EcoPlum Shines a Spotlight on its B Corp Suppliers: illycaffè Brews Sustainability in Every Cup

This is the fifth profile in our blogpost series about our B Corp suppliers.

From bean to cup, illycaffè S.p.A. (illy) proclaims that every facet of its operation is guided by its commitment to have a positive impact on the planet. In an industry often criticized for environmental degradation and unfair labor practices, illy and its coffees stand out as a beacon of sustainable excellence. This Italian family-owned premium coffee company has always embraced quality, ethics, and innovation. In 2021, illy became the first Italian coffee company to earn B Corporation (B Corp) certification—a globally recognized standard for companies that balance profit with purpose.

The origin of illycaffè and family leadership

Francesco Illy founded Illycaffè in 1933 in Trieste, Italy. His son Ernesto joined the company in 1947, led the company starting in 1956 when his father died, and served as Chairman for 45 years from 1963 until he passed away in 2008. The business is still family-owned and run by its third generation. Andrea Illy (Ernesto’s son) is Chairman (and former CEO). Cristina Scocchia was brought in as CEO in 2022 and is not a member of the family. Anna Rossi Illy is honorary president and the wife of Ernesto. Anna Illy (Ernesto’s daughter) is Chief Ethical Officer and president of the Ernesto Illy Foundation.

In 1935, Francesco Illy invented and patented the world's first automatic espresso machine to replace steam with pressurized water. This invention is considered the foundation of the modern espresso machine.

Ernesto Illy was a chemist by training and had a scientist’s orientation on perfecting espresso quality through research and production. He was an enthusiastic evangelist for espresso and a renowned leader and giant in the global coffee industry. Long before the company became a B Corp, he expressed his deeply held humanitarian views of the illy enterprise.

“The role of the industrial company in the modern society is primary and essential, but the sole profit isn’t enough to justify its actions, which have to be fully integrated with the respect for the human being, the community and the environment.”Ernesto Illy

I once had the pleasure of meeting Ernesto Illy at an espresso seminar that illy sponsored at the Miami Beach Food & Wine Festival. He conducted it and I remember his passion, in-depth understanding, and detailed knowledge of everything there was to know about espresso.

Andrea Illy championed the company’s sustainable transformation. Under his leadership, illy joined major global platforms like the United Nations Global Compact and the International Coffee Organization’s Coffee Public-Private Task Force, promoting sustainable practices industry-wide.

What makes illy unique?

The company has a global brand reputation for coffee of the highest quality, and smooth, velvety taste. It is produced carefully and exactingly from a blend of nine varieties of pure Arabica beans. The beans are roasted to achieve a rich, aromatic, and balanced flavor—“Where Art Meets Science.” Illy selects the finest Arabica coffee plants, grown sustainably by farmers in over 20 countries around the world. Key to its success is collaborating with coffee growers and nurturing long-time partnerships with them, rooted in shared values and mutual growth.

The company sees sustainability as a driver of growth and differentiation. Illy has built a business that revolves around a world of experience, taste, science, and art devoted to the pleasure of the perfect cup of coffee. Innovation has also been an important part of the illy story from the beginning.

The world of illy

The world of illy encompasses more than coffee and also includes:

Coffee machines
Designer cups by well-known artists—the illy Art Collection
Accessories
illy Caffè, authentic Italian coffee shops
Università del Caffè, sharing the culture of quality coffee around the world

B Corp Certified: A better future with B Corp values

Illycaffè earned its B Corp Certification in 2021. As a B Corp, the company is accountable to not only its shareholders but to all stakeholders—including farmers, employees, consumers, and the planet. Continued growth is accompanied by business strategy aimed at the common good. Sustainability is at the core of its business, embedded into every level of decision-making and boosting its credibility among investors, partners, and consumers.

The illy values chain

Illy’s sustainability philosophy is built on economic, environmental, and social responsibility—a “values chain” that starts with the grower and ends with the consumer. The company recognizes climate change as one of the main threats around the world to food security, natural resource availability, and economic stability. The coffee sector faces some critical challenges. Illy has set out its own interventions in its Climate Transition Plan, with some of the goals and achievements outlined below.

