Sustainability standards on the anvil
| Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
The Coffee Board has developed sustainability standards and is in the process of implementing the certification process, said Kurma Rao, its Chief Executive Officer and Secretary.
India, the world’s seventh-largest coffee producer and fifth-largest exporter, exported coffee worth more than $2 billion in 2025-26, with nearly 39% comprising value-added products., he said.
Indian coffee’s distinctive advantage lies in its traditional shade-grown cultivation, which the Board aims to leverage through the new sustainability standards.
“We have published the standards. We are in the process of implementing the certification and a steering committee has been formed for it,” he told The Hindu.
The certification will be done at three levels – first will be done by the Board based on self certification by the growers. The second level will involve independent third-party verification, while the third level will benchmark Indian standards against internationally recognised sustainability frameworks.
Published – September 25, 2026 08:07 pm IST
