Chameleon Cold-Brew launches multifaceted sustainability programme

American coffee company Chameleon Cold-Brew announced recently the debut of its sustainability programme, which in its inaugural year will establish five community-driven projects in four countries to empower farmers with the technical assistance and resources to improve the quality of organically produced coffee and their livelihoods as well.

“Our ultimate objective is to create long-term economic, environmental and social sustainability through compassionate leadership within the global coffee supply chain,” said Chameleon director of Coffee Matt Swenson. “We strongly believe that empowering our partners in coffee-farming communities with the proper tools, resources and support at a grassroots level will drive sustainable change.”

Cenfrocafe associate evaluating Chameleon coffee during a cupping session at the new quality lab at Cenfrocafe in Peru.

Chameleon said it has already reached significant milestones with its first two projects: the completion of the Cenfrocafe Coffee Quality lab in San Ignacio, Peru and the launch of the Myanmar Organic Initiative.

The newly constructed Cenfrocafe Coffee Quality lab features specialised equipment and a formally trained Q-Grader, who will be able to evaluate coffee quality and provide real-time feedback to farmers throughout the growing and harvesting season – improving the value proposition for the farming community. Chameleon will continue to engage with Cenfrocafe and the regional coffee-growing community via ongoing town hall meetings to collaboratively plan and develop the next phase of the project, with the goal of increasing overall coffee quality and yields.

Chameleon’s second project, the Myanmar Organic Initiative, is also underway with the intention of supporting Myanmar’s efforts to certify organically grown coffee. While much of the coffee is produced using traditional organic methods, very little is certified and exported as organic. The company will retail a limited number of small-batch, micro-lot coffee from Myaing, Myanmar with 100% of gross proceeds benefiting Myanmar communities for organic-focused projects.

Engineered by Swenson, and Chameleon CEO Chris Campbell, the sustainability programme demonstrates Chameleon’s vested interest in the success of its partner producers, according to the company.

“We have always worked diligently to source our coffee in ways that not only make us proud of what we do, but also make lasting positive impacts to our suppliers,” said Campbell. “As our business has grown, our ability to make choices that drive change has also expanded. The launch of this programme is the culmination of eight years of effort and demonstrates to the world that for Chameleon, quality must be rooted in compassion – for our partners and for our planet.”

By Muneerah Bee