Paulig’s partnership programmes to be audited by the independent verification body FLOCERT
As one of the first large roasteries in the world, Paulig only uses coffee beans from verified sustainable sources. Paulig buys over 50 million kilograms or almost 370 billion coffee beans per year, with most (about 80%) being Fairtrade and Organic or UTZ certified. Approximately one fifth of Paulig’s coffee comes from partnership programmes, which will be audited for sustainability by the independent verification body FLOCERT in the future.
Paulig’s partnership programmes are sustainability programmes that operate in the countries of origin and take environmental, economic and social aspects into consideration. We implement the programmes in cooperation with export companies or our other partners. The focus of the programmes is on improving the farmer’s livelihood, ensuring the continuity of coffee farming and developing the entire local community.
We always apply a diligent and lengthy process in choosing our partnership programmes. Until now, Paulig and its local partners have been responsible for the sustainability auditing of partnership programmes. Now, the programmes will become subject to independent auditing in accordance with Paulig’s goal for 2019.
“We want to further develop our way of working as well as promote transparency and openness in our coffee supply chain by implementing an independent sustainability auditing for our non-certified partnership programmes. We have chosen the independent verification body FLOCERT as our auditing partner,” says András Koroknay-Pál, who is in charge of sourcing Paulig’s coffee. He goes on to say:
“Coffee is a delicacy that is meant to leave a pleasant aftertaste. That’s why we want to make sure that coffee lovers can enjoy their cup of coffee knowing that it not only fulfils our own criteria, but that a third independent party has also ensured it adheres to sustainable development. FLOCERT has a strong foothold in the coffee community and has received good references and results from its work. FLOCERT co-operates with e.g. Fairtrade.”
FLOCERT has already begun building an auditing framework at Paulig. The audits have been scheduled for the third quarter.
“Everything is proceeding according to our planned schedule. We are eager to see how we’ll be able to further develop coffee farming and the local community with our partnership programmes and this collaboration,” says András Koroknay-Pál, who has visited over a hundred coffee farms.
Diego Robelo, who runs the Aquiares farm in Costa Rica, will be visiting Paulig’s roastery in early June 2019. If you are interested in meeting and interviewing a farmer, please contact Paulig’s communications department.
Further information and interview requests:
Pirjo Hästbacka, Communications Manager, Paulig, tel. +358 (0)50 356 8359
media@paulig.com
About us:
Paulig is a family-owned, international group in the food industry that is noted for its high-quality brands and services. The company’s key areas are Paulig Coffee, Paulig Foods and Paulig Snacks. Our brands are Paulig, Santa Maria, Risenta, Gold&Green and Poco Loco. Paulig has 2.000 employees in 13 countries and its net sales in 2018 were EUR 907 million. https://www.pauliggroup.com/
