Strategic Repositioning Towards Sustainability: The Case of a Family-business in Roasted Coffee

The urge to transition to more sustainable practices was in line with the crises the world was currently facing. Charles Liégeois Roastery (CLR), a Belgian key player in the coffee industry, wanted to show the lead to contribute to a better world by defining a business strategy centered on sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. The family-owned business intended to give all its stakeholders the opportunity to (re)discover the company and the core values it stood for since its creation, with a properly structured and clear definition of their ambitions for a more sustainable society. Specifically, CLR wanted to become 100% fairtrade and organic in the future. The company was developing a course of actions to achieve its ambitions-while continuing its expansion. Even if the predictions for growth were positive in the Belgian coffee industry, times were complex due to the various crises but also because of new consumer consumption trends emerging-which all continued to affect this volatile market. Would CLR be able to align and cope with its new ambitions? Is this sustainable strategy clear enough and achievable?