David Browning – Global Coffee Platform

CEO, Enveritas Inc.

COFFEE EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

I am the CEO of Enveritas, a non-profit that provides sustainability assurance to the coffee industry. Over the past 20 years, my work has focused on improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and advancing sustainable practices across the coffee sector. Previously, I led TechnoServe’s global coffee practice, supporting hundreds of thousands of farmers in East Africa and Latin America to increase yields, access quality premiums, and improve household incomes. Over the years my teams have developed and scaled innovations for the sector including, eco-pulpers in Africa, waste water management in African wet-mills, restarting coffee production in South Sudan, and creating a deforestation detection model to resolve unmanageably frequent “false positives”. Various projects I have led have been used as case studies at Harvard Business School, the World Bank, and the World Economic Forum.

I have advised many of the world’s leading coffee companies on sustainability. Beyond project-level impacts, I have engaged in policy efforts such as working with the White House to help end the U.S. embargo on Cuban coffee after 50 years. I bring both corporate and non-profit perspectives, having also worked with McKinsey & Company. At Enveritas, my team reengineered sustainability verification, designed to include underserved farmers and offered at no cost to them, ensuring millions of smallholder farms are able to participate in the coffee industry’s sustainability journey.

WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR A SUSTAINABLE COFFEE SECTOR?

My vision for a sustainable coffee sector is one where farmers can thrive, extreme poverty is eradicated, and future generations see coffee as a viable and dignified livelihood. Sustainability must balance economic prosperity for growers with environmental stewardship, ensuring that coffee production contributes to healthy ecosystems and resilient communities. For more than 20 years, I have devoted my career to building solutions that move the sector closer to this vision, from improving farmer incomes to pioneering new approaches to sustainability assurance.

HOW WILL YOU SUPPORT GCP’S WORK AND GOAL?

As a GCP Board member, I would like to contribute to advancing strategies that deliver measurable improvements in farmer prosperity and resilience. I am particularly interested in helping GCP refine and evolve its strategy to identify the most effective, scalable ways of supporting smallholder farmers. A priority area I see is the development of a long-term sustainable revenue model for the organization to ensure its stability and independence. I would also like to support GCP’s efforts to foster greater collaboration across the sector, aligning company, government, and civil society action behind shared goals. Finally, I would like to bring my experience in innovation and sustainability assurance to strengthen GCP’s role as a trusted, evidence-based platform that can drive transformational change for over one million farmers by 2030.

Relevant Skills

Finance – I have experience managing multi-year, multi-donor project budgets, ensuring financial accountability and alignment with objectives. This includes overseeing funding portfolios and supporting financial planning for sustainability programs at both global and local levels. I hold a Yale MBA and a Master’s in Advanced Finance from UNSW.

Donor Landscape – With over 20 years of experience fundraising in the coffee sector, I have cultivated strong relationships with institutional donors, foundations, and private sector partners. I have successfully secured and managed funding for sustainability initiatives from organizations, corporate partners, and philanthropic donors.

Social Dimension of Production / Human Rights / Rural Development – I have extensive experience addressing the social aspects of agricultural production, including human rights, labor conditions, gender equity, and rural livelihoods. My work has focused on developing and applying data-driven approaches to assess social risks and opportunities, inform program design, and strengthen the overall social sustainability of farming communities globally.

Value Chains – I have worked across the coffee value chain, from farm-level data collection, wet mill processing, and capacity building to engagement with roasters and retailers on sustainability sourcing strategies. This experience has given me a comprehensive understanding of how incentives, transparency, and collaboration drive impact throughout the value chain.

Environmental Aspects – My work has involved developing and supporting programs that address critical environmental challenges such as deforestation, soil health, and climate resilience. I have contributed to the design of data systems that measure environmental risks and guide companies and producers toward more sustainable practices.

Leadership – I have led the growth of Enveritas from a start-up into a global organization of over 130 team members in more than 30 countries, building the strategy, culture, and systems needed to scale. I have experience leading diverse teams that foster innovation and translate vision into impact.

Previous board service, leadership or volunteer experience

Current: Nespresso Sustainability Advisory Board (NSAB) – Member Provide strategic guidance on sustainability initiatives, advising on responsible sourcing, farmer support programs, and industry-wide impact strategies.

Past: Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Board – Member, 2023–2025 Contributed to global sustainability initiatives, policy development, and stakeholder engagement across the coffee sector. Argidius Foundation Board – Member, 2018–2023 Guided philanthropic investments in innovative solutions for smallholder farmers, focusing on capacity building and market access.

Across these roles, I have helped shape strategy, align diverse stakeholders, and oversee initiatives that advance sustainability, transparency, and measurable impact for farmers and the broader coffee community.