TRIESTE, Italy – illycaffè is a partner in the 9th edition of Esof 2020 (EuroScience Open Forum), the leading European event dedicated to interdisciplinary research and innovation, which will be held this year in Trieste, the European Capital of Science 2020. Scholars, scientists, innovators, policy-makers, and journalists from over 90 countries will meet here to discuss how innovation can be made sustainable in science, industry, and society.
illycaffè has always emphasized technology and applied research, and indeed many of the most important innovations that have impacted the history of coffee over the last eighty years – the high-pressure espresso machine, pressurization, single-serving pods – were born at illy. Additionally, the company has always been strongly committed to sustainability, with a holistic approach encompassing the entire life cycle of its products, from design to manufacturing to marketing.
illycaffè decided to support Esof 2020 because it agrees with the importance of encouraging the debate on science and dialogue with research institutions, academia, and governments in order to promote progress and prosperity through knowledge and the development of new sustainable technologies.
The human impact on ecosystems is the cause of the climate and health crisis we are facing. Agriculture, in particular, has a significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, and the bio-geochemical cycles that are responsible for the homeostatic processes regulating the environment. It is thus imperative to come up with new agricultural methods and equilibria, completing a transition towards a new era revolving around the paradigms of renewable resources, circular economy, and environmental regeneration.
These concepts will be debated in depth on September 5th as part of the digital workshop on “Virtuous agriculture, a new beneficial model for health and environment” during which Andrea Illy, Jeffrey Sachs and Paolo De Castro will discuss how innovation in agriculture can help mitigate global warming before it becomes irreversible.
“Innovation and sustainability are the two pillars upon which we must build the future – says Andrea Illy, Chairman of illycaffè – and this is why I took advantage of the important opportunity provided by Esof 2020 to discuss with leading scholars the need to change the paradigms that have made our world unsustainable from a systemic standpoint.
Global warming is now the mother of all causes, which is why illycaffè has set the goal for itself to bring its greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2033, the year of our centenary. The ‘Virtuous Agriculture’ model we are developing aims to achieve this goal in a circular manner, with both environmental and health benefits.”
The model of Virtuous Agriculture conceived by Andrea Illy is based on enriching farmland soils with organic carbon, which makes it possible to sequester atmospheric carbon and enhance the soil’s microbiome. This leads to a series of cascading effects, including more resilient crops thanks to better hydration and natural defences produced by the soil, and foods that are safer, thanks to a reduced presence of agrochemical residues, and often healthier as well, since they are richer in protective substances, especially those that protect against non-transmissible diseases.
“Freedom for Science, Science for Freedom” is the motto for Esof 2020, which will be held mainly in the new Trieste Centro Congressi at Porto Vecchio, a conference centre that will be inaugurated on the occasion of the science forum. Magazzino 27 at the Trieste Centro Congressi will host a new illy Caffè store, which will become the go-to place for forum participants who want to enjoy a coffee break in a traditional Italian café, where beauty and flavour come together with skill, experience, and a constant search for perfection in services and products.
