Lecture Description
This lecture will explore the current state of climate and nature risks impacting coffee production, showcasing new research, tangible resources, and innovative pathways that guide action toward a more resilient coffee future.
First, we will look at an industry-wide initiative through the Sustainable Coffee Challenge to increase and improve open-access primary data on carbon emissions from coffee production in 5 Latin American countries, building on a similar effort in Asia. These datasets offer practical references for producers, coffee companies, policymakers, and researchers to benchmark and lower emissions.
Complementing these baselines, we’ll also explore a new analysis on derisking coffee supply chains and landscapes for a net-zero and nature positive coffee future. Participants will examine where the greatest risks lie, the most promising interventions and pathways to mitigation, and the cost of transition vs. business as usual.
Finally, we'll discuss innovative yet practical opportunities to collaborate and pool resources to ensure sustainable coffee supply while protecting and restoring nature and safeguarding the livelihoods of coffee communities.
Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 9:00 am - 9:45 am
Location: Room 24C
Category: Sustainability
Access: This lecture is free to attend with a World of Coffee entry badge. Register to attend World of Coffee here.
Please note that lecture sessions are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Early arrival is highly recommended to secure your seat.
Speakers
Raina Lang
Sr Director, Sustainable Coffee, Conservation International
Raina Lang works at Conservation International as the Sr Director of Sustainable Coffee, leading the organizations’ coffee program. She is tasked with building and overseeing partnerships in the coffee sector, with a focus on achieving CI’s long-term goal of making coffee the first sustainably produced agriculture product as part of the Sustainable Coffee Challenge. With over 20 years in the sector, including a decade of field-based experience in Central America, Mexico & the Caribbean, Raina has worked with agricultural value chain programs focused on supplier growth and sustainability in coffee and cocoa at the International Finance Corporation and Peace Corps in Nicaragua.
Nora Burkey
Founder and Executive Director, The Chain Collaborative
Nora is the Founder and Executive Director of The Chain Collaborative, a non-profit in the coffee sector focused on community-led development and investing in the visions of local leaders in coffee communities around the world. She holds a master’s degree in Sustainable Development from the School for International Training, where she concentrated on gender in development and food systems, and conducted research in Nicaragua on the unpaid work of women in supply chains. Under the banner of The Chain Collaborative, she has consulted for a variety of companies, organizations, and projects in tropical agriculture, including Fairtrade International, Conservation International, IDH, and more. She was a co-creator of the Specialty Coffee Association's Coffee Sustainability Program (version 1), and additionally supported the development of version 2.
Isabella Turbyville
Manager, Sustainable Coffee, Conservation International