Ethical Sourcing and Farmer Partnerships

Rather than buying beans on the commodity market, illy works directly with Arabica growers across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The company pays a premium—often well above Fair Trade levels—for high-quality, sustainably grown beans. In return, farmers receive long-term contracts, agronomic training, and support through the Università del Caffè, illy’s proprietary training institution, designed to promote sustainable growing practices and quality control.

First Coffee 100% Sourced from Regenerative Agriculture

To mitigate the effects of climate change on coffee plantations, illy created a sustainable agricultural model with coffee producers that the company has worked with for over 30 years in the Cerrado Mineiro region of Brazil. Their collaboration resulted in the first coffee 100% sourced from regenerative agriculture with regenagri® certification.

The model promotes practices within its ecosystem geared toward adaptation, alleviation, and regeneration, not just protecting resources. The results are improvements to soil fertility and the diversity of species.

Environmental Stewardship

By its 100th anniversary in 2033, the company anticipates it will use 100% renewable electricity in its operations and 80% of its Brazilian coffee will come from regenerative agriculture. By 2050, illycaffè is committed to achieving Net Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) across its whole value chain.

The company has also invested heavily in eco-friendly packaging, waste reduction, and energy efficiency. By 2030, it expects to adopt only recyclable packaging and maximize the reuse of coffee waste. Recent innovations include introducing recyclable aluminum capsules and experimenting with compostable materials.

Innovation in Quality and Circularity

As a pioneer in coffee science, illy continuously invests in R&D to improve quality while reducing its environmental footprint. In 1934, illy pioneered its patented pressurization system for tins in which air is replaced with inert gas at a pressure greater than that of the atmosphere. This allows coffee to stay fresh without preservatives, enhances aroma, extends shelf life and reduces waste—a prime example of innovation supporting sustainability.

Giving Back: The Ernesto Illy Foundation

The Ernesto Illy Foundation is a non-profit corporate foundation, founded by illycaffè S.p.A. The foundation carries out philanthropic activities desired by the family to complement the company’s sustainable business model and build on the principles set out as a B Corporation. Anna Illy, Ernesto’s daughter, chairs the organization. Her mother Anna Rossi Illy is the Honorary President.

Illy supports the following work:

Educating the children of coffee producers in Nicaragua and Guatemala
Providing better community health in Guatemala for coffee producers and their families
Empowering women and their communities in Rwanda
Promoting environmental protection and preserve biodiversity in Brazil
Defending coffee culture in Columbia with professional training
Supporting communities and fostering excellence in sustainable production worldwide building enduring relationships with coffee growers
Promoting sustainable purchasing processes

EcoPlum Sustainable Swag® Gift Boxes with illy Coffee

EcoPlum® offers illycaffè in two of its popular gift boxes below. Plan ahead for upcoming special events and occasions by ordering customized versions of these boxes with your corporate branding!

Premium Gift Box

Italian coffee and Belgian chocolate are a beloved pairing! The Premium Gift Box contains illy Classico espresso, a premium chocolate bar from Tony’s Chocolonely, and a classic Italian stove-top espresso maker—the Grosche Milano moka pot in five different colors. Both coffee and chocolate are sustainably sourced and produced. So is the gift box and packaging!

Classic Gift Box

Illy Italian Classico espresso and Tony’s Chocolonely Belgian chocolate are paired again in this Classic Gift Box, along with a 12 oz. thermal stainless steel camper mug with a lid available in eight different colors. Customized branding is available. The coffee, chocolate, gift box, and packaging are sustainably sourced and produced.

Illy offers a compelling case for building a legacy brand steeped in tradition but infused with the spirit of sustainable transformation and innovation.

And so EcoPlum salutes illycaffè.

Editors’ Note:

EcoPlum is a B Corporation and distributor of sustainable promotional products, including featured products byillycaffè.