Löfbergs launches ROC-Certified Honduras coffee
The new coffee combines organic and Fairtrade certification with regenerative farming standards, while a Peru project will support farmers transitioning to ROC® certification.
EUROPE – Löfbergs has launched Löfbergs Honduras, becoming the first large coffee roaster in Europe to introduce ROC®-certified coffee, as it expands its focus on regenerative coffee production.
The speciality coffee will be introduced at Strawberry hotels across the Nordic region throughout the autumn, giving guests access to coffee that is certified organic, Fairtrade and Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC®).
Löfbergs Honduras is a balanced Arabica coffee with notes of milk chocolate, honey and forest berries. The beans are grown at altitudes of 1,100 to 1,900 metres by members of the Cafico cooperative in Honduras.
ROC® builds on organic farming requirements and adds standards focused on improving soil health, increasing biodiversity and working towards living wages throughout the supply chain.
Kajsa-Lisa Ljudén, Head of Sustainability at Löfbergs, said the certification represents a stage in the company’s sustainability work.
“For us, ROC® is an important next step in our sustainability work. It is not only about reducing our impact, but also about contributing to restoring nature and creating better conditions for more sustainable coffee production,” Ljudén said.
She added that working with Strawberry would allow Löfbergs to reach consumers, while its project in Peru would support solutions aimed at strengthening the future of coffee and opportunities for farmers.
Strawberry has required its coffee to be dual-certified, organic and Fairtrade, since 2014. The hotel group is now introducing ROC®-certified coffee at its hotels across the Nordics.
Ingrid Håvik, Head of Responsible Procurement at Strawberry, said the partnership was focused on taking responsibility in areas where the company has a significant impact.
“For sustainability efforts to make a real difference, we need to take responsibility where our impact is greatest,” Håvik said.
She said Strawberry purchases volumes of coffee from countries including Honduras and Peru, adding that the ROC® certification and the partners’ Peru project would support farmers transitioning to regenerative agriculture.
Löfbergs and Strawberry are also launching a project with the Peruvian coffee cooperative La Prosperidad de Chirinos. The initiative will fund the expansion and mechanisation of fertiliser production at the cooperative.
The project will provide more farmers with access to high-quality organic fertiliser, supporting their transition to regenerative agriculture and ROC® certification. According to the cooperative’s trial plots, the methods can increase yields by 10% to 15%.
For Löfbergs, the Peru initiative combines certified coffee with investment designed to help more farmers make the transition to regenerative agriculture.
The launch forms part of Löfbergs’ sustainability work through certification and projects supporting farming practices, biodiversity, soil health and conditions across the coffee supply chain.
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