The coffee supply chain

Behind every cup of our coffee lies a story. One that takes the form of a journey, beginning in the land of origin and sustained by three main ingredients: human relationships, an understanding of the raw material and, not least, passion. 

It was Luigi Lavazza who first realised that the secret to unmistakable flavour doesn’t only lie in the bean, but in the ability to understand it, appreciate it and forge ties with the people who grow it. This vision has anticipated our approach, which is informed by the environmental, social and cultural issues that now guide our decisions, and has made it possible for us to transform a small grocery store into Italy's largest coffee company.

The opening chapter takes us to Brazil to discover the first stage: from bean to port.

In line with our corporate purpose – Awakening a better world every morning – we are committed to delivering a high-quality product through a responsible business model built around innovation, passion and expertise. 

Our quality standards are set by our team of professionals working closely with leading exporters. They are then shared with all the other stakeholders in our coffee supply chain, ensuring strict compliance with our quality requirements.

The aim of all this is to ensure excellent quality and consistent taste for consumers. The cup profile, as it’s called, is formed of standard elements based on international country of origin classifications, plus more specific quality characteristics, such as bean size and organoleptic profile. 

After selection and classification, the coffee is taken to local collection centres before being transported to the point of shipment.

The logistics between the plantation and the port of origin involve various stakeholders, including cooperatives (common in Central and South America) and local intermediaries. These intermediaries, also known as collectors, provide a vital link between exporters and producers, most of which are small and medium farming businesses, often located in remote areas that are difficult to reach because of the special features of the ecosystem in which Coffea (the coffee plant) grows. Exporters load the coffee into containers at their own premises and prepare the shipping documents.

In Brazil, the procurement chain is made shorter by structured companies such as Exportadora Guaxupè, a family-run business that acts as a bridge between producers and international importers.

Every year, our Group buys five million bags of green coffee and two million of them – mainly natural Arabica – come from Brazil. This is a significant amount, when you remember that Brazil’s global exports total about 40 million bags of Arabica coffee per year.

As a Group, and through the work of the Lavazza Foundation, we have been running sustainable development projects in producing communities since 2001. The Foundation promotes and funds environmental, economic and social sustainability projects that increase coffee yield and quality, fostering entrepreneurship among growers and improving their living conditions. 

In partnership with Exportadora Guaxupè in Brazil, for example, we have developed a regenerative agriculture project that aims to protect biodiversity and strengthen the resilience of coffee plants to the effects of climate change, at the same time as exploring new solutions for improving soil quality. These initiatives combine environmental benefits with significant social advantages for farming communities, which see increased productivity and gain new skills in innovative practices focused on product excellence. 

The relationship with our suppliers transcends commercial transactions pure and simple, becoming a partnership based on common goals. This collaboration translates, first and foremost, into joint efforts to ensure that consumers can count on consistently excellent quality. An emblematic example of this is our relationship with the Barbosa family in Brazil, which was established generations ago when the grandparents of Giuseppe Lavazza and Flavia Barbosa met. In the decades since, the relationship has grown stronger, evolving into a lasting and fruitful partnership.

For our company, which sees coffee – a living product that grows out of the soil – as the core of its business, it is essential to focus razor-sharp attention and care on the raw material. This dedication can only prosper in a strong shared culture—an ecosystem in which experiences, skills and passion are shared on an ongoing basis. To cultivate and strengthen this common vision, we actively involve our staff in the process, bringing them into direct contact with the origins of coffee. Initiatives such as the Lavazza Group Ambassador Programme, by enabling our people to visit coffee producing countries, not only foster genuine passion, but also offer the chance to gain a deep understanding of the value and complexity that lie behind every single cup. This is how we turn knowledge into a passion for our product and the principles that guide us—cornerstones of our identity and our future.