IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Sharing Solutions: How local approaches enable global success

Setting sail for the coffee business of tomorrow: On course to the first ERP rollout for NGUS

Depicting NKG’s growth in Asia: Insights from Mira Yudhawati and Emily Chua

Smart design for a sustainable future: The Ibero Uganda mill project

Behind the scenes

Mail from NG Comms: A personal Update

Virtual Tour: Berindo Jaya

Faces and portraits

Interview with Thomas Silva

Interview with Marcelo de Paula Nogueira

On a Cupping with Maks Mazurkiewicz

A visit with Kayd Whalen

NKG Integrity Champion: Thumbs up for reliable colleagues

NKG Holding who is who: Introducing Legal Department

Breaking the coffee ceiling: Inspiring women at NKG

Out of the box

Three by Three Questions: EUDR challenges and implementation

Time to take action: Neumann Gruppe donates to the promotion of democracy

At a glance

Recap: What happened in half-year one / 2024

It's your turn

Quiz: Spot the Difference

CLOSE-UP

Getting started with our new Program: NKG Verified’s first implementation in Brazil

CLOSE-UP

Getting started with our new Program: NKG Verified’s first implementation in Brazil

One of NKG’s approaches for a more sustainable supply chain is the new program NKG Verified. It is part of our Responsible Business Program and contributes to goal 4 “Leverage technology to create sustainable supply chains”, which belongs to objective 2 “Growing impact in our supply chains”. With Verified, NKG wants to improve supply chain traceability and compliance with key sustainability criteria. 

 

After launching NKG Verified internally, NKG Sustainable Business Unit (SBU) and NKG Stockler were now able to complete the pilot project and implement NKG Verified for the first time. We asked them about the process, and they very kindly gave us an insight into how it went and where they are heading now.

Why was NKG Stockler the first company to implement NKG Verified?

Paula Mejia, SBU

There is significant demand for NKG Verified coffees from the largest world origin, Brazil, so this is why we began with Stockler.

Why did you choose to implement NKG Verified and what do you expect from using it? 

Osmar Moraes, NKG Stockler

The situation regarding the complex legal system is very difficult. NKG Verified gives us the opportunity to work on this with the farmers. There is also a growing interest in sustainability projects from roasters. Furthermore, NKG Verified fills the gap between sustainability certifications brought upon producers from the outside and the actual needs and short comings locally. It provides a solid basis for us to offer coffee produced under sustainable conditions and in accordance with local laws.

After this successful implementation, we hope to reach a significant number of producers and make their sustainable performances increase over time, and thus, contribute to a more productive, economically viable, socially correct and environmentally sustainable supply chain.

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Paula Mejia & Osmar Moraes

NKG Verified is a standard adapted to our reality and easy to implement, it is inclusive and accepts any size of farm.”

Osmar Moraes, NKG Stockler

How was the implementation with NKG Stockler?

Paula Mejia, SBU

It has been a smooth learning process. Stockler’s inputs have been of great value. This pilot was very important to implement before launching NKG Verified to other exporters and externally. We experienced some delays due to the Covid-19 outbreak and the frost but with the opportune action from Stockler, we were able to run the audit during harvest season. The SBU and NG Compliance analyzed the audit results with Stockler and as of now, Verified coffees from Brazil will be available to offer to the customers. NKG importers will be informed accordingly. Right now, we are meeting other interested exporters, who are willing to implement NKG Verified as well.

Where do you see main advantages of NKG Verified?

Osmar Moraes, NKG Stockler

NKG Verified criteria respect our local reality and aim to improve it. It is a very inclusive standard, based on our local laws. The language it uses is straightforward and simple, so it is more understandable for producers. Third-party audits give credibility and ensure roaster that we are doing what we say we do. A certain flexibility in criteria make it possible to pick up producers that are still in a very early stage of sustainability and help them improve over time.

 

After working with farmers they already knew quite well, NKG Stockler is now looking for further producers, who are open-minded and willing to change and improve their sustainability performance. 

 

For other exporters interested in participating or traders wanting to present information about NKG Verified to customers, the SBU in cooperation with NG Communications designed a presentation and a 2-pager about NKG Verified. In 2022, NKG Verified will participate in the equivalence mechanism of the Global Coffee Platform to be recognized as equivalent to the Coffee Sustainability Reference Code, which is a requirement for many customers that purchase responsible or sustainable coffee. Furthermore, NKG Board of Management will define sales targets for NKG Verified in 2022.

Info-box: NKG Verified

NKG Verified is one of NKG’s approaches to build responsible supply chains. It is an orientation for customers, as it is desgined for supply chains that meet basic sustainability criteria. There are three main differences from most of the other coffee certifications:

  • The costs are included in the price for the customer, not the program owner.
  • It provides supply chain sustainability performance information: There is a third-party audit visualizing the results of the supply chain for the economic, social and environmental indicators.
  • It is managed by NKG: although it predefines a framework, NKG Verified still offers flexibility to comply with specific requirements of our clients.

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20457 Hamburg • Germany 

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PRIVACY POLICY

Neumann Gruppe GmbH
Coffee Plaza
Am Sandtorpark 4
20457 Hamburg • Germany

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