Sustainable coffee

The term “sustainable coffee” is generally used to describe coffee certified as organic or fair trade.

It is not a very precise term because there is no definitive method of measuring it. Sustainability – the capacity of an environment or a system to remain diverse and productive over a long period – depends on many factors.

The influences on a specific environment and society can be both global and local, and range from weather to politics and market forces.

In recent decades, concern about the effects of coffee production on the environment and economy of developing countries has driven the growth of sustainable coffee.

We place value on coffee that’s made with respect for people and the environment. As one of the world’s most popular brands, we have the responsibility to do right by our customers, the people we work with and the world we live in.

In 2010, we started the NESCAFÉ Plan, a global initiative that supports the responsible farming, production and consumption of coffee. We’re carrying out this plan together with the Rainforest Alliance, the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) and the Common Code for the Coffee Community (4C). We are trying to make coffee farming an attractive business. Some of the things we’re doing to make coffee farming more socially and environmentally responsible include doubling the amount of coffee bought directly from farmers and distributing 220 million high-yield, disease resistant coffee plantlets. Of course, we have looked at our own production processes too. We’re striving to reduce our water and energy consumption and lower emissions of greenhouse gases of our factories and transport operations.

We would also like to help you to reduce your energy consumption while preparing NESCAFÉ coffee. That’s why NESTLÉ is launching new initiatives, such as improving the energy efficiency of NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto machines and supporting the development of energy efficient kettles.

There isn’t a magic recipe for responsible farming. Each coffee growing community has its own challenges. The NESCAFÉ approach is to address individual requirements with the most helpful measures.

For example, in the Philippines we have ongoing soil and water conservation programs in coffee farms throughout the Philippines, which are proving to be especially beneficial during the dry months of the year. 

It is based on encouraging coffee farmers to grow the plant Jatropha Curcas, known locally as "tuba-tuba" as a secondary crop.

Aside from being a good source of glycerol and bio-diesel, Jatropha Curcas is one of the secondary crops that have been actively promoted to provide additional income for farmers and prevent soil erosion. 

Because of its strong root system, Jatropha grows almost anywhere; even on gravelly, sandy and saline soils. It can hold water and survive the driest of seasons.

Find out about NESCAFÉ farming projects in Guatemala, Thailand and Ethiopia in the Responsible Farming section.