SUSTAINABILITY
40 be overlooked . Whether it is used to wash harvested coffee beans or irrigate crops , water is the fundamental raw material from which the coffee industry is built . Scarcity of it would be , therefore , a disaster , not just for the industry , but also for the communities who farm the coffee beans . A 2009 study by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation found that for every cup of coffee it takes 140ltrs ( 37 gallons ) of water to grow , process and transport it . Such a startling figure requires industry attention and Nespresso has already started to address it with three of its factories in Switzerland . “ They ’ re all modern ,” explains Gallacher . “ They capture rainwater and then repurpose it . It ’ s achieved almost a 30 % reduction in water use per tonne of product manufactured .” Back at the farms , Gallacher says that the company is also helping to build community mills , whereby the farm owners can wash their coffee beans using a controlled and carefully managed water supply .
Sustainability best-practice can be furthered in creative and diverse ways , with a company ’ s choice in
“ It uses the exact amount of coffee grounds , water and energy required to make one cup of coffee ; there ’ s no waste at all in that process ”
— Julie Gallacher , Sustainability Lead , Nespresso UK
APRIL 2020