Our commitment

to sustainable development

We are committed to implementing activities and projects that contribute to the fight against climate change, due to which coffee plantations suffer a constant loss of productivity and quality. The consequence of this loss is that further expansions and treatments are necessary to the detriment of biodiversity and the living conditions of farmers. 

Keeping this in mind, we have declined our environmental sustainability strategy into several intervention programs, including those that aim to reduce and offset carbon emissions generated throughout the value chain.  "Roadmap to Zero" is the name we have given to this program. It is a gradual pathway that starts with activities to monitor and quantify emissions, moves on to continuous improvement actions to reduce the impact of Lavazza Group's activities and, finally, offsets residual and non-reducible emissions.

For this last phase, we have financed reforestation, sustainable agriculture and renewable energy projects in developing countries, outside our supply chain, which are able to generate carbon credits of a quality that meets the highest international standards (VCS, CCB, CDM). Each carbon credit generated is equivalent to one tonne of CO2 not emitted or absorbed and is used to offset one tonne of CO2 emissions that could not be reduced.

TELES PIRES – BRAZIL. The project consists in the implementation of the Teles Pires hydroelectric plant, one of the most efficient in Brazil, capable of supplying energy to about 13.5 million inhabitants. A total of 44 socio-environmental programs have also been developed around it, including environmental education, forest restoration and land conservation projects. In addition, 12 programs have been developed exclusively for the protection of the region's indigenous populations.

RUN OF RIVER – CHILE. The Chacayes Community Funds project revolves around a power plant located in the Cachapoal Valley in Chile. Launched in 2011, it has played an important role by meeting the country's growing demand for electricity and reducing CO2 emissions, contributing to the economic growth and sustainable development of local communities. For example, over 200 people have been trained and 80 have found employment in the last two years. 

ENVIRA ** – AMAZONIA. The Envira Amazonia project runs along the Jurupari River in the Amazon Basin on land formerly owned by businessmen. In 2009, 200,000 hectares of land were sold to forest management experts, and the project was established to preserve the 39,300 hectares of forests within the area previously destined for deforestation and conversion to pastures. Annually, the project mitigates on average 1,259,000 tCO2e and protects 39,300 hectars of tropical rainforests from deforestation.

In 2019 one health clinic and 12 community bathrooms have been installed. 

YEDENI FOREST – ETHIOPIA. Located in the Bale eco -region in Ethiopia, this project is in Africa’s largest alpine forest and an area of high biodiversity and significant ecological importance.

This REDD+ project implements a forest management framework to help locals and governments to manage the responsibility and the benefits of their forest, gaining economic incentives through the sale of carbon credits to avoid deforestation.

WINDFARMS SANTA CLARA – BRAZIL. The project consists of the implementation and operation of seven new wind electricity operation facilities. The project activity contributes to the host country’s sustainable development by contributing to local environmental sustainability and to the net workplace generation, also fostering technological learning and development. 

CERRO DE HULA WIND PROJECT – HONDURAS. The project will be the first wind farm interconnected to the National Interconnected System of Honduras. It is contributing to the sustainable development of Honduras, reducing GHG emissions and the import of fossil fuels. Through local investments it will improve the territory’s economy and create new employment opportunities.

Meeting growing energy demands and leading the transition away from fossil fuels generation will demonstrate the replicability of clean energy technology.

OAXACA WIND PROJECT – MEXICO. The offsetting of emissions through this project comes from the clean electricity generated in the Mexican wind farms in Oaxaca.

They produce clean energy for around 700.000 Mexican homes, which means an annual emission reduction of 670.000 t CO2eq into the atmosphere. It can be considered the equivalent of the CO2 fixation carried out by a forest of 33.5 million trees. In Oaxaca, more than €500.000 have been invested so far to improve the quality of life of more than 12.000 people.

The list of projects is destined to grow, and many have already come to an end.

For the Environment, with the project “Madre de Dios” we saved 100.000 hectares of tropical rainforest from deforestation in Peru, while with “Guanarè” we restored a damaged one in Uruguay.

On the Social Sustainability side with “Kariba”, we worked to safeguard the independence of indigenous communities in Zimbabwe.

Through these projects, and others that we select from year to year, we will achieve the goal of fully neutralizing our CO2 impact and, with the co-benefits generated, we will contribute to achieving other sustainability goals, such as protecting biodiversity and safeguarding the world's forest heritage, thus strengthening our contribution to the fight against climate change.