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Coffee as a force for good Building quality from the
ground up
Nespresso was founded in 1986
and revolutionized the food and bever- A purveyor of high-standard coffee
age industry by creating single-serve grown to specifically meet a distinct taste
capsules, and machines that utilize and flavor, Nespresso promotes biodiver-
these capsules, to brew premium cof- sity and healthy ecosystems through its
fee. With the launch of this new prod- agroforestry efforts. Trees are crucial to
uct came new value chains to address, farming communities as they add insula-
and the company knew early on that tion layers that maintain stable ground
corporate sustainability would be inte- temperatures. Their roots also keep soil
gral to its business. In order to use the intact to prevent land erosion, especially
world’s best coffee beans, the brand during heavy rains or winds. To help build
finds the world’s best coffee-producing resilience and protection for frontline
regions to deliver “long-term positive communities directly facing the effects of
impact to farmers, society and the en- climate change, Nespresso has committed
vironment.” In 2014, the brand to planting more trees around these vul-
launched its sustainability strategy nerable areas. Consumers have a role to
called The Positive Cup, and every year play in reforesting too – in 2014, a part-
since then it hot issued a shared value nership between the brand and PUR
report to track key achievements, also Projet gave consumers and Nespresso
outlining SDGs in which it works to employees the ability to plant trees in
contribute towards each year. South America, Central America, Africa,
In 2003, Nespresso launched the and Southeast Asia through their purchas-
AAA Sustainable Quality™ Program in es. So far the collaboration has planted
partnership with Rainforest Alliance over 4.5 million trees, and counting!
to offer specialty coffee that can be Nespresso was also the first major
traced back to the coffee farms. A first coffee company to reinvest in the produc-
of its kind, the program ensures that tion of high quality South Sudanese coffee
all crops within participating farms are in 2011 after the industry collapsed during Coffee can be
set up to minimize damage to the en- decades of conflict. The investment, set
vironment and improve the well-being up with the international non-profit orga- a force for
of the families that on the harvest for nization TechnoServe, helped establish
their livelihood. For the last 15 years, coffee cooperatives and processing capa- good because
the program has helped people practice bilities in the Yei region, a coffee-produc-
sustainable farming methods that guar- ing hotspot in South Sudan, which, along it can shape
antee multiple benefits. Farmers are with Ethiopia, is said to be one of the
also taught how to safeguard their land cradles of the coffee plant. Nespresso communities
for future uses. Participating producers later pioneered the Reviving Origins pro-
receive training and technical assis- gram with the aim to revitalize coffee and preserve
tance that encourage the adoption of agriculture and local economies in regions
good farming habits such as guidance affected by adversities such as conflict, landscapes for
on fertilizer amount or wastewater economic hardship, and environmental
management after milling. To provide disasters. Preserving the tradition and the better,
additional levels of support, the pro- history of coffee-producing countries like
gram aids farmers by paying 30-40 Colombia, Zimbabwe, Puerto Rico, and leaving a posi-
percent “above-market” price for their Uganda remains an important part of
yields. Currently, more than 120,000 Nespresso’s mission to this day. tive impact on
coffee farmers in 15 countries partic- Outside of agricultural training and the lives of
ipate in the program, and Nespresso support, Nespresso developed a financial
sources 95 percent of its coffee through literacy program with Root Capital, a people and
the program, including 48 percent non-profit social investment fund that
from Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade uplifts underprivileged, environmentally nature
Certified farms. vulnerable places with lending capital, to Reviving Origins program in Uganda.
Photo / courtesy of Nespresso
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