Sustainable Business magazine - essential reading for sustainability professionals
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Radar 7/8 Click here keep up-to-date with the latest news from edie.net Agriculture Columbian coffee farmers better off under Nespresso sustainability plan Coffee farmers participating in a sustainability programme run by Nespresso in Columbia enjoy better economic and social conditions, according to new research. The independent study, carried out by Columbian independent consulting and research firm CRECE, compared progress on farms that are part of the Nespresso AAA Program with farms that are not part of the program. The study demonstrated that the AAA farms surveyed had 22.6% better social conditions, 52% better environmental conditions and 41% better economic conditions than non-AAA farms. In addition, during 2011 participating farmers received a net income more than 40% higher than those not on the scheme. This level of earning also led to greater productivity, as those on the plan were able to invest in more fertiliser and resilient coffee varieties. The research also showed that participating farmers had better awareness of prices on the local coffee market, enabling them to make smarter business decisions. They also tended to operate more environmentally-sustainable farms, often running recycling programmes and practicing soil conservation techniques. Nespresso CEO Jean-Marc Duvoisin said: "Sustainability is a business imperative for a company like Nespresso that depends on a natural resource to deliver quality and consistency to our consumers every day. "For us, quality and sustainability are intricately linked. More sustainable farming increases the ability to produce consistent quality far into the future. This is something that benefits farmers, consumers and our business."