What's the buzz?

Well, actually, bees. Bees in coffee trees.

For those who’ve been reading my posts, you know that I’m intrigued by the meeting point between “products” and sustainability, embellished by the beauty of design. Our newest foray into farmer income diversification hits all those points.

Launching in two Nespresso USA boutiques this week - New York City and Walnut Creek, California - Coffee Blossom Honey and Coffee Blossom Honey Syrup are both produced on Colombian coffee farms ?that are members of Nespresso’s unique coffee sourcing network: the AAA Sustainable Coffee ProgramTM.

To understand how these are produced, let’s start with the basics that I myself recently learned when visiting these Colombian farms. When coffee trees flower, their delicate white blossoms emit a jasmine-like fragrance so enticing that it sends the bees buzzing. Flying from one tree to another, the bees feed on the flowers, which helps pollinate the coffee. The result is both delicious coffee and a particularly sweet and rich honey.

Remember learning about the birds and the bees at school? We’ve always known they’re key to keeping our environment alive and healthy, feeding and seeding nature. As nature is thrown off balance though, the bees are also put at risk. Coffee farms offer them a home, and they in turn enrich their home through pollination. This virtuous circle is a part of what we call “regenerative agriculture”: using nature-based solutions to coffee farming.

Our Coffee Blossom Honey is the tangible result of this virtuous circle. Coffee trees pollinated by bees that use the nectar of coffee flowers to create a velvety smooth honey. Its caramel and vanilla notes and creamy texture pair beautifully with coffee. Drink the satisfaction of knowing both have been harvested off the same Colombian farms – it’s a naturally sweet pairing.

If you’re not a honey lover, try out the Coffee Blossom Honey Syrup on your Sunday pancake stack – delicious is knowing that the coffee you drink and the syrup you savour can be produced on the very same farms. Doubly delicious for us as consumers, a bonus for farmers and a boost to nature by applying a nature-based farming aid. Since 2003 the Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality Program has worked with farmers to produce high quality coffee and more of it in an environmentally and socially responsible way. Part of our care for farmers entails teaching new skills and helping them create new sources of income. Enter the bees: farmers are learning beekeeping skills that add honey income to their coffee revenue, all from the same land.

We’ve called these range of products “Nespresso Bloom”, and for those lucky fans who live in New York or Walnut Creek, they’ll be launching this Wednesday, August 7th. Tell us what you think, since those of us in Switzerland will not be privy to the treat.