Sustainability sounds like one of those worthy topics that is too serious for the happy world of cafes. But our guest today, Kim Elena Ionesco says it’s one of the most interesting and exciting jobs in the coffee industry! Kim is the Chief Sustainability Officer of the Speciality Coffee Association and has developed this role and watched the industry advance for the last 10 years.

Ken Burgin interviewed Kim about the wide range of sustainability projects underway, from plantations, to transport, roasting, retail, right through to disposal of the cup. The type of work done on farms is changing, and climate change is having an impact. Roasters have new options for processing beans with less energy, and there are many ways for cafes to work more consciously and use fewer resources. SCA have published some excellent Green Guides to help you with the process.