After several years of trainings and preparation, from the startof the 2014-2015 purchasing year, Nestlé will only purchasecoffee
that have passed the 4C verification in Yunnan.
In order to assist Yunnan coffee planting conforms to international coffee industry trends, and to help coffee growers comply with international standards, under the support of local government, since 2012, Nestlé coffee experthas started providing4C (Common Code for the Coffee Community) associated trainings for coffee companies of long-term cooperative relations, and to date, 5 batches of over 2,600 cooperative partners have passed the 4C verification, benefiting about 36,000 coffee growers and covering nearly 200,000 mu of cultivated area.
4C is a common code which is extensively accepted all over the world, concerning the sustainable development of all supply chain links, such as coffee growing, production and processing. More and more international buyers have preferred to purchase coffee in line with 4C requirements. In the 2012-2013 coffee beans purchasing season, more than 1/3 of the coffee beans purchased by NestléPu'er procurement station was in line with the 4C standards, and the products were mainly exported to international markets. Meanwhile, to encourage coffee farmers to grow high quality coffee beans in compliance with the 4C sustainability standards, from 2013 onwards, Nestlé specially set up a "4C Fund of Creating Shared Value." In the 2014-2015 purchasing season, Nestlé is realizing its earlier commitment of purchasing 100% 4C verified coffee beans.