Innovation and sustainability: Lavazza partners with Italy at Expo 2020 Dubai

TURIN, Italy, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The partnership agreement was signed today between Lavazza Group and the Commissioner General's Office for Italy at Expo 2020 Dubai, strengthening the innovation and sustainability project promoted by the country with its participation in the Universal Exposition next year.

As Platinum Sponsor, Lavazza's products and services will have a presence in the Italy Pavilion for the entire duration of the Expo, which because of the postponement will begin on October 1, 2021 and end on March 31, 2022. Lavazza, in its capacity as Official Coffee, will take this Made in Italy excellence to the heart of the first Expo staged in an Arab country and in the ME.NA.SA. area (Middle East, North Africa and South Asia).

The partnership with the Commissioner General's Office for Italy's participation at Expo Dubai forms part of the Lavazza Group business and sustainability strategy, in the framework of a development programme that is on one hand integrated into its own processes and activities, and on the other put into practice by the nonprofit Giuseppe e Pericle Lavazza Foundation, which today has 24 projects underway in 17 countries benefiting 97,000 people.

Lavazza also aims to engage with and inspire all its stakeholders and civil society in general with a view to Goal Zero, the Sustainable Development Goal that the company has added to the 17 Goals of the UN in order to promote the 2030 Agenda.

"The Italy Pavilion at Expo Dubai 2020 not only represents a remarkable opportunity to showcase the best of 'Made in Italy' to the whole world, expressed by Lavazza through its ongoing quest for excellence in coffee, but is also a key moment for sharing innovations and good practices in the field of sustainable development across the supply chain, from production to consumption," said Antonio Baravalle, Lavazza Group CEO. "Innovation and creativity underpin the development of our products and processes, while sustainability, which is now an integral part of our business strategy, guides our choices."

The theme chosen for the Italy Pavilion is "Beauty brings people together". This is represented by a space that is not only an exposition, but also a demonstration, offering visitors an out of the ordinary experience by showcasing the expertise, talent and multidisciplinary approach that typify the 'Made in Italy' culture and drive new training, professional and business opportunities.

"The partnership with Lavazza lets us take a product that represents Italian excellence to Expo Dubai, one with an international reputation rooted in good taste, lifestyle, sustainability and innovation, all values that are central to the plan for Italy's participation in the upcoming Universal Exposition," said Paolo Glisenti, Commissioner General of section for Italy's participation at Expo 2020 Dubai. 

The Lavazza coffee shop project in Dubai is designed to offer visitors to the Expo a "Sustainable Coffee Experience", with the help of the finest products and technology developed by Lavazza. The products on offer will include, for example, the washed Arabica blends in the Lavazza ¡Tierra! range. These fine coffees that respect the natural environment and the local culture are grown using sustainable practices and certified by the Rainforest Alliance, an international NGO that promotes sustainable farming practices designed to protect the environment and ensure dignified living standards for growers. 

Lavazza's coffee shop in the Italy Pavilion will be symbolised by a huge Solar Moka, created to showcase an emission-free preparation process that uses solar power to heat the water needed to make the coffee served to visitors.

Lavazza's commitment to sustainability
Lavazza is committed to active collaboration with the main organisations that work together as a system to achieve sustainability goals, not least by subscribing to the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, by participating in the Global Compact of the United Nations, and by being an active partner of the Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development (ASviS).

Lavazza's business model for over 120 years is based on synergy between the company's system of values - a passion for excellence, teamwork, consistency, transparency, integrity and farsightedness - and its economic strength, demonstrated by the extent of its ethical and financial commitment to sustainability.

To coordinate and implement sustainability projects, in 2004 Lavazza set up the non-profit Giuseppe and Pericle Lavazza Foundation, which today has 24 projects underway in 17 countries benefiting more than 97,000 coffee growers. The main goal of the projects supported by the Lavazza Foundation is to improve coffee yield and quality, promoting both entrepreneurship among growers and improvements in their living standards. An ongoing focus on people and the promotion of Sustainable Development principles have enabled Lavazza to tackle the challenges of sustainability with a practical approach that is appreciated by civil society as a whole, as can be seen from the company's ranking in the "2019 Global CR RepTrak®", the world's most extensive study on how public opinion perceives Corporate Social Responsibility: Lavazza is one of the top 10 companies worldwide for Corporate Responsibility, rising 23 places up the 2019 ranking compared with 2018 and placing first both in the food & beverage industry and among Italian companies. As part of its systematic approach to sustainable development, the company takes part in the CEO Carbon Neutral Challenge to reduce CO2 emissions and supports KLM's Corporate Biofuel Programme, the biofuel research and development initiative to reduce CO2 emissions.

Commissioner General's Office of Section for Italy's participation in Expo 2020 Dubai The Commissioner General's Office promotes and coordinates Italy's participation in the Dubai Universal Exposition and in initiatives in the run up to the six-month exposition in Italy and worldwide. For public opinion in Italy and the United Arab Emirates, for other participating countries and for all visitors to the Pavilion, Italy's project proposes and communicates a major operation of cultural, training, scientific and economic diplomacy. Italy's participation in the Expo consolidates the country's leadership role in the Mediterranean, helping strengthen intercultural ties between Europe and the Middle East, North Africa and Asia, and promoting the multidisciplinary skills that lie at the heart of so many of the cooperation projects launched by our companies and institutions.

About Lavazza Group
Lavazza, founded in Turin in 1895, has been owned by the Lavazza family for four generations. As one of the world's most important coffee roasters, the Group now operates in more than 140 countries through its subsidiaries and distributors, with 70%of turnover generated on international markets. Lavazza employs a total of over 4,000 people and in 2019 generated sales of € 2.2 billion. Companies that form part of the Lavazza Group include France's Carte Noire and ESP (acquired in 2016 and 2017 respectively), Denmark's Merrild (2015), North America's Kicking Horse Coffee (2017), Italy's Nims (2017), and the business of Australia's Blue Pod Coffee Co (2018). At the end of 2018, following an acquisition, the Lavazza Professional Business Unit was created, which includes the Office Coffee Service (OCS) and Vending systems Flavia and Klix. 

Contact:
Will Davis
[email protected]
917-618-0185

SOURCE Lavazza Group