Case study: Partnership for Quality with Nespresso and IFC, Central America
01/01/01
An ambitious partnership helps farmers meet the demanding cup quality and environmental quality requirements of Nespresso.
As one of the most discerning roaster clients at the top end of the coffee market, The Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality Program has established a demanding sustainability verification program built on the Rainforest Alliance Certified standard. To provide Nespresso with a growing supply of high quality Arabica coffee from Central America and Mexico, ECOM formed a partnership with Nespresso, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Rainforest Alliance Certified. Since 2006, this initiative has provided training to improve coffee quality and farm income to over 13,000 farmers. To date, hundreds of workshops have been held and several thousand technical farm visits have been conducted, ensuring personalized agronomy advice to farmers and enabling better than usual data collection. Farmers benefit by improving pre- and post-harvest practices that lead to better quality, and in turn the ability to sell into a higher value market. Their environment also benefits from farming that co-exists compatibly with valued watersheds and forests.
An exciting element of this partnership is the extensive monitoring and evaluation that has helped to focus efforts and confirm the value of training and certification efforts. Since its 2006 inception, the number of farmers meeting the basic level of Nespresso’s requirements has increased from close to zero to more than 50%. Importantly, in 2011 more than 20% of farmers had reached an advanced level. Initial results from monitoring and evaluation studies show that farmers who work to a high standard reap the most value from improvements and are more able to adopt innovative technologies than farmers who aspire to lower standards.
More news
News
Click to read this articleAn Update on the Initiatives of the Akawa Project in Burundi
The Akawa Project, our initiative to help coffee growers in Burundi, has seen several key advancements since its establishment in 2016. This April, members of the Akawa team visited Burundi to gain a firsthand impression of the project’s progress.
News
Click to read this articleDormans Drip Bags Launch
Dormans, ECOM Kenya’s roasting company, is thrilled to announce the launch of our newest innovation—coffee drip bags in a variety of distinctive blends!
Stories
Click to read this articleACOM & SMS combat climate change in Vietnam
With climate change threatening coffee production worldwide, ACOM and SMS have begun putting into place various initiatives to assist farmers with preparing for these shifts in Vietnam.
Stories
Click to read this articleCollaboration of SMS Costa Rica & Mexico for agricultural inputs development
SMS Costa Rica & SMS Mexico's innovation teams have joined forces for inputs for regenerative agriculture.
Stories
Click to read this articleLove your origins: Meet Brayan Aguirre
Brayan Aguirre, our quality analyst in Peru, details how his passion for coffee and cocoa beverages helps educate local farmers.
News
Click to read this articleECOM partners with China Ministry of Environment for low-carbon coffee initiatives
ECOM has partnered with FECO, the China Ministry of Environment Foreign Cooperation Centre, to deliver tailored carbon footprint calculations for coffee from China and provide shade tree advice tools and other knowledge resources to Chinese farmers.
Stories
Click to read this articleAmsterdam Cocoa Experience Center
Earlier this year, our Amsterdam Cocoa office underwent some renovation work to create a unique center of excellence with a space dedicated to innovation within the cocoa products business, as well as align with our global ECOM brand.
Stories
Click to read this articleNurturing soil health in Vietnam
The SMS team in Vietnam have been working to soil erosion through structured trainings, refining their soil health and nutrition projects, and creating an impressive soil program catered to each individual farmer certified through their system.
Stories
Click to read this articleBetter Life Farming in Mexico
Since 2013, SMS implemented various actions to promote farm renovation, focusing on training and awareness among producers about the advantages of coffee plantation renewal.