The FINANCIAL — Nespresso announced on October 7 the launch of the first ever coffee to be exported from the new country of South Sudan. SULUJA ti SOUTH SUDAN, a rare and unique coffee, is the country’s first significant non-oil export in a generation and represents a positive step towards rebuilding the economy.
The result of a strong combination of coffee expertise and sustainability innovation, this unique coffee reflects Nespresso’s Creating Shared Value approach to business and its ongoing commitment to coffee farmers in South Sudan, according to Nestlé.
South Sudan has a long history of cultivating coffee but the industry has largely been destroyed following conflict in the region. Partnering with local farmers to rebuild this important industry, Nespresso and the non-profit organisation TechnoServe, have been working to revive high-quality coffee production in the country since 2011. This is part of a long-term commitment by Nespresso, which has already invested more than CHF 700,000 in reviving the coffee industry in the Yei region of the country. The company aims to have invested CHF 2.5 million in the coming years and to expand the program to include several thousand farmers by 2020.
SULUJA ti SOUTH SUDAN will be available for the first time in October to Nespresso Club Members in France in extremely limited volumes. Nespresso sees this as a long-term investment in helping to revive the coffee industry in South Sudan and does not expect to make a return on investment for many years.
Nespresso CEO, Jean-Marc Duvoisin comments: “Nespresso’s goal is to source the highest quality coffee in the world. We believe that the only way to continue to deliver quality and consistency to customers is to protect the supply of our coffees. And our experience has shown us that the best way to do this is to build a more environmentally sustainable and financially equitable outcome for farmers. SULUJA ti SOUTH SUDAN is an exceptional coffee, and we are very proud of the positive impact this project is having on farmers and their families. Together with the coffee farmers in Yei and TechnoServe we are excited about the potential of this project for economic growth in the region.”
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