Our view on responsibly-sourced coffee
Guided by our vision to create a better everyday life for the many people, in October 2016, IKEA launched a new coffee range that is both UTZ/Rainforest Alliance certified and organic certified according to EU standards. The PÅTÅR coffee range offers five different coffee products that our customers can feel good about: Responsibly sourced, of high quality and great taste – at affordable prices.
With the launch of the new IKEA PÅTÅR coffee range, a series of five different coffee products available in the Swedish Food Market, our coffee is now both UTZ/Rainforest Alliance certified and organic according to EU standards. Sourcing UTZ/Rainforest Alliance certified and organic coffee is part of efforts to ensure our food ingredients are responsibly sourced and produced under good labour conditions for farmers and workers while protecting the environment.
Coffee is one of the most valuable commodities globally and provides the livelihoods of around 25 million farmers in Central America, Africa and Asia. Since 2008 all coffee at IKEA has been UTZ/Rainforest Alliance certified. Farmers that are part of the UTZ/Rainforest Alliance programme generally gain higher yields, better incomes and better living conditions while protecting the environment. Organic farming methods prohibit the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, and the methods secure good care of natural resources such as water, soil and air. Organic agricultural practices support biodiversity on farms and reduce climate impact.
At IKEA, we decided to go ‘all in’ for sustainable coffee and, building on the UTZ/Rainforest Alliance certification, develop a coffee range that follows the EU organic certification standards. "I’m really happy that we can now offer our customers this combination of UTZ/Rainforest Alliance and organic throughout our coffee range," says Jacqueline Macalister, Health and Sustainability Manager IKEA Food Services.
The IKEA commitment to UTZ/Rainforest Alliance certified and organic coffee is an inspiring example of how different certification schemes can complement and support each other and jointly strengthen a company’s road towards sustainability. "We are proud to work together with companies like IKEA, and it’s because of them that we are able to make a difference. As a result, an increasing number of coffee producers are ultimately making sustainable farming the norm", says Han de Groot, Executive Director of UTZ/Rainforest Alliance.
Sourcing UTZ/Rainforest Alliance certified and organic coffee is a natural part of the new IKEA Food direction, offering a wider range of healthy and more sustainable food choices. It follows the introduction of veggie balls in April 2015 and the IKEA commitment to source ASC or MSC certified seafood in September 2015. With around 390 IKEA restaurants in 48 countries, IKEA sees its global reach as an opportunity to make a positive difference for people and the planet.
By choosing UTZ/Rainforest Alliance certified and organic coffee, IKEA supports small-scale coffee producers, for example in Central and South America, where the 100% Arabica beans used for the new PÅTÅR coffee range are hand-picked, delivering a high-quality product. To underline the Swedish heritage of IKEA, the taste profiles for PÅTÅR are inspired by Scandinavian coffee preferences: A full aroma with notes of fruits and chocolate.