Coffee that helps farmers, their communities & the environment.
The coffee market is continually fluctuating depending on the amount of beans available. Excess supply causes the price of coffee to fall and, in the past, it has reached very low levels. Prices have improved but the underlying problem remains. Many farmers across the developing world, who rely on growing coffee for their livelihoods, have experienced hardship.
Nestlé’s long-term commitment is to develop sustainable agricultural practices, and we have been involved in a number of initiatives for many years. NESCAFÉ Partners’ Blend, our first Fairtrade certified coffee, is our latest initiative to help solve this longstanding problem for small-scale farmers’ groups in Ethiopia and El Salvador.
What is sustainability?
The United Nations defines sustainable development as "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs".
In other words, we have to ensure that farmers in these countries not only receive a fair price for their coffee, but that their sources of income are developed to support their families into the future, in a manner that respects their lands and communities over the long term.
Our work in brief
Nestlé has been directly collaborating with coffee farmers for over 30 years – since the first Nestlé coffee agronomist was hired to work in the field. Over the years, this work has evolved into an initiative known as 'Sustainability', concentrating on three important areas – economic, social and environmental.
In 2002, we co-founded the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative, and this group has been working closely with farmers to encourage and implement sustainable approaches to coffee growing.
We are now applying what we have learnt in each of these areas to help individual communities. This has evolved into one truly sustainable product – NESCAFÉ Partners' Blend - our first Fairtrade certified coffee. We are also supporting Fairtrade Fortnight, the Fairtrade Foundation’s annual campaign to promote awareness and encourage people to use more Fairtrade products. This year’s Fortnight takes place between 25 February and 9 March 2008.
For a closer look at how this and other NESCAFÉ initiatives help not only the farmers, but also their society, economy and the environment, go to www.growmorethancoffee.co.uk.