Sustainability is becoming more and more important across all industries. At Lavazza, we’re always looking for ways to support sustainable projects and products. We have put together this quick post to help give better insight into what our coffee certifications mean.
What is Rainforest Alliance?
You may recognise the little green frog of the Rainforest Alliance certification — if you’re looking for sustainable coffee, that is a good place to start. The Rainforest Alliance can be considered the watchdog of the coffee industry. Their mission is to use “social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities.”
The five core principles of the alliance are:
- Continuous improvement
- Data-powered
- Risk-based assurance
- Contextualisation
- Shared responsibility
These principles are applied to every level of coffee production, from farming and the social effects the industry has on its workers, to the environmental impacts of how the coffee is packaged and transported around the world.
Essentially, if you buy coffee that is stamped with the Rainforest Alliance certification, like the Lavazza BLUE Tierra capsules, you will know that it has been researched and monitored for its effects on the planet.
What is UTZ?
In 2018, the Rainforest Alliance merged with UTZ, an organisation aimed at improving the lives of people and families at the beginning of the coffee supply chain. As a combined force, the Alliance and UTZ reimagined certification, came up with a new set of standards for their stamp of approval, and a new seal to go with it.
This new seal, which was brought into the industry in late 2020 will eventually replace the UTZ seal and the former Rainforest Alliance insignia, ensuring your coffee is checked at every stage through compliance with the strict requirements and auditing by independent bodies. With the added strength of UTZ’s nearly 20 years of certifying coffee with the farmers at the forefront of their process, the Rainforest Alliance is able to give an even stronger assurance of sustainable coffee.
At Lavazza, we’re committed to sustainability. The Lavazza Foundation works towards UN Sustainable Development Goals by action on our core value of responsibility. Coffee is what we do, but like everyone else, we must put the environment first. Find out how we’re committing to sustainable coffee at Lavazza to do our bit.
