There is mounting evidence that much of the global coffee industry does not consistently meet two basic tests of sustainability: protection of the environment and social fairness. Nevertheless, a growing number of coffee producers, coffee companies and consumers are pioneering efforts to encourage the coffee industry to move toward more environmentally friendly practices and toward more economic and social benefits for producers.

Three categories of coffees attempt to meet some or all of these criteria; they are Organic, Shade Grown and Fair Trade coffees. For the purposes of this survey, these are collectively termed "sustainable coffees".