DEVELOPED FOR FARMERS TOGETHER WITH THE RAINFOREST ALLIANCE
The sustainability challenges of coffee cultivation – and more specifically high-quality coffee cultivation – are widely recognised. Farmers are exposed to unacceptable levels of uncertainty and risk, such as from climate change and economic volatility, which threaten their livelihoods. That’s why, in 2003, our sourcing team partnered with the Rainforest Alliance to develop an innovative and sustainable approach to coffee sourcing.
Our combined expertise gave rise to two truths.
Firstly, high-quality coffee and the sustainability of farming communities are interconnected. And secondly, only by building trust, loyalty and long-standing relationships with coffee producers can we hope to make a positive difference.
With that, the Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality™ Program was born.
TRUTH N°1:
HIGH-QUALITY COFFEE AND SUSTAINABILITY GO HAND-IN-HAND
Quality cannot be assured and maintained without the socio-economic and environmental sustainability of farming communities. That’s why the AAA Program aims to improve productivity and quality while promoting the adoption of socio-environmental practices and approaches.
AAA is built on 3 pillars of impact
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SOCIAL AND
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AAA Encompasses 3 Scopes of Intervention to Deliver Positive Impact
1. FARM
MANAGEMENT
Empower farmers through
sustainable quality agricultural
practices – the heart
of the AAA Program.
2. COMMUNITY
RESILIENCE
Act as a catalyst to build
solutions for communities
and landscapes in
the face of off-farm risks
such as climate change.
3. WIDER SYSTEMIC SOLUTIONS
Leverage the collective
resources of farmer
organisations, academics,
municipalities and
governments to address
wider coffee sector challenges.
SANTIAGO GOWLAND, CEO, RAINFOREST ALLIANCE"WE’RE PROUD TO HAVE HELPED BUILD AAA.
IT’S WORKING TO DRIVE OUR SHARED MISSION AND ACHIEVE MEANINGFUL SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS.”
To know more about the AAA Program, discover The AAA Shared Commitment:
It describes the partnership and governance between Nespresso and the coffee partners implementing the AAA Program based on the shared program vision, strategy, implementation and related commitments.
TRUTH N°2:
THE FARMER-AGRONOMIST RELATIONSHIP MAKES THE POSITIVE DIFFERENCE
The journey towards sustainable quality that farmers undertake is guided and supported by Nespresso agronomists, working closely with them on the ground. The strong bonds formed lie at the heart of the relationship’s enduring success. The Tool for the Assessment of Sustainable Quality (TASQ™) plays a pivotal role, underpinning the relationship.
Available via an app, the TASQ™ enables real-time data to be collected on the adoption of AAA practices across the three pillars of impact and encourages farmers to learn-by doing.
HUMBERTO GALEANO SANCHEZ, AAA COFFEE FARMER, AGUADAS CALDAS, COLOMBIA“WITH THE PROGRAM, NESPRESSO HAS TAUGHT US TO FOCUS ON QUALITY RATHER THAN QUANTITY.”
MEASURING THE SUCCESS OF THE AAA PROGRAM
Independent organisations such as the Sustainable Agricultural Network (SAN) are responsible for monitoring and evaluating a sample of farms every other year. They help identify gaps in practice adoption and further qualify the underlying drivers of impact towards coffee quality, farm productivity, social wellbeing, farmer livelihood and environmental protection.
Independent certification
Today, farmers can opt to certify the performance of their farms via the Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade International and Fairtrade USA certifications. This means Nespresso coffees can carry the respective organisation’s seals. Recently, agroforestry operations within AAA farms and landscapes have also been certified against recognised Carbon Standards, confirming the fact they are generating carbon credits.
Proven impact
In addition to independent verification, we’re eager to be part of impact studies that evaluate how the AAA Program performs on the ground. In 2013, the research institute CRECE’s study showed the AAA Program delivering positive impacts versus conventional coffee farming on social (+22.6%), environmental (+52.1%) and economic (+41.0%) indices. In 2018, an independent review of AAA Program operations in Colombia, by the London and Toulouse Schools of Economics, concluded that the program achieved a greater value transmission to farmers and the adoption of quality production practices – both contributing to improved farmer welfare.
These studies not only recognise the achievements of farmers and agronomists but also provide valuable input to steer us in the future.
AAA FACT FILE 2020
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REACHOver 140,000 farmers
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MEANS491 agronomists
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OUTCOMEMore than 85,000 farmers were
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KEY PARTNERS
TOWARDS A REGENERATIVE FUTURE
The AAA Program continues to evolve as an incubator for transformational approaches to sustainable quality coffee production, challenging the status quo. It particularly encourages far greater application of nature-based solutions that replenish ecosystems while delivering income diversification.
An approach generating positive impacts on farming communities and their landscapes.
Chris Wille, Independent conservationist, Former Chief of Sustainable Agriculture, Rainforest Alliance“The AAA Program continues to evolve as a global laboratory for sustainability, proofing assumptions, testing new concepts, expanding the boundaries. It is demonstrating the importance of agroforestry, making farms resilient and future-proofing them to changes in climate, markets and local socio-environmental conditions. It is proving the power of collaboration: looking beyond the farm to landscapes and the future of farm families.”
