Corporate Social Responsibility in the Coffee Sector: Löfbergs’ CSR work towards Sustainable Development in Brazil’s Coffee Chain
Author
Mößner, Anna Kathrin
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2014
Submitted on
2014-04-01
Abstract
This thesis examines how a private actor in the coffee sector—the roaster Löfbergs Lila AB—works with other companies, public agencies, and NGOs through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to support sustainable development in Brazil’s coffee chain and contribute to the global public good of a sustainable climate. Framed by the absence of a global authority to provide public goods, the case is situated within wider debates about rising expectations on firms from NGOs, media, and consumers. The analysis applies a Global Commodity Chain approach to explore governance, alongside Olson’s logic of collective action and hegemony and regime theory to understand incentives and leadership in collective efforts. Empirically, the study draws on semi-structured interviews with Löfbergs and their international coffee partners and highlights partnership initiatives, including projects such as Coffee & Climate, that address climate risks and other sector challenges. The qualitative findings indicate that climate sustainability exhibits a collective action problem: without private benefits, firms have limited incentives to share costs. Companies’ CSR activities can help establish regimes and collaborative structures that coordinate action, reduce free-riding, and thereby steer the coffee chain toward more sustainable practices.
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan en privat aktør i kaffebranchen – kaffebrænderen Löfbergs Lila AB – sammen med andre virksomheder, offentlige myndigheder og NGO’er arbejder gennem Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for at bidrage til bæredygtig udvikling i Brasiliens kaffekæde og til det globale fælles gode: et bæredygtigt klima. Med udgangspunkt i den internationale udfordring, at der ikke findes en global myndighed til at sikre fælles goder, placeres casen i en bredere debat om virksomheders voksende ansvar, drevet af NGO’er, medier og forbrugere. Analytisk anvendes Global Commodity Chain-tilgangen til at belyse governance, suppleret af Olsons teori om kollektiv handling samt hegemoni- og regimeteori til at forstå incitamenter og lederskab i fælles indsatser. Empirisk bygger studiet på semistrukturerede interviews med Löfbergs og deres internationale kaffe-partnere og belyser partnerskabsinitiativer, herunder projekter som Coffee & Climate, der adresserer klimarisici og andre sektorudfordringer. De kvalitative fund peger på, at et globalt bæredygtigt klima som offentligt gode er forbundet med et kollektivt handlingsproblem: uden private fordele er incitamentet til at dele omkostningerne svagt. Virksomhedernes CSR-arbejde kan bidrage til at etablere regimer og samarbejdsstrukturer, der koordinerer indsatsen, mindsker free-riding og dermed kan skubbe kaffekæden i en mere bæredygtig retning.
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