2024 was a year when climate change, poor harvests, and rising green coffee prices hit the coffee industry hard. Despite this, Löfbergs chose to continue investing in sustainability. According to Anders Fredriksson, CEO of Löfbergs, staying committed to sustainability requires both courage and a long-term perspective.
When Anders Löfberg and his brothers Josef and John started their coffee roastery in Karlstad in 1906, they laid the foundation for something bigger than perhaps they could imagine. But one thing was clear from the beginning – the business should be built on sustainable values. This is a principle that still lives on, and a principle that Kathrine Löfberg is passionate about passing on.
The ICP Annual Report 2023 highlights support for over 36,000 coffee farming households, promoting sustainable practices and women's participation. Key achievements include increased climate-friendly farming methods and income diversification, enhancing resilience among smallholder farmers across several coffee-producing nations.
Löfbergs has engaged in The Coffee Sustainability Program, emphasizing collective responsibility in the coffee industry. Participants, including experts and farmers, explored sustainability challenges and historical impacts, gaining new insights to enhance their sustainability efforts and broaden their coffee knowledge.
A fair growth on commercial terms, where fundamental human rights are respected, is a prerequisite for sustainable development, and to contribute to a more fair, performance-driven and transparent value chain is at core in our sustainability work. We aim to be a driving force when it comes to creating better possibilities for coffee farmers and their communities around the world.
Sustainability has always been important for us at Löfbergs, ever since we started in 1906. It permeates our entire business and everything we do. We are proud of how far we have come in some areas, but there is still left to be done in others. Our aim towards continuous sustainability improvement characterises our whole culture.
A sustainable development requires co-operation. We also get better by learning from others. At Löfbergs, we are engaged in a number of networks and initiatives to influence the social development and share knowledge and experience regarding sustainability with others.
Löfbergs believe in inclusion and diversity and want to offer their co-workers a workplace, where everyone no matter their gender, age and origin can be themselves, contribute, and develop. A safe, inclusive, and developing culture with a diversity perspective makes the company smarter and more profitable.
A fair growth on commercial conditions, where fundamental human rights are respected, is a prerequisite for sustainable development. To secure the supply of coffee for tomorrow, Löfbergs are working together with a number of players to improve the coffee farmers’ living conditions, development possibilities, and ability to adapt to the effects of climate change.
Coffee is amazing! The smell and the taste of it, that it gives us energy, and wakes us up. Coffee is a social glue that brings people together. But we also know that coffee could mean so much more. The coffee’s full potential is not being used today. Löfbergs want to change that and contribute to a 100 per cent circular production and consumption of coffee, totally waste-free.
Löfbergs are determined to be in the forefront and contribute to a sustainable future. The starting point is to minimise the negative effect and maximise the positive. The perspective has always been to build for coming generations.
It´s about the power of doing things together. That goes for sustainability as well of course. Here Kathrine Löfberg, chair of the board, and Anders Fredriksson, CEO, share their thoughts on Löfbergs´ sustainability work.
