Comments on: Illy, a leading global coffee company tackles sustainability and stumbles http://blog.coffeereview.com/sustainability-and-coffee-causes/certifications-illy/ The world's leading coffee buying guide Sun, 19 May 2013 18:52:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: uoltube, traffic exchange free, auto surf, http://blog.coffeereview.com/sustainability-and-coffee-causes/certifications-illy/comment-page-1/#comment-2729 uoltube, traffic exchange free, auto surf, Sun, 28 Apr 2013 16:06:41 +0000 http://blog.coffeereview.com/?p=178#comment-2729 Terrific work! This is the kind of info that are meant to be shared around the internet. Shame on the seek engines for no longer positioning this submit higher! Come on over and discuss with my web site . Thank you =) Terrific work! This is the kind of info that are meant to be shared around the internet. Shame on the seek engines for no longer positioning this submit higher! Come on over and discuss with my web site . Thank you =)

]]> By: Green Coffee Advance http://blog.coffeereview.com/sustainability-and-coffee-causes/certifications-illy/comment-page-1/#comment-2723 Green Coffee Advance Sun, 21 Apr 2013 10:20:51 +0000 http://blog.coffeereview.com/?p=178#comment-2723 Wow, incredible blog layout! How long have you been blogging for? you make blogging look easy. The overall look of your website is wonderful, as well as the content! Wow, incredible blog layout! How long have you been blogging for?

you make blogging look easy. The overall look of your website is wonderful, as well as the content!

]]> By: Nate http://blog.coffeereview.com/sustainability-and-coffee-causes/certifications-illy/comment-page-1/#comment-189 Nate Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:36:58 +0000 http://blog.coffeereview.com/?p=178#comment-189 The good news is that 'sustainability' is a popular topic, both with roasters and consumers. The bad news is that with all of these certifications, and private programs, the lines are blurred. Each certification has its merits as well as its cons. Fair Trade does not address quality in any way, 'Direct Trade' doesn't offer the purchaser any recourse if the product quality drops, and Rainforest Alliance only requires inspection every 24 months. Paying a higher price for green coffee is only a small aspect to 'sustainability'. It is difficult for us to trust any certification when %99 of the end consumers are thousands of miles away, and cannot imagine the issues that producers live with. I love that social and environmental sustainability is a hot issue, but how can we make it easier for consumers to identify compliant and ethical companies? How do we address the balance between quality green coffee (our duty to customers), and social sustainability (duty to producers)? I imagine those will always be the problems. The good news is that ‘sustainability’ is a popular topic, both with roasters and consumers. The bad news is that with all of these certifications, and private programs, the lines are blurred. Each certification has its merits as well as its cons. Fair Trade does not address quality in any way, ‘Direct Trade’ doesn’t offer the purchaser any recourse if the product quality drops, and Rainforest Alliance only requires inspection every 24 months. Paying a higher price for green coffee is only a small aspect to ‘sustainability’. It is difficult for us to trust any certification when %99 of the end consumers are thousands of miles away, and cannot imagine the issues that producers live with. I love that social and environmental sustainability is a hot issue, but how can we make it easier for consumers to identify compliant and ethical companies? How do we address the balance between quality green coffee (our duty to customers), and social sustainability (duty to producers)? I imagine those will always be the problems.

]]> By: Paulo Henrique Leme http://blog.coffeereview.com/sustainability-and-coffee-causes/certifications-illy/comment-page-1/#comment-173 Paulo Henrique Leme Fri, 07 May 2010 11:46:21 +0000 http://blog.coffeereview.com/?p=178#comment-173 Dear Daniele, First of all, congratulations for the excellent article. I think I have a point in understanding what Illy wants with this project. As you know, Illy already has a reliable chain of suppliers worldwide. Those growers are particularly committed to quality issues, and as a consequence, to produce quality, most of the time you will have to invest on managerial strategies within your farm. Managerial strategies lead to sustainability, at least, economical sustainability and sometimes, depending on the country’s laws, to social sustainability. If Illy chooses to use an existent certification scheme, there is a great possibility that its suppliers will have to invest more money to enter into other certification. By creating their own label, Illy chooses to use its own supply chain, selecting its better growers as example to start a sustainable program. Although it seems controversial at first sight, Illy choice will not imply on more costs to its trustful Illy-quality suppliers. Well, this is my point of view, but as a certification enthusiast and scientist I think it would be nice for Illy to start thinking on a joint venture with other certifications, like Starbucks did. Kind regards, Paulo Henrique Leme P&A Marketing International Brazil Dear Daniele,

First of all, congratulations for the excellent article. I think I have a point in understanding what Illy wants with this project. As you know, Illy already has a reliable chain of suppliers worldwide. Those growers are particularly committed to quality issues, and as a consequence, to produce quality, most of the time you will have to invest on managerial strategies within your farm. Managerial strategies lead to sustainability, at least, economical sustainability and sometimes, depending on the country’s laws, to social sustainability.

