VICENZA, Italy – Small yet meaningful steps will bring the horeca industry closer to its sustainability goals, according to Vienna coffeehouse brand, Julius Meinl. That’s why this World Coffee Day (Saturday 1st October), the premium roaster is promising to plant trees on behalf of every partner serving their responsibly sourced coffee.
At a time when consumers are more aware of organisations’ impact on the environment, Julius Meinl believes it can support their partners on their individual sustainability journeys with simple yet meaningful initiatives that make a world of difference.
Julius Meinl project
In partnership with the environmental organization, the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), Julius Meinl will, for a second year running, plant a tree in the name of each participating coffee outlet at the JGI’s Reforestation Project in Tanzania, one of the brand’s coffee origins.
Julius Meinl’s ongoing support for the project will see more than 20,000 seedlings planted – with each one of those trees absorbing 60kg of carbon over the next decade. This relatively small act has the potential to make an incredible difference.
Christina Meinl, Managing Director at Julius Meinl and trustee of the Global Jane Goodall Institute, said: “We understand and appreciate that hospitality businesses are incredibly busy and although many have sustainable intentions, it can be challenging to find the time or resource to make significant changes to their business.
“It’s important that our valued partners and friends know that we fully support them when it comes to their sustainability agenda. So, let’s help them focus on serving the perfect coffee moment and superior service to their guests, while at the same time, giving back to the natural environment and allowing their guests to play an active role in this. This rings true to our motto: ‘You serve up the moment, we’ll do the rest’.”
Julius Meinl’s World Coffee Day initiative is part of the company’s wider efforts to not only create delicious, memorable coffee moments, but to protect the planet and act responsibly for future generations.
A greener coffee industry
In keeping with the brand’s philosophy that small moments, make big differences, Julius Meinl is continuously evolving its business practices based on social responsibility and climate action.
“The business has made significant progress in recent years as part of our commitment to act responsibly for future generations – this ambition involves everyone from our farmers through to our partners,” explains Christina Meinl who is a fifth generation Meinl family member. “We have developed guidelines for sustainable green coffee procurement, increased our retail and horeca portfolio of responsibly sourced products, and 100% of capsules in our extensive retail portfolio will be suitable for household composting from the end of the year.”
The Columbian Heritage Project
Julius Meinl’s green coffee products are responsibly sourced with several blends meeting internationally recognised sustainability standards as established for instance by Fairtrade or Julius Meinl’s own program, the Columbian Heritage Project. All certificates guarantee that coffee has been grown and harvested responsibly. For the products procured in Columbia, such as the 1862 Vienna blend, the brand also runs the Columbian Heritage Project which helps to increase the income of farmers by providing wider technical and financial support.
Horeca partners can support a greener coffee economy by becoming part of Julius Meinl’s World Coffee Day initiative by contacting their local sales representative. All participating customers will receive a branded certificate to acknowledge their role in the Tanzania Reforestation project.
As well as being kinder to the planet, Julius Meinl is continuing to encourage people to be kinder to one another. Following on from its Say Thank You campaign earlier this year, the brand will also use World Coffee Day to roll out an exclusive direct to consumer promotion whereby coffee lovers who purchase and enjoy a cup of Julius Meinl coffee from a participating outlet will receive a 1+1 voucher for a friend to redeem a free cup of coffee throughout October.
About Julius Meinl
Founded in 1862, Julius Meinl is one of the oldest coffee roasters in the world and an iconic Vienna coffee house brand. Dedication to quality has been a family trademark for five generations. With 160 years of experience in sourcing, blending and roasting, Meinl is a preferred coffee supplier for Vienna’s leading coffee houses. Today Meinl coffees and teas help create meaningful moments for customers and consumers across the globe, and are sold in over 50,000 hotels, coffee houses and restaurants in 70 countries, plus a growing number of retail outlets.
Facts at a glance
- Established in 1862 in Vienna
- 1,000 employees worldwide
- Over 50,000 customers worldwide
- Distributed in more than 70 countries; a leading premium coffee brand in over 40 countries
- Production locations in Vienna (Austria) and Vicenza (Italy)
