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Tom Blackwall, head of raw materials at global tea and botanical ingredient supplier Finlays, explores how traceability in tea and coffee has moved from a sustainability differentiator to a business-critical capability for beverage brands.

In 2026, traceability is central to how companies source tea and coffee, manage risk, protect supply continuity and demonstrate responsible practices.

Regulation has accelerated that shift, but it is not the only driver. Climate change, geopolitical uncertainty, customer expectations and growing scrutiny of global supply chains are all increasing the need for greater transparency.

Agility is key to navigating the traceability challenge

Climate change is creating new challenges for beverage brands sourcing tea and coffee. More frequent and unpredictable weather events are affecting where crops can be grown, impacting yields, quality and harvest timing. To reduce supply risk, brands increasingly need to diversify sourcing origins and build greater flexibility into their supply chains. However, every new origin, supplier or supply route introduces additional traceability challenges. The ability to quickly evaluate, onboard and verify new sources of supply has become a critical capability for maintaining both resilience and compliance.

Meanwhile, brands must continue to meet retailers’ expectations for quality, availability and pricing, even when markets are disrupted. Yet maintaining fully traceable and segregated supply chains can add complexity and cost through dedicated logistics, storage, administration and verification processes. The challenge is finding the right balance between supply chain transparency and commercial performance.

Good data depends on strong relationships

Tea and coffee supply chains are among the most complex in global agriculture. Millions of smallholder farmers grow crops across dozens of countries, with ingredients often passing through cooperatives, processors, exporters and traders before reaching beverage brands. At every stage, there is a risk that critical information becomes disconnected from the physical product.

Traceability is also a moving target for beverage brands. Farms change ownership, growing areas expand and environmental risks evolve over time. Maintaining accurate supply chain information therefore requires continuous engagement and verification, rather than periodic compliance checks.

Technologies such as satellite imagery, GPS mapping and digital platforms have greatly improved supply chain visibility. However, while these tools strengthen traceability, they cannot replace the trust and long-term relationships that underpin reliable data. The strongest traceability programmes are built on close partnerships with suppliers and producers, not solely by regulation or technology.

From compliance burden to business value

There is a risk that traceability becomes focused on compliance rather than outcomes. Knowing exactly where a farm is located is valuable, but on its own it does not tell us whether farmers are adapting to climate change, improving productivity or building sustainable livelihoods. The true value of traceability lies in how the information is used.

For beverage brands, detailed supply chain visibility creates opportunities to identify climate and sourcing risks, target sustainability investments more effectively, support farming communities and strengthen long-term supply resilience. Better data should lead to better decisions, not simply more reporting.

This is also changing the role of sourcing. Today, sourcing teams must balance environmental risk, social impact, regulatory compliance and supply continuity, while continuing to deliver the quality, availability and value that consumers expect. Beyond securing materials, procurement is now about building resilient supply chains that can support sustainable business growth.

Collaboration makes traceability successful

Successful traceability programmes depend on collaboration across the supply chain. Farmers, cooperatives, exporters, suppliers, beverage brands, retailers and foodservice operators all have a role to play. Yet suppliers are often asked to provide the same information in multiple formats for different customers, creating unnecessary complexity and administrative burden. By aligning requirements, improving data-sharing between systems and adopting common standards, the industry can spend less time collecting data and more time using it to strengthen supply chains and drive meaningful impact.

Traceability is ultimately about confidence: confidence in where tea and coffee comes from, confidence in the integrity of supplier relationships, and confidence that sourcing decisions are protecting forests, respecting people and supporting future supply.

That confidence will come from trusted partnerships, shared responsibility and sustained investment in the people and places at the start of the value chain. Traceability may remain an ongoing journey, but organisations that treat it as part of a wider responsible sourcing strategy will be better placed to manage risk, meet customer expectations and build more resilient beverage supply chains.