NEW YORK, August 19, 2020 – Nespresso today announces the launch of KAHAWA ya CONGO, the newest and first USDA certified organic coffee within Reviving Origins, Nespresso’s unique program established to make a meaningful impact on global farming communities where coffee growing is under threat. With help from the Nespresso community, farmers are overcoming conflict, environmental disasters and economic hardships and revitalizing their coffee farms to be more sustainable while bringing back to life some of the world’s rarest coffees.
Exclusively available to U.S. consumers, KAHAWA ya CONGO comes from rain-rich volcanic soils along the shore of Lake Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo). This area has the potential to be among the world's great coffee regions, but farming families in the area face extremely challenging conditions. Nearly 95% of households in the region are experiencing financial deprivation due to healthcare challenges and 45% of households do not have access to clean water. In collaboration with Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI), TechnoServe and Olam (with Virunga Coffee Company), Nespresso is helping to provide improved access to clean water and health services, while also helping farmers grow coffee sustainably for generations to come.
“Working with farmers to help cultivate and nurture sustainable coffee farms has been the heart of our business for over 30 years, with a goal to truly realize the transformative power of coffee and deliver the highest quality coffee to consumers across the globe,” said Alfonso Gonzalez Loeschen, CEO of Nespresso North America. “Through our Reviving Origins program, we are inviting the Nespresso community to participate with us and see the direct impact – whether it be donating trees in Puerto Rico, building wet mills in Uganda or providing technical training and access to agronomists. We’re proud of our program, the work and the long-term positive impact for farmers and their communities.”
In Congo, Nespresso is part of a uniquely collaborative model with Asili, the social business platform of ECI, TechnoServe and Olam (with Virunga Coffee Company). Together, they are working with farmers to provide state-of-the-art agricultural expertise, improve access to clean water and open new clinics to provide healthcare services for over 80,000 people in coffee farming communities in eastern Congo by 2024.
“Through years of fighting and insecurity, Congolese families kept tending to their coffee fields, even after the market disappeared,” said ECI field operations manager Valéry Namuto. “They kept toiling because they had hope in a brighter future for their families. This new partnership with Nespresso will help secure a meaningful livelihood for skilled Congolese farmers and bring world-class basic services like clean drinking water and affordable healthcare to their communities.”
KAHAWA ya CONGO is a rare USDA certified organic coffee that is smooth with nutty, cereal-like aromas. With milk, the aromas transform into a light, sweet and creamy cup full of biscuit notes, a hint of walnut and a silky texture. Every cup of coffee from Congo and all other Reviving Origins regions contributes to the equipment, training or resources farmers and their communities need to create a better future.
Creating Transformative Impact through Reviving Origins
Nespresso and partner organizations help farmers deploy sustainable farming practices that will improve coffee yield and quality to generate positive economic benefits that ripple through their communities. Congo joins four other Reviving Origins regions:
Colombia
The Impact:
Fifty years of conflict in the Caquetá and El Rosario regions of Colombia caused farmers to abandon coffee growing. Working with more than 1,000 farmers supported by Nespresso agronomists through the Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality™ Program, high quality coffee production grew by 10% two years in a row. To improve infrastructure, 78 solar dryers and 135 depulping machines have been installed and distributed across farms.
The Coffee:
ESPERANZA de COLOMBIA, a rounded and beautifully balanced coffee from Caquetá, notable for its fruity notes and fine acidity.
Puerto Rico
The Impact:
After Hurricanes Maria and Irma destroyed 80% of the island's coffee trees and harvest, Nespresso committed $1 million as part of a three-year initiative with Hispanic Federation and other organizations to help revitalize Puerto Rico's coffee industry. Today, Nespresso’s funding supports training and technical assistance to nearly 500 farmers with help from TechnoServe. Nespresso has also committed 160,000 coffee trees to farmers through the Hispanic Federation’s initiative to distribute 2.25 million seedlings on the island.
The Coffee:
CAFECITO de PUERTO RICO, an intense, creamy espresso punctuated by aromatic notes of cocoa and black pepper.
