“A systemic design analysis of the coffee supply chain and its stakeholder dynamics, for the formulation of multi-stakeholder strategies that can lead to equitable transformation”

The following systemic design research paper examines the global coffee supply chain along with the activities, dynamics, value creation, income and margin inequalities between the different and most direct actors in the system. With particular emphasis on the perspectives of producing and processing/consuming countries, namely Colombia (3rd largest coffee producer) and Italy (3rd largest processor), which are interesting countries and are part of the top 6 global coffee exporters. This approach led to a more balanced perspective, and the objective of this research is to create a methodology for the discovery of the needs and problems, interests and opportunities of the actors involved in the supply chain, that could help set baselines for multi-level strategy formulation that can certainly contribute to the creation of value and the reduction of inequalities between actors. The findings of this thesis reveal a stark contrast in the distribution of power and benefits in the dynamics and relationships between stakeholders in the coffee supply chain, in which middlemen, roasters and retailers share most of the profits, while coffee farmers constantly face economic instability, poverty and environmental degradation. Subsequently, the most valuable output of this research, after an exhaustive literature review on the coffee industry and stakeholder dynamics, is a new tool and complement to the systemic design methodology, called the holistic diagnosis of stakeholders, with an approach that starts with an awareness of their relationships and exchanged resources, and then provides a basis for establishing guidelines, designing and developing multi-stakeholder strategies for upcoming projects. The previous tool was developed following the principal methodology used in the research called Systemic Design approach, which in this particular case emphasized on producing holistic diagnosis on the global coffee supply chain and territories of interest, for then analyzing factors through SWOT, then applying them to the new methodology proposed, scouting out challenges and opportunities in a new way, then formulating the systemic project guidelines and evaluating them.