If Illy chooses to use an existent certification scheme, there is a great possibility that its suppliers will have to invest more money to enter into other certification. By creating their own label, Illy chooses to use its own supply chain, selecting its better growers as example to start a sustainable program. Although it seems controversial at first sight, Illy choice will not imply on more costs to its trustful Illy-quality suppliers.

Well, this is my point of view, but as a certification enthusiast and scientist I think it would be nice for Illy to start thinking on a joint venture with other certifications, like Starbucks did.

Kind regards,

Paulo Henrique Leme
P&A Marketing International
Brazil

]]> By: Mondy http://blog.coffeereview.com/sustainability-and-coffee-causes/certifications-illy/comment-page-1/#comment-167 Mondy Wed, 28 Apr 2010 22:20:38 +0000 http://blog.coffeereview.com/?p=178#comment-167 We wouldn't think of using coffee from unsustainable growers and fair-trade organic coffees are what we recommend to others but a new standard makes no sense. What we need is adherence to the existing standards and assurance that products labeled as meeting the standards actually do. Stop looking for a problem that doesn't exist and work on the bigger issue; companies with huge market share that still buy and serve unsustainable products. We wouldn’t think of using coffee from unsustainable growers and fair-trade organic coffees are what we recommend to others but a new standard makes no sense. What we need is adherence to the existing standards and assurance that products labeled as meeting the standards actually do. Stop looking for a problem that doesn’t exist and work on the bigger issue; companies with huge market share that still buy and serve unsustainable products.

]]> By: Diana Clayton http://blog.coffeereview.com/sustainability-and-coffee-causes/certifications-illy/comment-page-1/#comment-147 Diana Clayton Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:50:30 +0000 http://blog.coffeereview.com/?p=178#comment-147 It seems a shame that such a good "idea" (Fair Trade) gets botched in politics & big business. The farmers have enough to deal with. It seems a shame that such a good “idea” (Fair Trade) gets botched in politics & big business. The farmers have enough to deal with.

]]> By: Alexander Kasterine, International Trade Centre http://blog.coffeereview.com/sustainability-and-coffee-causes/certifications-illy/comment-page-1/#comment-10 Alexander Kasterine, International Trade Centre Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:34:23 +0000 http://blog.coffeereview.com/?p=178#comment-10 Daniele makes a number of important points here, in particular i would reinforce the following message: - bad for farmers and exporters (particularly SMEs and small coops) to have yet another standard to deal with - bad business decision by Illy as they can get the same value added from buying into a "public" standard like organic at a much lower cost (no need to set up baseline, monitoring, third party verification or to market the new brand) - no extra environmental or social benefits as some of these "public" schemes already provide these benefits Daniele makes a number of important points here, in particular i would reinforce the following message:

- bad for farmers and exporters (particularly SMEs and small coops) to have yet another standard to deal with
- bad business decision by Illy as they can get the same value added from buying into a “public” standard like organic at a much lower cost (no need to set up baseline, monitoring, third party verification or to market the new brand)
- no extra environmental or social benefits as some of these “public” schemes already provide these benefits

]]> By: solson http://blog.coffeereview.com/sustainability-and-coffee-causes/certifications-illy/comment-page-1/#comment-8 solson Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:09:48 +0000 http://blog.coffeereview.com/?p=178#comment-8 Wow. This is eye opening. Most consumers have no idea the difficulties producers face in trying to meet these standards. I personally had no idea there were 8. The cynic in me tends to believe that Starbucks C.A.F.E. Practices, Nespresso AAA, and the new Illy program are cooked up in conjunction with those firm's marketing departments. Wow. This is eye opening. Most consumers have no idea the difficulties producers face in trying to meet these standards. I personally had no idea there were 8. The cynic in me tends to believe that Starbucks C.A.F.E. Practices, Nespresso AAA, and the new Illy program are cooked up in conjunction with those firm’s marketing departments.

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