- Dow Jones Commodities Services -
Italian coffee roaster Illy plans to launch a coffee quality and sustainability certification scheme, Andrea Illy, the company\'s chief executive told Dow Jones Newswires. The scheme will require a fully audited supply chain and the coffee will need to meet certain quality parameters, said Illy.Italian coffee roaster Illy plans to launch a coffee quality and sustainability certification scheme, Andrea Illy, the company's chief executive told Dow Jones Newswires.
The scheme will require a fully audited supply chain and the coffee will need to meet certain quality parameters, said Illy.
The certified coffee will carry a distinct label which will initially be unique to Illy, although the plan is for other roasters to use it eventually, said Illy.
Consumer demand for sustainability sourced food and beverages has prompted companies including the world's largest coffee retailer Starbucks (SBUX) and chocolate manufacturer Cadbury PLC (CBY) to sign up to certification schemes in recent months.
However, Illy said most schemes are focused on ensuring farmers are "paid decently" and do not guarantee quality.
"Unfortunately this is unsustainable; firstly because the price paid to the grower is not sufficient to cover the extra cost of certification and also it's not sustainable from a consumer standpoint as it doesn't get better quality," said Illy.
The company's proposed certification scheme would differ due to its additional focus on paying more for higher quality coffee.