The Importance of Sourcing Sustainable Coffee Beans

How do you identify sustainable coffee beans?

Clearly, the importance of sourcing sustainable coffee beans goes beyond just catering to your customers' values - it's your responsibility as part of the modern foodservice landscape. Here are some of the certifications you should look for when sourcing coffee beans.

Look for Rainforest Alliance Certification

You've no doubt seen the little frog seal on certain products confirming that they're Rainforest Alliance Certified - but what does that mean? Rainforest Alliance certification means that the product has been produced with methods that support the three sustainability pillars: environmental, economic, and social.

Certification is carried out by third-party inspectors who are essential to the integrity of the program. Their standards focus on the themes of protecting standing forests, reducing climate change, advancing human rights, and promoting the health of rural communities.

Fun fact: The frog was chosen as a logo because scientists consider the species a bioindicator, meaning that a healthy frog population indicates that the rest of the local environment is healthy.

62% of the beans in the NESCAFÉ Intenso Blend are sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. This Arabica-Robusta blend has a full-bodied intensity, mild acidity, and a chocolate and malt aroma.

Follow the 4C's

The Common Code for the Coffee Community (4C’s) is an international organisation that works alongside coffee stakeholders to implement sustainable coffee farming practices and fair trading in all aspects of the coffee supply chain. This includes cultivation, processing, transportation, trading, exporting, roasting, and retail.

The 4C Association provides a comprehensive solution to the issue of coffee sustainability, providing a clear way for foodservice operators and their customers to identify eco-friendly and ethically produced coffee.

Thanks to 4C verification, NESCAFÉ BLEND 43 coffee beans are certified 100% sustainable. As a bonus, this great tasting coffee is also 100% domestically roasted in Gympie, Queensland.

Committing to sustainable coffee

Thanks to the efforts of global organisations like the 4C Association and Rainforest Alliance, it's never been easier for foodservice operators to source sustainable coffee beans. However, there are other elements of coffee service that you can make more sustainable - such as promoting the use of reusable coffee cups or participating in coffee cup recycling programs like Simply Cups.

At Nestlé, we’re on a mission called the Nescafé Plan to ensure we have 100% sustainably sourced coffee by 2025. You can read more about our commitment and progress here.

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