For Buencafé, it is a great satisfaction to present this first sustainability report based on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards, responding also to the historical clarity with which we have conceived our business.
This report shows our commitment to constantly reflected on managing, increasingly better, the economic, environmental, and social dimensions while communicating to stakeholders the results, goals, policies, and strategic objectives, guided by our sustainability vision.
The corporate values that govern us as an organization and its higher purpose are also reflected in this report: «To live optimism as a transforming force to create sustainable value in the world of coffee.»
We can proudly say that our business model is an example for Colombia and the world because Buencafé is the only factory that belongs to a country’s coffee growers. In addition, its operation by the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC) is a commercial window that adds sustainable value by transforming the beans into freeze-dried coffee, extract, and coffee oil of the highest quality, marketing them in about 40 countries to reach 60 markets.
The 2021 balance is important given the conditions arising from the pandemic and national and international events, which we faced with all the rigor and intelligence to overcome barriers and achieve excellent results.
Our sales reached USD 167.4 million, we produced 12,558 tons of freeze-dried coffee, we bought 505,000 bags of green coffee, we shipped 1,655 containers (all of these figures are equivalent to 24 million cups of Colombian coffee in the world every day), and we reached two new markets: Argentina and the Philippines.
With a careful inventory strategy, we managed to mitigate the 87% rise in raw material prices. And with the commercial strategy of selling jars rather than coffee in bulk, we maximized the margin.
The good news also arose from the certifications achieved by our factory. Of a total of 25 distinctions with which we closed the year, seven were achieved only in 2021, including some in the organic category, which endorse us not only to meet requirements in different regions or countries where our exports arrive but also consumers’ demands.
As to innovation, we work on initiatives around three lines of action: research and development (R&D), operational efficiency, and eco-packaging. As a result of these efforts, we managed to develop 13 new references, which meet our customers’needs and requirements.
Regarding our invaluable human talent, we closed 2021 with 430 direct employees and 570 indirect employees, for a total of 1.000 positions. And undoubtedly, it was also a positive year in occupational safety and health as a result of the set of programs, policies, and strategies that we implemented on those matters.
All these figures give a good overview of the management achievements, closely related to Buencafé’s strategy: Caring for our people and the planet, investing 100% of our profits in benefits for the 540,000 coffee grower families in the country, and delivering high-quality products to our customers around the world, positioning the 100% Café de Colombia logo.
