This week, Nespresso launched Reviving Origins — a program to help
restore high-quality coffee production in coffee-farming regions that are under
threat due to political conflict, economic hardship or environmental disaster.
The company is committed to working with smallholder farmers to help rebuild
strong and resilient coffee industries.
Reviving Origins is grounded in Nespresso's belief that quality coffee presents
a strong opportunity for the long-term sustainability and resilience of
coffee-farming communities. Together with agronomists and organizations on the
ground, including global nonprofits TechnoServe, Fairtrade
International, Fair Trade USA and the Rainforest Alliance, the company
provides farmers with training and materials to help them grow high-quality
coffee, creating shared value and making a positive impact locally. It also
offers access to new practices and networks that had not previously existed in
the regions. Through this work, Nespresso will give coffee lovers access to some
of the world's rarest, highest-quality coffees.
The brand says it will invest 10 million CHF (US$9.8 million) over the next
five years to encourage economic development and bolster high-quality coffee
production in regions such
as Colombia, Zimbabwe and Puerto
Rico. The premiere Reviving Origins coffees, Tamuka mu Zimbabwe and
Esperanza de Colombia — virtually unknown, rare coffees from
eastern Zimbabwe and Caquetá, Colombia, respectively — are available today. The
first Reviving Origins coffee from Puerto Rico will be available in limited
quantities in September.
"At Nespresso, we firmly believe that quality coffee has the transformative
power to bring lasting stability to farmers, their families and their
communities," said Guillaume Le Cunff, President and CEO of Nespresso USA.
"For decades, we have worked directly with our partners in coffee growing areas
across the globe to help build sustainable coffee sectors. We are proud to enter
new regions and help farmers replant their land, one coffee tree at a time, and
reclaim their future, while bringing new and exciting coffee experiences to U.S.
customers."
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As part of his 15-year relationship with Nespresso, George Clooney has
continued his work with the brand’s sustainability program and supported its
work with farmers in many coffee regions; the actor most recently visited Puerto
Rico, where in 2018, Nespresso worked with the Hispanic Federation to
donate $1 million to help revitalize Puerto Rico’s coffee
sector
after Hurricanes Irma and Maria destroyed more than 80 percent of the
island's coffee harvest and trees. In January of 2019, Clooney toured farms and
met with Puerto Rican farmers and their families to discuss coffee as a catalyst
for reviving their land.
"Over the 15 years that I've worked with Nespresso, I have seen firsthand the
impact of the company's investments on coffee regions around the world and, more
importantly, on generations of families," Clooney said. "Nespresso's involvement
in local coffee industries means that the rhythm of life can return to normal
after conflict, natural disaster or other hardships."
Tamuka Mu Zimbabwe
In the late 1980s, coffee farmers in Zimbabwe produced over 15,000 tons of
coffee (according to the USDA), but production almost came to a complete halt
due to climate factors and economic instability in the country. By 2017,
production levels were lower than 500 tons.
In collaboration with TechnoServe, Nespresso works with the local coffee-farming
community in the Manicaland Province in eastern Zimbabwe, to establish
sustainable farming practices, bringing in expert trainers and new techniques
for coffee processing and tree management. This investment has helped to produce
an even higher-quality Arabica coffee: Reviving Origins Tamuka
mu Zimbabwe has complex fruitiness and zesty acidity; and a creamy, smooth
texture when combined with milk, making it ideal for a Latte Macchiato.
"This project is not only helping to bring back some of the world's best coffee
— it is also providing economic opportunities for Zimbabwe's hard-hit rural
areas," said William Warshauer, President and CEO of TechnoServe. "As a
nonprofit that takes a business approach to reducing poverty, TechnoServe is
excited to partner with Nespresso and the farmers of Zimbabwe to build a
brighter and more prosperous future."
Esperanza de Colombia
Coffee risked extinction in Caquetá, Colombia, following 50 years of conflict.
Since 2017, Nespresso has collaborated with local farmers and the Colombian
Coffee Growers Federation (FNC) to support the rebuilding of the country's
industry. Through the Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality™ Program, the brand's
agronomists have provided training in sustainable farming, quality development,
and environmental and water management.
The new Reviving Origins Esperanza de Colombia is a mild coffee that is very
light in acidity, beautifully balanced and rounded, with aromas of yellow fruits
a hint of a cereal note.
"For many years, Nespresso has been a great partner of the FNC in implementing
sustainable agricultural practices and improving the quality of coffee in many
areas of Colombia. The Caquetá region is no exception," said Juan Esteban
Orduz, President of Colombian Coffee Federation, Inc., the North American
subsidiary of the FNC. "We have been able to support the livelihoods of our
farmers and make a positive social and economic impact on the coffee growing
communities of San Vicente del Caguán and Florencia."
Reviving Origins Tamuka mu Zimbabwe and Reviving Origins Esperanza
de Colombia are now available for a limited time at Nespresso Boutiques and
Nespresso Boutique-in-Shop locations, through the Nespresso Club, and
on www.Nespresso.com.
Nespresso coffees are packaged in aluminum, a material that preserves the
quality and freshness of the coffee and can be recycled again and again. The
company is committed to making recycling as easy as possible and offers
customers several ways to recycle: It provides pre-paid UPS recycling bags in 48
states, so that customers can mail back used capsules or deposit them at one of
more than 88,000 drop-off locations. Customers can also recycle used capsules at
over 500 collection points, located in Nespresso Boutiques and select retail
partners across the country.
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Sustainable Brands Staff
Published May 22, 2019 11am EDT / 8am PDT / 4pm BST / 5pm CEST