Ecotone, an organic and plant-based food producer, has opened the doors to what the company claims is the largest 100% organic coffee and tea factory in Europe.

The company, which owns brands across seven countries, has launched La Caféière with a €10 million investment to meet the growing demand for quality, organic hot drinks.

With financial support from the European Union and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, La Caféière represents part of Ecotone’s global ‘Food for Biodiversity’ mission to meet the highest environmental and sustainability standards.

According to Ecotone, La Caféière’s roasting smoke burner cuts CO2 emissions by 30% compared with traditional methods. Through green energy, wetland water management, 100% LED lighting and photovoltaic roof panels, the plant is designed to make the production of tea and coffee as sustainable as possible, with the aim to improve the standards of sustainability globally.

The factory also operates a 100% circularity policy: 85% of total leftover materials are recycled or reused in compost and 15% are incinerated with energy recovery.

Ecotone said that La Caféière’s suppliers operate agricultural practices that go beyond traditional organic standards. This includes the diversity of plant species grown per plot, fair income for small producers and positive action by partner cooperatives to combat deforestation in their areas.

More than 60% of La Caféière’s sales will now be through Fairtrade certified products. The aim is to achieve over 70% Fair Trade coffee and tea within two years. The factory will produce 100 tonnes of tea annually and receive 3200 tonnes of organic coffee each year, with 5.5 million units of organic coffee sold annually.

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