Italian coffee giant Illycaffè is celebrating International Coffee Day with sustainable coffee cultivation in its latest product, Arabica Selection Brazil Cerrado Mineiro. This marks the company’s first coffee offering that is both regeneratively sourced and Regenagri certified.
The new coffee marks a significant milestone in Illycaffè’s ongoing mission to address climate change throughout its supply chain. The company has been actively engaged in promoting regenerative agriculture — a farming practice designed to naturally restore soil health and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Illycaffè’s new coffee was produced in collaboration with local farmers in the Cerrado Mineiro region of Brazil, where Illycaffè has maintained partnerships for more than three decades.
“The Arabica Selection Brazil Cerrado Mineiro is the result of the relationship we have built over the years with coffee producers and the Federation of Producers of Cerrado Mineiro. We have shared the urgency of finding a solution to the effects of climate change,” Cristina Scocchia, CEO of illycaffè, said in a statement. “Aware that this challenge can only be overcome by joining forces, we have identified the best techniques for ecosystem adaptation, mitigation, and regeneration, producing the first 100% Arabica coffee sourced from certified regenerative agriculture, as Regenagri certified.”
The benefits of regenerative practices
“Modern agriculture is at a crossroads. We are faced both with the ever-increasing need to feed a growing global population and the devastating soil degradation caused by intensive farming,” reads the Regenagri website.
According to the organization, the agriculture sector is one of the largest producers of greenhouse gasses, with an IPCC estimate of 24 percent of total anthropogenic emissions. Regenagri says that unlike other industries, though, the agricultural sector holds the “rare potential” to not just drastically reduce emissions, but to also help sequester atmospheric carbon back into the soil, “providing a natural way to limit global warming whilst producing nutritious food.”
Illycaffè’s regenerative agriculture model shifts the attention from the coffee plants themselves to the soil they are grown in. It emphasizes soil nutrition and resilience, thereby ensuring long-term land productivity and biodiversity. This innovative approach helps to limit the exploitation of natural resources while providing tangible results, including enhanced soil quality and biodiversity.
Founded in 1933, Illycaffè has a long history of striving to deliver the highest quality coffee. The family-owned Italian company crafts its blends from a curated selection of the world’s top one percent of Arabica beans. In its international reach, Illycaffè serves eight million cups of coffee daily across more than 140 countries.
Illycaffè solidified its commitment to sustainability by becoming the first Italian coffee company to earn the international B Corp certification in 2021. Alongside its contributions to art and culture — ranging from artist-designed logos to coffee machines crafted by world-renowned designers— Illycaffè remains focused on educating coffee growers, baristas, and consumers through its global Università del Caffè network.
The Arabica Selection Brazil Cerrado Mineiro coffee blend features subtle hints of caramel and nuts. Coffee lovers can purchase the product in 250g cans, either as whole beans or ground coffee. The new offering is available on Illycaffè’s website, at its direct retail locations, and in select supermarkets.
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