We only source amongst the highest quality coffees in the world, the ones considered as Specialty coffees. Through our AAA Sustainable Quality™ Program, we work directly with more than 110 000 farmers. And thanks to the direct relationship we have with them, we know all the origins of the coffees we buy, and we select them carefully based on their terroir and taste profile. We don’t switch coffee origins because of price. We source coffees from the same farmers taking part in our AAA Program, year after year.
Because of this higher quality farmed according to sustainable principles, Nespresso pays on average 30 – 40% more than the market price for green coffee and 10 – 15% more than the market rate for similar specialty coffees. In 2019 we payed a total of 32mio USD in AAA premiums.
Our long-term relationship with farmers allow a stable sourcing of coffee. Each year, the farmers in the AAA Program improve their productivity, sell a greater volume of high-quality coffee (to us or others) and therefore increase the premium they earn. In addition to the price premium, the AAA Program is improving the quality of life in farming communities in many other ways, for example by investing in infrastructure to increase quality and sustainability of coffee, supporting farmers to diversify their income beyond coffee, providing free agronomy training and support and developing farm resilience to the effects of climate change through tree planting.
As part of the AAA Program we have around 400 agronomists who are working daily with the farmers on the ground. In 2019 we invested 10mio USD in technical assistance that supports the farmers to keep improving quality, productivity and sustainable farming. But we are not only giving technical support. We also working with communities on innovative projects such as crop insurance, drinking water, pension plans, reviving origins where coffee culture disappeared, among others.
We’re committed to maintaining this practice, as we believe that it’s an essential component of ensuring a socially and economically sustainable activity and safeguarding the future supply of the finest, sustainable-quality coffee upon which our business depends.
