TRIESTE, Italy – illycaffè, the first Italian coffee company to obtain B-Corp certification, is a partner of Vivero de Atitude (Atitude Nursery), the socio-environmental program developed in Brazil by the Cooperativa do Cerrado Mineiro monteCCer, which brings together coffee producers from Monte Carmelo in the state of Minas Gerais, with the aim of creating initiatives and projects for the conservation of the Cerrado biome and, at the same time, creating social value.
The Atitude nursery produces more than 140 native species every year, with the aim of making them available to the entire community, to replant them in neighboring farms or in urban areas of the territory.
The planting of native plants in the territory favors the protection of the aquifers and the biome of the Cerrado region. Through environmental education programs supported by illycaffè, the project makes it possible to increase the surface of forests, preserve springs and conserve biodiversity, fundamental elements to counteract the effects of climate change and thus protect the production of quality coffee.
Every year the nursery sells about 60,000 seedlings and donates the proceeds to local institutions, which use it to develop social projects. Thanks to the funds raised, in recent years it has been possible to create after-school services for children and build facilities to support the elderly. In three years, more than 17,000 people have directly benefited from the project.
“Sustainable growth cannot be separated from the protection of the environment and the community, elements that should increasingly feed each other, producing a virtuous circle – explains Cristina Scocchia, CEO of illycaffè – we have supported Vivero de Atitude since the beginning because we believe in the value of collaboration and knowledge-sharing to develop projects that promote the creation of social and environmental value in the long term.”
As a Benefit Corporation, illycaffè believes it’s vital to build a system capable of regenerating itself, guaranteeing the well-being of people and the planet. This is why the company works hand in hand with coffee producers, training them in sustainable quality and supporting projects that create value for the community and the environment.
