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Italian coffee giant illycaffé recognised for responsible sourcing Removed: article
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Related: A force for good: the business case for protecting people and planet This article has been removed on 6 April 2015 pending investigation.
Whenever you drink a cup of illy coffee, you can rest assured that its origins can be traced back to high quality crops sourced ethically from the best growers.Italian coffee giant illycaffé, whose blend is sold in 140 countries and served in about 100,000 establishments worldwide, has always been a stakeholder company based upon ethics, with the clear goal of improving the quality of life.
The company recognized early the importance of responsible sourcing. illycaffé purchases 100% of its green coffee directly from the coffee growers in Brazil, Central America, India and Africa without any intermediaries, provides knowledge to the producers in order to constantly improve their product’s quality and also pays them a compensation higher than the market average to reward the high quality. In 2011, it became the first ever company to receive DNV GL’s Responsible Supply Chain Process Certification, recognizing sustainability in every aspect of its coffee sourcing from the coffee estate to the café espresso.
Andrea Illy, chairman and CEO of illycaffè explains:
A product cannot be sustainable if the company itself is not sustainable. What we’re witnessing is a global trend where more and more people care about what goes on behind the product. So we wanted a certificate because we needed a third-party witness to document what we do.
The holistic certification process of illycaffé’s complex global supply chain saw DNV GL analyse its long-term sustainability strategies, the organization’s roles and responsibilities, business conduct, stakeholder engagement activities and communication practices. illycaffé had to demonstrate a robust approach to managing risks such as environmental management, product safety and the human rights management.
The company’s approach is also paying off in terms of economic value. Since achieving the certification, illycaffé has continued to grow, and it now generates a gross revenue of over €370m.
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