We’re spicing up coffee farming!

We’re totally passionate about coffee, yet occasionally even we have to admit there’s more to life than the brilliant bean. We’ll let you into a secret – sometimes, for the good of the land, we support farmers in planting other things, too. 

Variety is the spice of life, and globally NESCAFÉ’s expert agronomists know when and how to spice things up. In Thailand and Indonesia farmers have been planting betel nuts, durian, peppers, chilies and avocados on their farms. At certain times of the year they have all the ingredients for a delicious, balanced meal growing among their coffee trees!

In India too, coffee is grown under a canopy of thick natural shade. More than 75 species of trees have been used on our farms to provide this shade.

Why? Agricultural biodiversity is vital for a flourishing countryside. A greater variety of trees attracts more insects, who not only do us a favour by pollinating coffee plants and other trees, but also support more birds’ and other animals’ lives.

And diversity isn’t just good for nature, it’s also good for farmers’ pockets. A mix of crops means they can balance their income over the year and are protected even if the coffee market takes a wobble. They don’t have all their eggs (or beans) in one basket!

So next time you make yourself a cup of NESCAFÉ, think of the thriving farms it came from. You can’t taste the chili, but you can definitely taste the rich flavour of better-grown beans.