NESCAFÉ in the UK & Ireland has launched a long term plan to support coffee farmers in the Valle del Cauca region of Colombia.
The company will work in partnership with the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia (FNC) and will provide four million coffee trees to farmers. In addition, 48 coffee plant nurseries will be established in the region and five agronomists will provide training and technical assistance to 1,200 Colombian coffee farmers in 2011.
As coffee trees get older, the volume of coffee beans they produce declines significantly, and trees may become more susceptible to disease which affects the yield and quality of their crop. The plantlets distributed through our partnership are developed to be high-yielding and have higher tolerance to disease. This helps farmers rejuvenate their plantations, thus multiplying the yield of existing land and increasing farmers’ income.
The initiative is part of the global NESCAFÉ Plan launched in 2010 under which the company will invest approximately £213 million in coffee projects worldwide and distribute 220 million coffee trees by 2020.
Nestlé UK Food & Beverage Managing Director, Bernard Paternot said: “The NESCAFÉ Plan is an example of Creating Shared Value, an integral part of our business strategy. The NESCAFÉ Plan is about looking ahead, seeking to assure a brighter future for coffee farming. This partnership is a new approach between a world-famous brand such as NESCAFÉ, and a representative organisation of farmers such as the FNC, which seeks to deliver a better quality of life to its members.”
Adriana Mejia, Director for Europe of the FNC added: “The partnership between Nestlé and the Colombian coffee growers is a unique model in which a very recognized international brand is having direct dialogue and involvement with the producers. It is a new model that we believe creates long term shared value for the supply chain. The Nescafé Plan complements our ongoing programs of Sustainability and motivates our producers by having a direct link from the farmers to all the participants within the supply chain.”
Details on the NESCAFÉ UK and Ireland commitment will appear on jars of NESCAFÉ ORIGINAL, NESCAFÉ GOLD BLEND or NESCAFÉ BLACK GOLD.
The NESCAFÉ Plan
Launched in August 2010, the NESCAFÉ Plan is a global initiative for the entire NESCAFÉ brand, with commitments in three key areas– responsible farming, responsible production & supply and responsible consumption. The plan aims to create value throughout the coffee supply chain, from farmers to consumers. For more information please visit http://www.nescafe.co.uk/nescafe-plan
National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia (FNC)
The FNC is a democratic and federated organisation that represents the interests of more than 500,000 coffee growing families. Its activities are directed towards improving the well-being of coffee growers’ families by providing assistance in establishing sustainable and competitive practices within the coffee industry, as well as promoting social investment. For more information please visit, http://www.federaciondecafeteros.org/
Nestlé UK Press Office
020 8667 6005
[email protected]