Uganda
The Impact:
Coffee production in Uganda suffers from drought and climate change. In collaboration with Agri Evolve and Kyagalanyi, Nespresso trained over 2,000 farmers on sustainable agriculture practices, boosting farmer’s expertise and improving the quality of coffee, and helping to build a stronger supply chain. Uganda was formally announced as part of the Reviving Origins program in May 2020 with the introduction of AMAHA awe UGANDA.
The Coffee:
AMAHA awe UGANDA, a rich and clean espresso from the Rwenzori Mountains that carries both rare sandalwood notes and elegant florals. AMAHA awe UGANDA launched globally in May 2020.
Zimbabwe
The Impact:
Economic instability and climate change adversely affected coffee farming in Zimbabwe resulting in a 96% decrease in production levels since the 1980’s. As part of Nespresso’s $1.3 million commitment over five years, 450 farmers are receiving training and technical assistance from TechnoServe and Nespresso agronomists to improve the quality and yield of their crop and fortify the land against future threats due to climate change. Reviving Origins has increased exportable coffee from smallholder farmers by 9% in Eastern Zimbabwe.
The Coffee:
TAMUKA mu ZIMBABWE, a complex and bright coffee from the Honde Valley with fruity notes of cranberry, currant and grape.
Supporting Farmers during COVID-19
The spread of COVID-19 has had a devastating health and economic impact globally. Coffee farming communities are particularly at risk. Globally, Nespresso has put in place an emergency contingency fund to enable specific interventions such as tests, hygiene kits and food provisions for coffee farmers. Please find more information about Nespresso’s COVID-19 response here.
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COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability is the foundation of the Nespresso business and Reviving Origins reflects the brand philosophy of Creating Shared Value. For over 30 years, Nespresso has been helping farming communities produce the highest quality coffees, which creates a positive economic effect that ripples through coffee farming communities.
Reviving Origins is an integral part of the Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality™ Program, Nespresso’s sustainable sourcing model in coffee producing countries. Launched in 2003 in collaboration with The Rainforest Alliance, the program helps improve the yield and quality of harvests, while protecting the environment and improving livelihoods of farmers and their communities.
Nespresso coffees are packaged in aluminum, a material that preserves the quality and freshness of the coffee and can be recycled repeatedly. The company is committed to making recycling as easy as possible and offers customers several ways to recycle. It provides pre-paid UPS recycling bags in 48 states so that customers can mail back used capsules or deposit them at one of more than 88,000 drop-off locations. Customers can also recycle used capsules at over 500 collection points, which are located in Nespresso Boutiques and select retail partners across the country. In New York City, residents can put used Nespresso capsules directly in their curbside recycling bin with other metal, glass and plastic items.
ABOUT NESTLÉ NESPRESSO
Nestlé Nespresso SA is the pioneer and reference for highest-quality portioned coffee. The company works with more than 110,000 farmers in 14 countries through its AAA Sustainable Quality™ Program to embed sustainability practices on farms and the surrounding landscapes. Launched in 2003 in collaboration with the NGO The Rainforest Alliance, the program helps to improve the yield and quality of harvests, while protecting the environment and improving livelihoods of farmers and their communities.
Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, Nespresso operates in 84 countries and has 14,250 employees. In 2019, it operated a global retail network of 810 boutiques. For more information, visit the Nespresso corporate website www.nestle-nespresso.com.
ABOUT EASTERN CONGO INITIATIVE
Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI), the first U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, works shoulder to shoulder with Congolese communities as they build health, freedom and prosperity for life. Founded by Ben Affleck and Whitney Williams in 2010, ECI has invested more than $10 million to support visionary Congolese community leaders who are solving the country’s most urgent problems. With ECI’s support, those organizations have made life better for tens of thousands of people—60 percent of them girls and women. With partners like Starbucks, Theo Chocolate and Nespresso, ECI has introduced the excellence of Congolese coffee and cocoa to customers worldwide. ECI's transformative business model Asili provides clean water and world-class primary healthcare to 120,000 customers in Congo every single day. Thanks to the brilliance of the Congolese people, ECI is transforming the whole idea of humanitarian aid. Learn more at easterncongo.org.
Contact information
Rose Montag
Nespresso USA
[email protected]
Daniella Sirochinsky
Weber Shandwick
[email protected]
Michelle Isaacs
Eastern Congo Initiative
[email protected]
