Nespresso works with Colombian farmers to attract younger coffee growers

Nespresso has announced that farmers taking part in its AAA Sustainability Quality Program launched in Caldas, Colombia last year, have received the first payments toward their retirement plan. Nespresso, which is working with Fairtrade International, believes that the initiative designed to support ageing farmers will also encourage young Colombians to join the industry. “Coffee farmers work very hard their whole lives, yet they don’t have the means to support themselves when they reach old age,” said Harriet Lamb, CEO of Fairtrade International. “Our hope is that this will help the younger generation see coffee farming as a viable career, preserving this essential part of the Colombian economy and heritage.” In collaboration with the Colombian Ministry of Labour, Expocafé, and local coffee cooperatives, 850 AAA Fairtrade certified farmers have already agreed to invest part of their Fairtrade Premium in planning for their retirement. Nespresso began sourcing Fairtrade certified coffee from the Aguadas cooperative in Caldas in 2014, as part of its 2020 sustainability strategy. One-year on from the introduction of The Positive Cup sustainability strategy, Nespresso said it has also progressed significantly on its agroforestry plan. This includes having planted around 130,000 trees in Colombia and Guatemala in 2014, and approximately 200,000 in the first half of 2015. The reintroduction of trees in coffee producing regions helps to protect ecosystems and strengthen coffee farm’s resilience to climate change. With the help of The Rainforest Alliance, Nespresso aims to plant another 300,000 in Colombia and Mexico by the end of 2015.