A new industry analysis, the 2026 Coffee Barometer, reports a significant gap between corporate sustainability rhetoric and transparent commercial practices in the coffee sector. The study, which assessed 15 of the world's largest coffee roasters and traders, found that none disclosed fundamental data such as pricing structures, contract lengths, or premiums paid above commodity prices. The authors of the report characterize this lack of disclosure as a deliberate choice of opacity that obscures how value is distributed along the supply chain.
The report highlights severe imbalances in value distribution, citing research on the German retail market as an example. For a kilogram of coffee that retailed at €9.71, producers reportedly received a gross payment of €2.05, which fell to just €0.41 in net income after production costs were deducted. The analysis also shows that as retail value increases through processing and branding, the producer's share shrinks; farmers received 24% of the retail price for ground coffee but only 6% for the equivalent coffee sold in capsules.
The Barometer also points to two converging industry trends: increasing market consolidation and a shift away from independent verification. The top five traders are estimated to control approximately 50% of the global green coffee trade, yet they operate with little public scrutiny. Concurrently, some companies are replacing third-party certifications like Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance with proprietary sustainability programs, making it harder to verify claims and track progress independently. The report suggests that new EU regulations may force the transparency the industry has been unwilling to adopt on its own.