14.12.2022 | News
By transforming conventional coffee farms into shade-grown farms that use sustainable farming practices, the Danish company’s technology solution reduces CO2 emissions in the farming and processing stages by 90%.
Nefco – the Nordic Green Bank has granted financing for NOR International, a Danish company that specialises in sustainable coffee farming. With loan financing from Nefco, the company will be able to roll out its technology-based solution for sustainable coffee farming to smallholders and cooperatives in Central and South America and thereby reduce the environmental impact of coffee farming.
Conventional coffee production is a significant greenhouse gas emitter within the agricultural sector. Climate change, growing consumer demand for sustainably produced coffee as well as stricter regulations concerning deforestation-free coffee production are driving coffee producers to change their production methods for the better.
Established in 2013, NOR International started working with its first coffee farm in Nicaragua. NOR International’s practices include replacing fossil fuel with solar power for electricity and heat generation, replacing synthetic fertilisers with recycled coffee pulp and effluents, and transforming conventional coffee farms into shade-grown farms. Compared to conventional coffee production, shade-grown coffee has less impact on biodiversity. It also increases carbon sequestration in forest soils and reduces soil erosion.
“By introducing our simple and cost-efficient technology package to coffee farmers, we can reduce CO2 emissions by 90% in the farming and processing stages compared to conventionally produced coffee. The financing from Nefco will help expand our producer network and transform existing conventional coffee farms into shade-grown farms with sustainable farming practices,” said Frederik Zeuthen, Founder and CEO of NOR International.
“This project shows how considerable emissions in a small part of the coffee production chain can be significantly reduced by introducing simple and cost-efficient technologies, such as solar energy and bio-fertilisers. We are very excited to support the international scale-up of NOR International,” commented Søren Berg Rasmussen, Investment Manager, Nefco.
For further information, please contact:
Søren Berg Rasmussen, Investment Manager, Nefco
soren.rasmussen@nefco.int, +358 10 618 0674
Frederik Zeuthen, Founder, CEO, NOR International
fz@cafenor.com, +505 86365536
About NOR International
NOR International farms, processes and exports own-grown and direct trade sustainable and organic specialty and organic specialty coffees to the EU, USA, Australia and other markets. The NOR concept was conceived in 2013 with the purchase of the company’s first farm by the current and sole owner Frederik Zeuthen, who has 15 years of experience managing agrobusiness start-ups, brownfield and private equity investments across Latin America. Together with its partners, NOR has developed certifiable farming and processing equipment and related expertise, applying sustainable farming methods and solar energy technology. NOR has recently started selling and financing its technology and expertise and providing certifications to its partner farmers/processers and other interested industry players. Read more: cafenor.com