ARLINGTON, Va., U.S. – Sodexo, a Paris-based food services and facilities management company, joined the Sustainable Coffee Challenge today. It joins over 140 other partners, including corporations, governments, NGOs and research organizations aiming to make coffee the world’s first sustainable agricultural product for the wellbeing of humanity and the planet.
“We are thrilled to see Sodexo take this bold commitment to responsibly sourced coffee,” said Bambi Semroc, Vice President of Sustainable Markets and Strategy at Conservation International. “In doing so Sodexo sends a strong message to its suppliers about the importance of good social and environmental practices and helps build demand for sustainable coffee within the marketplace. And in joining the Sustainable Coffee Challenge, Sodexo demonstrates a willingness to work with others in the industry to make coffee the world’s first sustainable agricultural product.”
Sodexo plans to fulfill its commitment to sustainability through its proprietary brands Aspretto and Chapter & Verse that always have and always will serve coffee from responsible sources. All other Sodexo proprietary brands will serve coffee from 100% responsible sources by the end of 2021. Additionally, 99% of all coffee Sodexo purchases for the retail channel will be responsibly sourced by the end of 2021. Sodexo will engage all supplier partners on how together they can collaborate to accelerate efforts towards making all its coffee a sustainable agricultural product.
“At Sodexo, coffee has an important role to play in contributing to the Quality of Life of our guests. As one of the largest coffee retailers we have an opportunity to have a positive impact. We are committed to responsibly sourced coffee within Sodexo proprietary brands as well as all the coffee we buy for our retail services. We are pleased to partner with Conservation International,” said John Wright, Senior Vice President Global Food Platform.
Conservation International has been working in the coffee sector for over 20 years and in 2015, together with Starbucks, launched the Sustainable Coffee Challenge, which is uniting the coffee industry —growers, traders, roasters, retailers, governments and NGOs— in an effort to make coffee the world’s first sustainable agricultural commodity. With over 140 partners including corporations, governments, NGOs and research organizations, the Challenge is focused on scaling up sustainable sourcing, farm renovation and rehabilitation, improving labor practices and supply and mapping and monitoring of coffee and forests.
About Sodexo
Founded in Marseille in 1966 by Pierre Bellon, Sodexo is the global leader in services that improve Quality of Life, an essential factor in individual and organizational performance. Operating in 67 countries, Sodexo serves 100 million consumers each day through its unique combination of On-site Services, Benefits and Rewards Services and Personal and Home Services. Sodexo provides clients an integrated offering developed over more than 50 years of experience: from foodservices, reception, maintenance and cleaning, to facilities and equipment management; from services and programs fostering employees’ engagement to solutions that simplify and optimize their mobility and expenses management, to in-home assistance, childcare centers and concierge services. Sodexo’s success and performance are founded on its independence, its sustainable business model and its ability to continuously develop and engage its 470,000 employees throughout the world.
About Conservation International
Conservation International uses science, policy and partnerships to protect the nature that people rely on for food, fresh water and livelihoods. Founded in 1987, Conservation International works in more than 30 countries on six continents to ensure a healthy, prosperous planet that supports us all. Learn more about Conservation International, the groundbreaking “Nature Is Speaking” campaign and its series of virtual reality projects: “Drop in the Ocean”, “My Africa,” “Under the Canopy” and “Valen’s Reef.” Follow Conservation International’s work on Conservation News, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
About the Sustainable Coffee Challenge
The Sustainable Coffee Challenge convenes, unites and urges the coffee sector and conservation partners across the industry to spur the actions and investments necessary to make coffee the first sustainable agricultural product in the world. The Challenge is committed to stimulating demand for sustainable coffee across the value chain, from the policymaking level to the final consumer. By encouraging demand for sustainable coffee, it leads to investments that enable the transition to a sustainable production and ensuring the coffee we drink is a sustainable product.
