Big retail and sustainable coffee: A new development studies research agenda

Sara D. Elder, Jane Lister and Peter Dauvergne
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Sara D. Elder: Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Canada
Jane Lister: Liu Institute for Global Issues, University of British Columbia, Canada
Peter Dauvergne: Liu Institute for Global Issues, University of British Columbia, Canada

Progress in Development Studies, 2014, vol. 14, issue 1, 77-90

Abstract: Over the past five years, global retail chains such as Walmart, McDonald’s and Starbucks have accelerated their efforts to source and sell coffee ‘sustainably’. Whereas ethical and environmental concerns were the intended drivers of fair trade and organic coffee uptake among the big coffee roasters, now multinational retailers are strategically embracing ‘sustainable coffee’ to build brand reputation and consumer trust as well as enhance quality and profitability. This new trend among mass retailers is transforming the social and environmental governance of coffee production and revealing several critical emerging areas of development studies research regarding the impact of big retail power.

Keywords: sustainable coffee; certification; supply chains; retail; environmental governance; fair trade (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:prodev:v:14:y:2014:i:1:p:77-90

DOI: 10.1177/1464993413504354

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