MILAN — George Clooney has championed the Nespresso sustainability program and has supported its work with farmers in many coffee regions, travelling most recently to Puerto Rico as part of the Reviving Origins program.
Nespresso has already donated $1 million to Puerto Rico’s coffee industry, and plans to invest another $9.8 million in the three coffee growing regions included in the Reviving Origins program.
In a video clip, the Oscar-nominated actor spotlights his recent visit to Puerto Rico following the devastating effects of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, which destroyed 80 percent of the island’s coffee harvest and trees.
In January of 2019, Clooney toured farms and met with farmers and their families in Puerto Rico to discuss coffee as catalyst for reviving their land.
“Over the 15 years that I’ve worked with Nespresso, I have seen firsthand the impact of the company’s investments on coffee regions around the world and, more importantly, on generations of families,” Clooney said in a press release.
“Nespresso’s involvement in local coffee industries means that the rhythm of life can return to normal after conflict, natural disaster or other hardships.”
Puerto Rico’s coffee industry has a long history, beginning in the days when Puerto Rico was a colony of Spain. In recent years, coffee production fell along with other kinds of agriculture in Puerto Rico. During the 2017 hurricane season. 85% of the coffee crop and 85% of the trees were destroyed, including 90% of the shade-grown coffee.
Problems following the hurricanes, including a lack of housing and schools to keep workers available to coffee farms in rural areas, added to the difficulty of reestablishing the industry.
The Nespresso initiative is expected to help recovery.
