Coffee That Makes a Difference: illy's Sustainably Grown Coffee

illy is committed to bringing coffee lovers around the world a cup of coffee that not only tastes good but does good. As a company founded on ethical values, sustainability is part of illy’s DNA. For us, coffee is only good when it’s good for everyone.

What is Sustainable Coffee?

When we talk about sustainable coffee, there is much more to it than coffee that is grown in a way that conserves the ecosystem. illy adopts the definition of sustainable development provided by the Brundtland Report: ‘Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’ In this definition, the grower or the supply chain must meet various combinations of environmental, social and economic standards to be considered sustainable coffee. In other words, the wellbeing and livelihoods of farmers and those in the entire supply chain must also be considered and benefited.

Sustainable Practices in Coffee Farming

Sustainable farming practices entail techniques and practices that reduce environmental impact by leveraging the use of technologies and scientific research. These practices may include improved crop management, environmentally compatible farming practices, water consumption reduction, use of synthetic pheromones over pesticides and reforestation.

As an example, coffee producers in Nicaragua and Honduras were able to implement a new wastewater treatment system that allows them to reduce water consumption by 35% with the support of illy. In Brazil, we promote the protection of biodiversity and environmental education with the “Viveiro de Atitude” program, where we built a nursery that houses over 100 plant species native to the Cerrado region. From 2013 to 2019, illy has helped reforest 70 hectares of land in Colombia and installed 76 wastewater treatment systems.

Green Coffee Processing

Once coffee cherries are harvested, there are two methods of producing green coffee. With the dry processing method, coffee is dried in the sun until the required humidity level of 9%-11% is reached. On the other hand, with the wet processing method, coffee cherries and large amounts of water are fed into depulping machinery where the seeds (the future coffee beans) are released. However, after wet processing, the seeds are still encased in mucilage and parchment, calling for an additional process to remove the slimy mucilage. This is where the semi-washed processing comes in. With the process lying somewhere between the wet and dry methods, semi-wash processing improves the processing method and reduces water waste.

More Than Just the Environment

illy’s pursuit of total quality led us to look beyond the coffee farms to include the livelihoods of people who produce and process it. Through knowledge-sharing, rewards and quality incentives, we encourage coffee farmers we work with to join us on the journey to delivering the best quality coffee the world has to offer to our consumers.

L’Università del caffè was set up to encourage the transfer of the knowledge and experience illy has obtained in scientific research over the past decades. We are committed to nurturing the best agricultural practices in order to facilitate the production of the best quality coffee. Coffee growers are paid above-market rates as an incentive to supply better coffee.

Introduced in 2016, the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award was established to recognise and reward coffee farmers who produce the highest-quality beans among those in the illy blend whilst adhering in full to our principles of sustainable quality. Over time, the award has become one of the most important awards for coffee quality, celebrating the best sustainable coffee in the world. Each year, the illycaffè quality control laboratory in Trieste identifies the best three batches from the most sustainable crops in the nine countries where illy sources its green coffee beans. Through a series of blind tasting sessions by a jury of international experts, the 27 finalists are narrowed down to the single best batch from each country, and ultimately a winner emerges. These 9 finest coffees are then celebrated by and shared with coffee lovers at illy Caffès.

The Pursuit of Total Quality

illy manages its entire coffee supply chain with an eye to sustainability, encompassing the entire supply chain, starting with the people who grow our coffee. So next time you take a sip of our illy blend, you know it’s a cup of coffee that made a difference.