STOCKHOLM – In one year, Sodexo in Sweden has significantly increased its share of Fairtrade coffee, from 2 to 53 per cent. This has resulted in slightly more than SEK 1.5 million for coffee farmers and cooperatives. The reason behind this rise is an increased focus on sustainable business – and a change of coffee supplier.
– With the help of Löfbergs, we can easily show the concrete benefits of organic and Fairtrade coffee. It has helped us strengthen and deepen the relationship with our customers.
We are also contributing to a more sustainable development, says Nicklas Hedin, purchasing manager at Sodexo, one of the leading companies in Service Management in the Nordic countries. Sustainable quotations
The tool that Sodexo uses is called Sustainable quotations. It has been developed by Löfbergs and is used as a mandatory complement to regular quotations. The sustainable quotation specifies what the customer’s volumes contribute with regarding environment and social aspects in the farming stage when purchasing certified coffee.
– Sodexo contributes to increasing the proceeds of coffee farmers and cooperatives with approximately SEK 1.5 million per year. Their contribution also results in 35 metric tons less fertiliser being used and that land corresponding to 337 football fields is converted to organic production, says Per Grahn, sales director at Löfbergs.
– We have gotten great response for the sustainable quotation. We are both happy and proud to see that it increases the purchasing of certified coffee, which is good for people and the environment,
The work with certified coffee is an important stage of Löfbergs’s sustainability work. By 2016, all coffee from Löfbergs will be certified (e.g. Fairtrade, Organic or Rainforest Alliance). Today, 100 per cent of the coffee sold to hotels, restaurants and cafés is certified.
