illycaffè Celebrates International Coffee Day with #Stand4CoffeeFuture: A Campaign Giving Future Generations a Voice to Build a Better Tomorrow for Coffee

NEW YORK, Oct. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sustainability, innovation, equity: three terms commonly used by new generations intent on building a better future for people and their planet. illycaffè, the global leader in high-quality coffee, is celebrating International Coffee Day on October 1 by paying tribute to the passion and talent of younger people around the world who are working to create positive change for the coffee sector.

To that end, illycaffè today launched #Stand4CoffeeFuture, a campaign to give voice to the coffee industry's future generations and celebrate the key role they are playing to build a better world.  The campaign features graduates of the Master's Degree in Coffee Economics and Science, founded by the Ernesto Illy Foundation,   conveying through video the role new generations have in creating a better future for coffee. These talented young professionals effectively express issues that are impacting the sector, from climate change to scarce access to information, and how they stand to help build a more sustainable, innovative and equal world.

illycaffè strongly believes that progress comes through personal growth, in terms of acquiring knowledge and achieving self-fulfillment. It is why the company has invested in large-scale knowledge-sharing programs such as Università del Caffè, now operating in 26 subsidiaries throughout the world.  The Master's Degree in Coffee Economics and Science course of study provides in-depth and multidisciplinary training for those aiming to work in the coffee industry, and more generally in the agro-food sector. The degree program addresses the entire production chain, from cultivation to catering, and retail via logistics and industrial process.

"Young people are the future of coffee and have the power to shape it, comments Massimiliano Pogliani, CEO of illycaffè. – therefore training and knowledge-sharing are paramount. Innovation and sustainability are the two pillars of our business model, which we transmit throughout our supply chain through the courses of the Università del Caffè and the Master's program as well as the field work conducted by agronomists. With #Stand4CoffeeFuture, we want to give future generations a voice, expressing thankfulness to all those who have chosen to train and dedicate their skills to improve the future of the coffee sector, and encouraging others to follow their example."

The #Stand4CoffeeFuture communication campaign will be available starting today on the illy website -www.illy.com/stand4coffeefuture - and on illy social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter).

In some selected illy stores the campaign will take the stage. Customers will be able to raise their voice and join the illy's Master degree students, creating their own message. Starting from Rome on the first of October and closing in Trieste on October 24th, customers will be able to take a selfie in front of a backdrop with the key visual of the campaign. The best posts, using the hashtag #Stand4CoffeeFuture, will be posted on illycaffè's digital channels.

About illycaffè
illycaffè is an Italian family business, founded in Trieste in 1933 and committed to offering the greatest coffee to the world. illy is the world's most global coffee brand, producing the unique illy 100% Arabica blend made of 9 of the world's best selections of Arabica; each day more than 8 million cups are consumed in over 140 countries in the finest cafés, restaurants, hotels and in offices and homes. Thanks to its innovations, it contributes to technological advancement in the coffee sector. With the bestowing of the first "Ernesto Illy Award for quality espresso coffee" in 1991 in Brazil, illy also pioneered sharing know-how and paying a premium price for the best quality. Since 2016, through its "Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award", the company celebrates the growers of the world's best batches of sustainable coffee. Since 2013 illycaffè has regularly features on the list of the World's Most Ethical Companies. In 2019 illy renewed its commitment to pursuing a sustainable business model combining environmental and social issues by adopting Società Benefit [benefit corporation] status and including this commitment in its by-laws. In 2021 illy was the first Italian coffee company to obtain B Corp international certification thanks to its commitment to abiding by the highest environmental and social performance standards.  The company also founded its University of Coffee with the aim of fostering and spreading its culture, providing comprehensive academic and hands-on training for coffee growers, baristas and coffee lovers in order to cover every aspect of the product. Everything 'made in illy' is enhanced by beauty & art, which represent founding values of the brand, starting from its logo – designed by an artist, James Rosenquist – and including the renowned illy Art Collection, comprised of over 100 cups designed by international artists. In 2020 the company was employing 1,291 people and posted consolidated revenues of €446.5 million. There are 261 stores and mono-brand illy shops in more than 40 countries. In 2021 Rhone Capital became a minority shareholder of illycaffè to assist the company with its international growth.

SOURCE illycaffè