George Clooney's latest appearance in Nespresso adverts is raising eyebrows thanks to the actor's noticeably empty cup. However, it is all part of the brand's latest campaign to raise awareness of climate change's impact on coffee production.
Launching on International Coffee Day (October 1), the campaign features Hollywood megastar Clooney, who is also the brand's ambassador, holding an empty coffee cup as a symbol of the risk faced by many coffee growers. Currently, 60% of wild coffee species are endangered and almost half of the land used to grow coffee today could be unviable by 2050.
Fine-grade Arabica, one of the most popular variations of coffee beans, is particularly vulnerable to weather shocks. Nespresso says that empowering farming communities to protect their land against these weather shocks while simultaneously combatting the causes of climate change is critical to the future sustainability of high-grade coffee.
The brand has teamed up with the Rainforest Alliance to build a framework of regenerative agriculture, an approach that has the potential to not only reduce global agri-food emissions but to increase rural resilience against the impacts of climate change.
Santiago Gowland, CEO of the Rainforest Alliance said: “Almost a quarter of emissions come from agriculture, forestry and other land use. We urgently need swifter action to address climate change and changing the way we grow our food must play a big part.
"The good news is that transitioning to regenerative agriculture can reduce the impact of farming and sustain our global food system for future generations.”
The campaign will be Clooney's 16th for the leading coffee brand. Ahead of International Coffee Day, he has urged readers to "think outside the cup" when it comes to tackling climate change.
He says: "The threat of climate change is real and coffee farmers are on the front line. It’s vital that we empower these communities to build financial and environmental resilience so that they not only survive but thrive and prosper.
"This concept is at the heart of the Nespresso approach. But this is about more than coffee.
"Climate change is not something that a single company or even an entire industry can fix. It requires urgent, bold action on a global scale. The stakes are high."
Anna Lundstrom, CEO at Nespresso UK, added: “For many of us, coffee plays a hugely important role in our daily lives, with an estimated 98 million cups consumed in the UK alone every day. International Coffee Day is, of course, a global celebration of that love and passion for high-quality, exquisite blends, sourced from regions across the globe.
"This year, however, we’re also looking beyond the cup to spotlight the very real threat of climate change to the future of the world’s favourite beverage, and the livelihoods of millions who depend on it.”
