In the name of sustainable quality
The three pillars of sustainability according illycaffé
Quality and sustainability for the company are an inseparable pair: for being such an excellent product that can not be sustainable. And sustainability is understood by the company in its threefold sense: economic, social and environmental.
Economic sustainability is pursued precisely through the creation of value for all stakeholders, from farmers, to the end user. Social sustainability is based on the concept of personal growth and self-fulfillment. Finally, environmental sustainability is based on respect for the ecosystem through, for example, the use of recyclable packaging and practices that do not pollute.
Sustainable development for illycaffé results in a continuous balance between improvement and innovation on the one hand and responsibility towards other people and the environment: a "balance between the legitimate current achievements of modernity and the possibility that those who come after us can have at least the same opportunities."
Over the past twenty years illycaffè has perfected a system of direct relations with their suppliers, based on three pillars: select, for those of coffee producers, the farmers best, where possible through the establishment of awards for quality transfer these growers through the University of the Cafés and daily work in the field of specialized agronomists, all the knowledge gained in eighty years of business history and research necessary to reach the peaks of excellence required by the standard illy; buy the best products directly from the hands of farmers, paying them higher prices than the market to reward quality products and foster continuous improvement.
illycaffè has always been a stakeholder company based on ethics and aims to improve the quality of life. The concept of quality is central to the philosophy. And the constant search for quality sets in motion a virtuous cycle that creates value for all stakeholders involved, from the coffee farmer, to the consumer's cup.
This behavior has brought the company recognition, first worldwide, the "Responsible Supply Chain Process": a new open standard for companies of all sectors that DNV (DetNorske Veritas – Business Assurance) established to certify the sustainability of the three hundred and sixty degrees along the entire supply chain.
