Mondelēz International, owner of the Kenco and Carte Noire brands, is training 1,500 Vietnamese farmers in sustainable agricultural practices to help boost the size and quality of their coffee crop yields.
The world’s second largest coffee brand estimates it can improve the supply of coffee that meets the 4C Code of Conduct, which sets social, environmental and economic principles for the sustainable production, processing and trading of coffee, by 7,000 metric tons through the programme.
Mondelēz International was launched in October last year after spinning off from Kraft Foods, and specialises in snack foods with brands such as Cadbury, Oreo, Trebor, and Jacobs crackers.
The Vietnam investment is the first in the company’s “Coffee Made Happy” sustainability programme, which commits it to invest at least $200m to support one million coffee farming entrepreneurs by 2020. The programme focuses on training the next generation of farmers in agricultural and business skills, which Mondelēz International said should improve livelihoods while making its supply chains more transparent and sustainable.
The initiative goes hand in hand with the company’s commitment to ensure all of its coffee sold in Western Europe will be sustainably sourced by 2015. The company said that it is already two thirds of its way towards that goal, and when including the Central and Eastern European markets that became part of Mondelez Europe’s scope at the beginning of 2013 over half of all coffee beans in the region are sustainably sourced.
Over the next two years, the company plans to invest more than $1m in Vietnam and Indonesia to support Coffee Made Happy programmes, in cooperation with the IDH Sustainable Coffee Program, to scale up sustainable coffee in both countries.
“Farmers are learning how to manage their businesses more effectively through simple tools like profit-and-loss log books, and they’re using new skills to grow more coffee with fewer resources, leading to more productive and profitable farms,” said Hubert Weber, President for Global Coffee at Mondelēz International, in a statement.
“The programme is a key part of Mondelēz International’s overall commitment to sustainable agricultural commodities,” added Weber. “Connecting Coffee Made Happy with our iconic brands creates a story that we can share with consumers about how we support entrepreneurs and nurture thriving communities in a quest to guarantee a supply of high-quality coffee for our delicious products.”
