Lecture Description
Regenerative agriculture is increasingly recognized as essential for the future of coffee, but the path to scaling it is neither uniform nor straightforward. Sustainable Food Lab will moderate a panel of leading experts exploring how different financing models can support coffee farmers to adopt and sustain regenerative practices across diverse landscapes. We will open with a brief framing on the social, environmental, and economic opportunities of regenerative agriculture, and why no single financing structure can meet the needs of all coffee farmers globally.
Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 10:30 am - 10:45 am
Location: Room 24AB
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
Molly Leavens
Program Manager, Sustainable Food Lab
Molly Leavens is a Program Manager at Sustainable Food Lab, where she works with multinational food companies, NGOs, and public agencies to improve smallholder farmer livelihoods and climate resilience. Her work focuses on corporate sustainability strategy, living income, and regenerative agriculture across coffee and cocoa supply chains in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. She holds a BA in Food and the Environment from Harvard University and an MA in Management and Global Affairs from Tsinghua University.
Miguel Gamboa
Coffee Lead, Rainforest Alliance
Miguel Gamboa, Coffee Lead at the Rainforest Alliance, was trained as an industrial engineer with Masters in Reengineering and International Trade. He started his professional career working in a coffee exporting company. Then, 23 years ago, he started working with the UTZ certification program. Being part of the support team for the members of the certification program, he was able to learn about different realities of coffee production and marketing throughout Latin America. After the merger of UTZ and the Rainforest Alliance, he was appointed as a Coffee Representative Manager for Latin America, and since September 2022 - as a Coffee Sector Lead.
“I believe that the certification is a good basis to start improving the living conditions of producing families. Coffee is synonymous with life—not only for producers and workers but also for flora and fauna, and all of us who taste its flavor”.