Nespresso

Nestlé Nespresso SA is the pioneer and reference for highest-quality portioned coffee, which has redefined and revolutionized the way millions of people enjoy their espresso coffee. The company works with more than 70,000 farmers in 12 countries through its AAA Sustainable Quality™ Program, Nespresso quality coffee sourcing program, launched in 2003 in collaboration with The Rainforest Alliance. Sustainable farm management for improved yield and quality at its heart; today the program also focuses on community stability and landscape resilience with the deployment of actions like agroforestry, farmer savings scheme, crop insurance and water stewardship.

The Nestlé Nespresso company is an autonomous globally managed business of the Nestlé Group. Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, Nespresso operates in over 60 countries and has more than 13,000 employees. In 2016, it operated a global retail network of more than 600 boutiques.

Statement of support

“For 30 years Nespresso has been continuously innovating to deliver the highest quality coffee experiences to consumers worldwide and continuously learning how to integrate sustainability into its activities. The challenge is a great opportunity to collaborate with other stakeholders of the same landscapes, and identify the most innovative solutions and actions to reinforce the resilience of coffee communities.” Jérôme Pérez, Global head of Sustainability, Nespresso

Actor
Roaster
Retailer
Action Networks
Partner Since September 2017

Our Commitments

ENSURE THE RESILIENCE OF COFFEE FARMS AND COMMUNITIES by

  • Sourcing towards 100% of our permanent coffees through the AAA Sustainable Quality(TM) Program,
  • Increasing the share of certified coffees in the AAA supply,
  • Innovating in solutions to better farmers’ livelihoods
  • Deploying an extensive agroforestry program in the coffee landscapes.

This coffee commitment is part of a larger set of ambitions that the company has defined to deliver against “The Positive Cup” conviction: To make each cup of Nespresso an extraordinary coffee experience, creating pleasure for consumers and benefits for wider society and the environment. The Positive Cup 2020 plan is sustained with a CHF 500 million investment by the company (2014 – 2020).

Update

June 2021

We achieved our 2020 goal, even in the challenging environment of COVID-19, by sourcing 93% of our coffee volume from the Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality™ Program, a 9 percentage point increase versus 2014. FLOCERT verified that 95% of our global coffee purchases for 2019 met the Fairtrade Minimum Price. The share of coffee volume from certified farms also increased 12 percentage points including 41% Rainforest Alliance certified and 7% Fairtrade certified. This share was further enriched thanks to organic certification achieved through AAA farms in Peru. The AAA Program now reaches more than 122,000 farmers in 14 countries* and represents a total annual investment of over CHF 40 million per year [covering technical assistance and price premiums paid to farmers].On top, since 2014, we have invested approximately CHF 15 million into the planting of more than 5 million trees in and around AAA coffee farms across Colombia, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Kenya, Indonesia, Uganda, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Brazil.

We have also started to explore other nature based solutions such as the introduction of beehives in farms to boost productivity, improve quality and provide a source of income diversification.

August 2018

Sourcing towards 100% of our permanent coffees through the AAA Sustainable Quality(TM) Program: In 2017, the AAA Program continued to expand in east Africa so that 90% of the total coffee volume delivered to Nespresso factories is sourced from the program. The proportion from Rainforest Alliance and/or Fairtrade certified farms also increased reaching 51% ( + 15 percentage point vs. 2014).

Deploying an extensive agroforestry program in the coffee landscapes: Agroforestry and reforestation practices continued to be rolled out as a climate adaptation solution for AAA coffee producers. Over 2.5 million native trees have been planted in and around coffee farms since 2014 in Colombia, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Brazil

UN Sustainable Development Goals

  • No Poverty
  • Zero Hunger
  • Clean Water and Sanitation
  • Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • Responsible Consumption and Production
  • Climate Action
  • Life on Land
  • Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
  • Partnerships for the Goals
Status 93% complete
Target date 2020
Countries targeted Global

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