us.

Giacomo Celi, Head of Partnerships at Sucafina

Here are just a few examples of Beyond Flagship Projects that are already making a difference for coffee communities and helping to improve environmental sustainability:  
 

Rwanda: Coffee Productivity & Income Diversification 

Our Beyond Flagship project in Rwanda supports coffee farming families within our supply chain in closing the living income gap by combining regenerative agriculture practices with livelihood diversification strategies.  

The project focuses on: 

• Seed distribution via VSLA groups: Project funds are channeled through Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) to distribute cover crop and intercrop seeds that support both soil regeneration and income diversification. 
• Research and training: Farmers gain access to information on the optimal mix of cover and intercrops to enhance income, biodiversity and soil fertility. 
• Women-led coffee seedling production: The project supports the creation of women-led VSLA initiatives focused on producing coffee seedlings, creating job opportunities and enhancing long-term productivity. 

Project implementation will begin in late 2025 and primary funding is generated through purchases of specialty microlots from our Europe and Australia positions. Learn more. 

Kenya: Cleaner Household Energy with Biodigesters 

Sucafina is supporting coffee farming communities in rural Kenya by installing biodigesters, which convert animal waste into biogas for cooking and a nutrient-rich organic compost. These systems provide a cleaner, more sustainable household energy source, reduce firewood use and emissions from wood-burning stoves, improve soil health through compost application and enhance farmers’ health. 

The project has already benefited more than 300 people (over 62% of them women) from 80 households. Key outcomes so far include: 

• 95% of participating families now have smoke- and soot-free kitchens; the rest report significant smoke reduction.  
• 70% of farms report odor-free environments, with substantial improvements for the remaining 30%.  
• Families are saving on fuel costs, as biogas now meets most of their energy needs. 
• An estimated 250 trees are saved annually through reduced firewood use. 

Jane Nyambura Kimani, a farmer member of Njaa-ini United Women’s Group, says: “After receiving the biodigester, I stopped using firewood. My cough, which came from the smoke, got better and my chest pain improved. With the money I used to spend on firewood, I am expanding my vegetable business and saving 200 Ksh per week in my VSLA.”  

Interested in participating? Get in touch with your usual contact. 

Burundi: Forest Conservation and Women’s Empowerment 

In Burundi, along with Kahawatu Foundation, we’re investing in coffee nurseries to support farm renovation, boost yields and increase household income. We are also distributing over 35,000 shade tree seedlings, including Maesopsis eminii and Cordia Africana, to 3,500 IMPACT Verified farmers. In 2026, we will scale these efforts alongside advancing deforestation-free verification for coffee plots, guaranteeing thousands of smallholders in Burundi fair access to the EU market.  

Almost 100% of coffee households in Burundi earn less than the living income benchmark and coffee represents an average of only 25% of income. That’s why we are supporting income diversification by facilitating and promoting small, collaborative investments in women-led VSLAs through the Burundi Beyond Flagship project.  

How it works: 

• Establishment of new VSLAs: Micro savings and credit groups will be run entirely by women. 
• Purchase and distribution of livestock: Start-up microcredit will be provided to buy and manage goats and pigs. 
• Livestock solidarity chain: Livestock 'starter kits' will first be distributed to a small number of households, but upon each successive generation, offspring will be passed on to new members of the VSLA. 

Our aim is to increase participating households’ income by 60% within 6 months off receiving livestock as they sell the animals’ offspring and products like milk. 

“In coffee we are all interconnected, and our role as a link between Origin and industry is to foster collaboration and build resilience. We want our Flagship projects to be as inclusive as possible, making it easy for roasters and partners to participate at any contribution level and join us in driving meaningful change on the ground,” Giacomo concludes. 

 We are rolling out Beyond Flagship projects in Colombia, Guatemala and other origins and can implement IMPACT Beyond projects in most countries where we have boots on the ground. Want to learn more about how IMPACT can support your sustainability goals, or interested in partnering with us to implement a project in your supply chain? Reach out to your trader today.