Nestlé opens a state-of-the-art Nescafé coffee factory in Veracruz, Mexico, creating 1,200 new jobs and leveraging several sustainable technologies.
Announced yesterday, the new factory follows an investment of $340 million and represents a step towards the objective set in the ‘Nescafé Plan’, supporting the sustainable production and supply of green coffee.
With this objective in mind, the factory has been designed to use state-of-the-art equipment and various green energies to reduce consumption and waste across the facility. Through the use of its water recirculation system, the factory can achieve 100% water recirculation, with Nestlé stating zero wastewater discharges and zero waste will end up in landfills. The facility also functions entirely on 100% green electricity, equipped with a biomass boiler that uses the biological waste from the coffee process to generate energy.
“The coffee factory is one of the most technologically advanced in the world and our company’s most modern and sustainable coffee plant,” said Fausto Costa, Executive President of Nestlé Mexico. “At Nestlé, sustainability is a fundamental pillar of our purpose, and we are committed to taking actions that have a positive impact on our planet.”
1,200 new jobs will be created in the region, and many more across the country, thanks to the new operation.
The President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador attended the factory’s opening event, commenting “With the inauguration of this plant, Nestlé is supporting close to 100,000 coffee producers in Mexico. This demonstrates the importance of the public and private sectors working together to bring investment to our country.”
In 2010, Nestlé launched its Nescafé Plan, aimed at improving farmer’s lives and reducing environmental impact within the coffee industry. Ten years later, in 2021, they released a follow-up titled “Our road to sustainability” where they highlighted the achievements made during that time. Key wins included reaching 75% responsibly sourced coffee, improved coffee economics in countries including Mexico, Côte d’Ivoire, Honduras and Vietnam, reduced scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 46%, and reduced direct water withdrawal per unit of soluble coffee by 53%, among others.
Nestlé has since announced the launch of renewed sustainability commitments, including achieving 100% responsibly sourced coffee by 2025, 100% recyclable or reusable packaging by 2025, and reducing emissions by 20% in 2025, 50% in 2030, and 100% by 2050. Stating that a core focus is to advance regenerative food systems at scale by protecting, renewing and restoring the environment, improving the livelihoods of farmers and enhancing the resilience and well-being of communities and our consumers.
We recently spoke to Dr Emma Keller, head of sustainability at Nestlé UK and Ireland to learn more about how empowering employees with a regeneration-first mindset is key to sustainable innovation
