illycaffè announces the finalists of the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award 2025, which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary

27 producers from 9 countries compete for the title of Sustainable Coffee of the Year

TRIESTE, Italy, Oct. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- illycaffè celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award, established in memory of Ernesto Illy, son of the company's founder, which honors more than three decades of virtuous collaboration with coffee producers worldwide.

Twenty-seven finalists have reached the final round of the tenth edition of the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award. On November 6, they will gather in Rome to discover who will be named Best of the BestandCoffee Lovers' Choice.

The finalists of this edition come from Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Nicaragua, and Rwanda. They were selected throughout the year by illycaffè's quality laboratories, which analyzed samples from the 2024/2025 harvest and identified the best lots and producers, based on both quality parameters and the company's sustainability practices.

"The EIICA Award, dedicated to my father, reaches its tenth anniversary this year. Since its launch, in the same year as Expo Milan, the world of coffee has changed profoundly. Knowledge and culture of coffee have grown, and regenerative agriculture has become increasingly widespread. At the same time, however, the climate crisis has negatively affected both harvests and markets. We firmly believe that the pursuit of quality must go hand in hand with the pursuit of sustainability, creating what we call sustainable quality, with a production system capable of adapting to climate change. Regenerative practices are an example: they improve harvests, increase crops' resilience to adverse events, and mitigate environmental impact. With this award we wish to thank all those who, season after season, produce and provide illy with the best coffee in the world," said Andrea Illy, Chairman of illycaffè.

The 27 finalists of the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award 2025, listed alphabetically, are:

Brazil:
Fazenda Nova Esperança - Leda Terezinha Castellani Pereira Lima
Fazenda Sequoia - Fazenda Sequoia Minas LTDA
Fazenda Serra São Bento - Dimas Mendes Bastos

Costa Rica
Coopelibertad R.L.
CoopeSabalito R.L.
Coope Tarrazú R.L. 

El Salvador
Finca Agua Caliente - J.J. Borja Nathan S.A.
Finca Bolívar - Matorral de S.A. de C.V.
Finca Villa Mercedes - Agroindustrial Yaya SA de C.V.

Ethiopia
Gerema Adere Washing Station Plc - Legesse Sherefa P.L.C.
Guji Uraga Tracon Washing Station - Tracon Trading P.L.C.
Legudi Trading P.L.C. 

Guatemala
Finca Buena Vista - Plantaciones San Pablo
Finca Hojarales - Empresa Agricola Industrial Hojarales S.A.
Small Producers - Santa Cruz Naranjo

Honduras
Finca Loma Linda - Humberto Pinto
Finca Rancho Escondido - Elvin Suazo
Finca Rio Frio - Jose Dario Enamorado Vallecillo

India
Igoor Estate - Chennamallikarjun I. D.
Margolly Estate - Tata Consumer Products Ltd.
Nullore Estate - Tata Consumer Products Ltd.

Nicaragua
Finca D'Andrea - Juan Carlos Belli
Finca Los Arroyos - Yeca S.A.
Finca Santa Matilde - Cafetales Santa Matilde S.A.

Rwanda
Muhura Coffee Washing Station - Sucafina S.A.
Mush Onyi Coffee Washing Station - Sucafina S.A.
Ngamba Coffee Washing Station - Sucafina S.A.

The ranking for each of the nine finalist countries will be revealed on November 6 at FAOheadquarters in Rome, during a special event where coffee producers will learn who has advanced to the final round of the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award 2025.

The nine finalist coffee samples will then be evaluated by an independent multidisciplinary jury of international experts (including chefs, journalists, tasters, and professionals), who will analyze them and award the Best of the Besttitle.
Consumers will also have the opportunity to taste the nine finalist coffees and vote for their favorite through a series of blind tastings organized in the weeks leading up to the award ceremony. The most-voted coffee will receive the Coffee Lovers' Choice award.

ILLYCAFFE'
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. Every day more than 10 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. 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 135 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 24 countries around the world. In 2024, the company had a turnover of €630 million. The illy single-brand network has 157 points of sale in 28 countries.

SOURCE illycaffè