INDUSTRY PROFILE
60 beanscenemag.com.auLavazza’s locally roasted ¡Tierra! Brazil and Colombia blends
represent the roaster’s commitment to sustainability at origin.
W
hen Marco Lavazza,
Vice Chairman of
the Lavazza Group,
touched down
in Melbourne in
January for the 2019 Australian Open, it
was not just to celebrate Lavazza’s third
year of partnering with the tennis grand
slam. The roaster had decided that the
competition was the perfect platform to
launch a first for the company: coffee
roasted outside of Italy.
Three locally roasted coffees were on
offer at the event, the single-origin Kafa
Forest Coffee, and two new Rainforest
Alliance-certified blends belonging to the
Lavazza ¡Tierra! range – ¡Tierra! Brazil
and ¡Tierra! Colombia.
While the rest of the world’s ¡Tierra! is
roasted in Italy, Cristiano Portis, Asia and
Pacific Coffee Research and Development
Manager and Licensed Q Grader for
Lavazza, says ¡Tierra! is of special interest
to the Australian community.
“They’re more than your usual coffee
blends. ¡Tierra! tells a story that goes
beyond flavour descriptors,” Cristiano
tells BeanScene. “In a market like
Australia, which is very advanced in
coffee, it’s a pleasure to talk about and
share this information, because the peoplehave a deep knowledge.”
¡Tierra! is a sustainability project
launched in 2002 and developed on
a joint basis with Rainforest Alliance,
with the aim of improving the social
and environmental conditions and
the production techniques of several
coffee-growing communities. ¡Tierra!
sustainability projects, supported by
Lavazza Foundation, are primarily
intended to increase coffee quality
and yields, while also promoting
entrepreneurship among coffee growers
and improving their living conditions.
In order to achieve these goals,
Lavazza spreads good agricultural
practices that foster coffee quality and
respect for the environment, supporting
coffee growers in building and
managing their own organisations, and
strengthening gender equality. Lavazza
says organised growers gain access to
broader markets, obtain services useful to
improving production, and enjoy better
access to credit.
Cristiano adds that ¡Tierra! allows
Lavazza to demonstrate its connection to
coffee producing communities.
“To Lavazza, coffee is more than just
a commodity. Having a range of coffees
resulting from our projects shows that weare not just buying coffee over a phone
call,” Cristiano says. “We actually go to
those countries, work with farmers, help
the local community, and very carefully
select coffee to share with our customers.”
These projects have allowed long-term
relationships to develop and provided
great power to producers.
“If you actually invest in and teach
people how to make their coffee
better, they’re able to provide a higher
quality,” Cristiano says. “I had a fantastic
experience working on one sustainability
project a few years ago. I went to many
different origins and was working with
agronomists who are on the field every
day in difficult areas supporting farmers.
There’s a lot of work going into improving
basic practices, making irrigation better to
reduce water waste, and applying fertiliser
properly to enrich the soil.”
¡Tierra! Colombia includes coffee
from the Lavazza Foundation’s Meta
Sustainability Project in the municipality
of Mesetas, conducted with local partner
Carcafè. Lavazza says coffee cultivation
had not been practiced for a long
time due to armed conflict in the area.
However, since 2013, empty plots of land
have been reassigned and given back to
displaced farming families with the aim ofReign of
¡Tierra!
INDUSTRY PROFILE
60 beanscenemag.com.au
Lavazza’s locally roasted ¡Tierra! Brazil and Colombia blends
represent the roaster’s commitment to sustainability at origin.
W
henMarcoLavazza,
ViceChairmanof
theLavazzaGroup,
toucheddown
in Melbournein
Januaryforthe 2019 AustralianOpen,it
wasnotjustto celebrateLavazza’sthird
yearof partneringwiththetennisgrand
slam.Theroasterhaddecidedthatthe
competitionwastheperfectplatformto
launcha firstforthecompany:coffee
roastedoutsideof Italy.
Threelocallyroastedcoffeeswereon
offerat theevent,thesingle-originKafa
ForestCoffee,andtwonewRainforest
Alliance-certifiedblendsbelongingto the
Lavazza¡Tierra!range– ¡Tierra!Brazil
and¡Tierra!Colombia.
Whiletherestof theworld’s¡Tierra!is
roastedin Italy,CristianoPortis,Asiaand
PacificCoffeeResearchandDevelopment
ManagerandLicensedQGraderfor
Lavazza,says¡Tierra!is of specialinterest
to theAustraliancommunity.
“They’remorethanyourusualcoffee
blends.¡Tierra!tellsa storythatgoes
beyondflavourdescriptors,”Cristiano
tellsBeanScene. “Ina marketlike
Australia,whichis veryadvancedin
coffee,it’sa pleasureto talkaboutand
share this information, because the people
havea deepknowledge.”
¡Tierra!is a sustainabilityproject
launchedin 2002anddevelopedon
a jointbasiswithRainforestAlliance,
withtheaimof improvingthesocial
andenvironmentalconditionsand
theproductiontechniquesof several
coffee-growingcommunities.¡Tierra!
sustainabilityprojects,supportedby
LavazzaFoundation,areprimarily
intendedto increasecoffeequality
andyields,whilealsopromoting
entrepreneurshipamongcoffeegrowers
andimprovingtheirlivingconditions.
Inorderto achievethesegoals,
Lavazzaspreadsgoodagricultural
practicesthatfostercoffeequalityand
respectfortheenvironment,supporting
coffeegrowersin buildingand
managingtheirownorganisations,and
strengtheninggenderequality.Lavazza
saysorganisedgrowersgainaccessto
broadermarkets,obtainservicesusefulto
improvingproduction,andenjoybetter
accessto credit.
Cristianoaddsthat¡Tierra!allows
Lavazzato demonstrateitsconnectionto
coffeeproducingcommunities.
“ToLavazza,coffeeis morethanjust
a commodity.Havinga rangeof coffees
resulting from our projects shows that wearenotjustbuyingcoffeeovera phone
call,”Cristianosays.“Weactuallygoto
thosecountries,workwithfarmers,help
thelocalcommunity,andverycarefully
selectcoffeeto sharewithourcustomers.”
Theseprojectshaveallowedlong-term
relationshipsto developandprovided
greatpowerto producers.
“Ifyouactuallyinvestin andteach
peoplehowto maketheircoffee
better,they’reableto providea higher
quality,”Cristianosays.“I hada fantastic
experienceworkingononesustainability
projecta fewyearsago.I wentto many
differentoriginsandwasworkingwith
agronomistswhoareonthefieldevery
dayin difficultareassupportingfarmers.
There’sa lotof workgoingintoimproving
basicpractices,makingirrigationbetterto
reducewaterwaste,andapplyingfertiliser
properlyto enrichthesoil.”
¡Tierra!Colombiaincludescoffee
fromtheLavazzaFoundation’sMeta
SustainabilityProjectin themunicipality
of Mesetas,conductedwithlocalpartner
Carcafè.Lavazzasayscoffeecultivation
hadnotbeenpracticedfora long
timedueto armedconflictin thearea.
However,since2013,emptyplotsof land
havebeenreassignedandgivenbackto
displaced farming families with the aim ofReign of
¡Tierra!