Sustainably Sourced Coffee Comes to 7-Eleven Stores

From Convenience Store News, Nov. 18:7-Eleven Inc. is growing its coffee offering with Nicaraguan single-origin coffee from Matagalpa. It is the convenience store retailer's first coffee to be Rainforest Alliance Certified.Carrying the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal with the little green frog, 7-Eleven's new coffee is sourced from coffee growers whose farms are required to meet strict standards designed to protect the environment, conserve wildlife, and promote the well-being of local communities. According to the retailer, the single-origin coffee, made exclusively from 100-percent Arabica beans harvested from Nicaragua's famed Matagalpa region, is a full-bodied, medium-dark roast with a delicious dark chocolate aroma and rich, sweet notes of cocoa. It is available exclusively at 7-Eleven convenience stores."Our Matagalpa Nicaraguan coffee delivers a smooth, rich and robust flavor — it's a great-tasting, premium cup of coffee without the premium price. And it does so with minimal impact on the environment," said Nancy Smith, 7-Eleven's senior vice president of fresh food and proprietary beverage merchandising. "Nearly every major coffee-producing region of the world is under stress as changing weather patterns affect coffee production," she added. "By working with the Rainforest Alliance, we can help foster sustainable farming practices that protect natural resources."As Smith explained, 7-Eleven's goal was to source a coffee that could carry the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal and provide a great-tasting addition to the chain's selection of fresh-brewed coffees.The new offering comes four months after the retail chain revealed it was working with Conservation International (CI) to set measurable corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals to reduce its environmental footprint. 7-Eleven's specific goals are to reduce its energy footprint in stores and offices by 20 percent by 2025; reduce its packaging footprint by 20 percent by 2025; and increase corporate giving to 1 percent of operating net income annually, beginning in 2017, as CSNews Online previously reported.The retailer also joined CI's Business and Sustainability Council, a forum for corporate leaders who are taking positive environmental actions in their businesses, to explore mutually beneficial ways to further reduce its environmental impact."The Rainforest Alliance is proud to be working with 7-Eleven, a company that understands the value of sustainably sourced coffee and shares our belief that everyday actions add up to meaningful impact," said Alex Morgan, Rainforest Alliance's director of markets transformation.Like all its proprietary beverages sold in a cup, the new single-origin coffee qualifies for the chain's 7Rewards loyalty program. Irving-based 7-Eleven operates, franchises and/or licenses more than 60,000 stores in 17 countries, including 10,700 in North America.

P2PI MEMBERS

JOIN P2PI

You May Also Like

7-Eleven International to Acquire 7-Eleven Australia

J&J Campaign at Walmart Supports Tree Planting