Westrock Coffee Releases 2024 Sustainability Report, Detailing the Company's Vision for 2030

Rhea-AI Summary

Westrock Coffee has released its 2024 Sustainability Report, showcasing progress in responsible sourcing and environmental initiatives. As North America's leading private label coffee and tea manufacturer, the company highlighted several key achievements:

• The Raíz Sustainability™ program reached its 10-year milestone, delivering over $8.5 million in farmer premiums to 6,800+ participants and conducting 67,000+ farm visits
• Opened North America's largest roast to ready-to-drink plant, capable of recycling 1+ billion gallons of water annually and using 40% less energy while doubling coffee output
• Achieved 89% responsibly sourced coffee and 100% responsibly sourced tea by end of 2024

The company's 2030 vision focuses on increasing transparency, expanding economic programs for smallholder farmers, and strengthening sustainable supply chains. With offices in 10 countries and sourcing from 35 origin countries, Westrock Coffee continues its commitment to challenging industry norms and building a better future for the entire supply chain.

Positive

• $8.5M paid in farmer premiums to 6,800+ Raíz program participants since 2015
• World's largest roast-to-RTD plant opened in 2024 with advanced water recycling (1B+ gallons annually)
• 40% energy reduction in roasting operations while doubling coffee output
• 89% responsibly sourced coffee and 100% responsibly sourced tea achieved
• Market leadership position as North America's top manufacturer of private label coffee and tea
• Diversified revenue streams across retail, foodservice, CPG, and hospitality sectors

Negative

• Significant capital expenditure required for new RTD facility
• Still short of 100% responsibly sourced coffee goal (at 89%)
• Operating in multiple countries (10) and sourcing from 35 origins increases supply chain complexity and risks

New report outlines Westrock Coffee Company's initiatives and resources that promote responsible sourcing, supply chain transparency and environmental stewardship

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., April 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Westrock Coffee Company (Nasdaq: WEST), North America's top manufacturer of private label coffee and tea, officially released a new report focused on its current and future sustainability and corporate responsibility initiatives. 

Westrock Coffee's 2024 Sustainability Report highlights the company's progress toward its sustainability goals over the past year, celebrating milestones across initiatives and programs designed to benefit millions of smallholder farmers in its global supply chain — advancing economic empowerment and promoting environmental stewardship.

The Arkansas-based company, which provides coffee, tea, beverage extracts, flavors and ingredients and other beverage solutions for many of the top brands in retail/convenience store, foodservice, restaurant, CPG and hospitality industries, was founded on core values of responsible business and supply chain transparency.

"Westrock Coffee entered the coffee business in 2009 to challenge industry norms and build a better future for the entire supply chain," said Brooke Cantrell, vice president of sustainability at Westrock Coffee Company. "This report highlights our progress and achievements in expanding sustainability efforts over the past year, while also outlining our vision for the future."

Notable progress highlights in the 2024 Westrock Coffee Sustainability Report include:

• Westrock Coffee's Raíz Sustainability™ program, which celebrates 10 years of success effecting positive change on Latin American coffee farms in the form of sustainable agriculture, fair labor practices and equitable supply chains. Since the program began in 2015, over $8.5 million has been paid in farmer premiums to more than 6,800 participating Raíz farmers and agronomists have provided technical support in more than 67,000 farm visits, demonstrating the long-term economic, social and environmental impact of Raíz Sustainability™.

• The company's investment in sustainable manufacturing by opening the world's largest roast to ready-to-drink (RTD) plant in North America in 2024. This state-of-the-art facility has the capacity to recycle more than one billion gallons of water annually and uses roasters that require 40% less energy than average, while roasting double the amount of coffee. 

• Westrock Coffee made significant progress towards achieving its goal of offering 100% responsibly sourced coffee and tea by the end of 2025, with 89% responsibly sourced coffee and 100% responsibly sourced tea by the end of 2024. The company also audited strategic suppliers for compliance with Westrock Coffee's Responsible Sourcing Policy and expanded it's Real Roots™ entry level sustainability sourcing program.

In addition to highlighting progress toward current goals, Westrock Coffee's 2024 report also details the company's sustainability strategy and vision for 2030. Among its goals over the next five years, Westrock Coffee aims to increase transparency and traceability, expand economic programming in coffee producing countries to empower smallholder farmers and bolster the company's sustainable supply chain and ecosystems.

To view the full 2024 Westrock Coffee Sustainability Report, click here or visit https://westrockcoffee.com/our-impact/ .

About Westrock Coffee Company
Westrock Coffee is a leading integrated coffee, tea, flavors, extracts, and ingredients solutions provider in the U.S., providing coffee sourcing, supply chain management, product development, roasting, packaging, and distribution services to the retail, foodservice and restaurant, convenience store and travel center, CPG, non-commercial, and hospitality industries around the world. With offices in 10 countries, the Company sources coffee and tea from 35 origin countries. For more information, please visit WestrockCoffee.com

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended from time to time, including, but not limited to, our plans, expectations, goals, projections and statements regarding our sustainability efforts and other statements that are not historical facts. These statements are based on various assumptions and on the current expectations of the management of Westrock Coffee as of the date hereof and are not predictions of actual performance. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and could materially differ from what is expressed, implied, or forecasted in these statements due to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those factors discussed in Westrock Coffee's annual report on Form 10-K, under the heading "Item 1A. Risk Factors", and other documents Westrock Coffee has filed, or will file, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Westrock Coffee undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after the date they are made, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Media Contacts:
Collin Whitley
Rocket Launch PR
cwhitley@rocketlaunchagency.com

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SOURCE Westrock Coffee Company

FAQ

What sustainability goals did Westrock Coffee (WEST) achieve in 2024?

In 2024, Westrock Coffee achieved 89% responsibly sourced coffee and 100% responsibly sourced tea. They opened North America's largest roast-to-RTD plant with water recycling capacity of 1 billion gallons annually and roasters using 40% less energy while doubling coffee output.

How much has Westrock Coffee's Raíz Sustainability program paid farmers since 2015?

Westrock Coffee's Raíz Sustainability program has paid over $8.5 million in farmer premiums to more than 6,800 participating Raíz farmers since 2015, while providing technical support through 67,000+ farm visits.

What are Westrock Coffee's (WEST) sustainability targets for 2025?

Westrock Coffee aims to achieve 100% responsibly sourced coffee and tea by the end of 2025. They currently stand at 89% for coffee and have already achieved 100% for tea as of 2024.

How is Westrock Coffee (WEST) improving manufacturing sustainability?

Westrock Coffee opened a state-of-the-art RTD facility in 2024 that can recycle over 1 billion gallons of water annually and uses roasters requiring 40% less energy while doubling coffee production capacity.

What are Westrock Coffee's sustainability plans for 2030?

Westrock Coffee plans to increase supply chain transparency and traceability, expand economic programs for smallholder farmers in coffee-producing countries, and strengthen sustainable supply chain and ecosystems by 2030.