UCC Holdings signs partnership with Conservation International

UCC Holdings Co. Ltd, headquartered in Kobe, Japan, has partnered with Conservation International, a globally operating not-for-profit organisation, to support its nature-positive commitment set out in its global UCC Sustainability Direction.

The agreement will support UCC in understanding nature-based priorities in coffee sourcing regions, helping to formulate recommendations for key landscapes. Building on the assessment by Conservation International of UCC’s impact on nature, UCC will shape a strategy for investing in nature-based projects and solutions which help protect nature, forests, and resources in coffee-growing landscapes to support resilient communities.

Raina Lang, Senior Director Sustainable Coffee Markets, Conservation International, comments: “We urgently need to rebalance our relationship with nature and empower people to protect the nature that we rely on for food, fresh water, and livelihoods. We are delighted to be working alongside UCC in developing an action plan for the company’s nature-positive approach, which will identify nature hotpots linked to UCC’s sourcing and prioritise efforts that protect, restore, and manage nature where it is most needed.”

Liz Higgins, Group Sustainability Director, UCC Europe, comments: “In our European business, we’ve been working with Conservation International since 2020, alongside one of our UK foodservice brand, Grand Café, to help fund a three-year project in Antioquia that has supported climate training and farm adaption plans for around 280 farmers and the planting of over 70,000 native tree seedlings to help critical biodiversity corridors. Our UCC Group initiative with Conservation International moves our relationship forward, helping us develop and shape our plans towards our nature positive commitments.”

Earlier this year, UCC Group unified the UCC Group’s sustainability policy with a new global strategy, global goals, and plans. The UCC Sustainability Direction is a roadmap that underpins UCC Group’s contribution to the realisation of a sustainable society. Based on its sustainability vision of Powering Positive Change with Coffee, UCC Group has established an ambition to help People Flourish and Nature thrive delivered through global sustainability targets including becoming carbon-neutral by 2040, 100% sustainably sourced UCC branded coffee by 2030, and adopting a nature-positive approach.

Conservation International has been working to promote the transition to sustainable coffee for over two decades. Its developed best practice standards for coffee production, identified practices that support nature-based climate solutions on coffee farms, and linked farmers to carbon markets and other payment for ecosystem service programs. It operates in 30 countries with a team of nearly 1500 worldwide, and it empowers societies at all levels to create a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable planet.