illycaffè and Food for Soul together to promote the sustainability of the food system, social inclusion, and well-being

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Sep 05, 2023, 09:00 ET

The Trieste-based company is launching a four-year effort to support the nonprofit organization Food for Soul's mission and projects worldwide

TRIESTE, Italy, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- illycaffè, the global leader in high-quality sustainable coffee, is launching a four-year effort to support Food For Soul, a nonprofit organization founded by the chef Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore. Since 2015, their mission has been taking action to reduce food waste and provide sustainable solutions to improve food security. Their worldwide Refettorio projects work to recover food daily, providing nourishing meals around the table with dignity for those most vulnerable. The core idea behind the effort was inspired by the solidarity actions to save t food from waste and support social inclusivity, inspiring the "Refettorio" model, which transforms abandoned or underused spaces into community hubs where everyday hundreds of socially vulnerable people can feel welcomed, and where eating together can help create new bonds. These spaces are evermore special thanks in part to the Refettorio culinary teams and the numerous internationally and local chefs who volunteer their skill, knowledge and time to support the effort, giving a moment of taste, respite and love.

A commitment to sustainability and to fundamental, inalienable human rights are values that are deeply ingrained into the DNA of illy, which has always pursued the mission of delighting lovers of the good and the beautiful worldwide with the best sustainable coffee nature can offer, while encouraging a healthy and equitable food system.

"There is an enormous world behind this project, which embraces the universe of food while also taking in art, design, architecture, and sustainability. All these values have been part of the illy universe since the onset," comments Cristina Scocchia, CEO of illycaffè. "In complex times such as these, when the demand for help on the part of struggling families and individuals increases every day, simple gestures can make the difference. This is why illy has decided to contribute to Food For Soul, the nonprofit organization founded by our Chef Ambassador, Massimo Bottura and his wife Lara Gilmore, which supports and succours socially vulnerable people in its Refettorio projects worldwide".

The illy Chef Ambassador Massimo Bottura adds: "Cooking does not just depend on the quality of ingredients, but also on the quality of ideas. In Food for Soul, like in any other project of our Francescana Family, our focus in the kitchen is on how ideas take shape, how they are inspired by culture and, now more than ever, are driven by social choices. Illy's philosophy is based on values we share and believe in deeply, combining creativity and quality for a sustainable approach to food".

Over the next four years illycaffè, will support the organization's efforts as a "Curator of Tomorrow", providing financial and in-kind support for the expansion of the Refettorio projects, which will aid in the development of new community spaces and expansion of the number of meals served to socially vulnerable and isolated communities while preventing the waste of over 60 tonnes of food each year. illycaffè's support will also extend to donating coffee and other products and supporting the organization's Learning Network, created to facilitate dialogue and exchanges of ideas between the organization's partners worldwide.

"Social change is faster and sustainable when we join to overcome complex challenges preventing people from living well and affecting the health of our planet" shared Lara Gilmore, President of Food for Soul. "We are excited to have illy join Food for Soul's global family of supporters dedicated to ensuring good food without waste and the promotion of inclusive communities. Their ongoing social and environmental commitments alongside our shared values will nurture our development work, expand our impact and help us move culture forward".

illycaffè is an Italian family-owned company, founded in Trieste in 1933 which has always set itself the mission of offering the best coffee to the world. It produces a unique 100% Arabica blend composed of 9 different ingredients. The company selects only 1% of the best Arabica beans in the world. Every day 8 million cups of illy coffee are served in over 140 countries around the globe, in the cafés, restaurants and hotels, in single-brand cafés and shops, at home and in the office, in which the company is present through subsidiaries and distributors. Since its foundation, illycaffè has oriented its strategies towards a sustainable business model, commitment that it strengthened in 2019 by adopting the status of Benefit Company and in 2021 becoming the first Italian coffee company to obtain the international B Corp certification. Since 2013 the company is also one of the World Most Ethical Companies. Everything that is "made in illy" is about beauty and art, the founding principles of the brand, starting from its logo, designed by artist James Rosenquist, up to illy Art Collection cups, decorated by over 125 international artists, or coffee machines designed by internationally renowned designers. With the aim of spreading the culture of quality to growers, baristas and coffee lovers, the company has developed its Università del Caffè which today holds courses in 25 countries around the world. In 2021, Rhône Capital became a minority shareholder of illycaffè with the aim of contributing to the company's international growth plans. In 2022, the company had 1230 employees and a turnover of €567,7 million. The illy single-brand network has 190 points of sale in 34 countries.

FOOD FOR SOUL:
Food for Soul is a nonprofit organization founded by chef Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore empowering local communities to cultivate a more just sustainable food system by saving food from waste and reducing barriers to food security and livelihood. Through advocacy and educational initiatives, they are giving consumers the tools to shift habits toward socially and environmentally responsible behaviors; while collaborating with local nonprofits to create Refettorio projects, community spaces with social kitchens, that recover and transform surplus and imperfect foods into nourishing meals for those most vulnerable alongside education and training programs. To date the organization has opened 13 projects, 12 Refettorios across 9 countries, Italy, UK, France, Brazil, Mexico, Switzerland, Peru, Australia and the USA; with 6 more in development. Since 2015, Food for Soul's mission has inspired worldwide outcomes directly impacting UN Sustainable Development Goals 2, 12, 13; as the global Refettorio Network of Partners have collectively saved more than 1070 tonnes of food from waste, served 2.39 mil meals with hospitality and provided 1.2 mil fresh food packages with the helping hands of over 155K volunteers and guest chefs.