Good coffee does not end in the cup
We have been roasting coffee in Bologna since 1919. In more than a century we have learnt that quality is not measured only in the aroma of an espresso: it starts on the plantations, continues in the way we seal a bag and goes all the way to the moment when, at the end of the day, you throw away a pod. That is why we prefer to tell you what we do, one choice at a time, rather than use big words.
It all starts with those who grow it
Coffee is born far from here, in the hands of those who grow it. That is why, rather than “suppliers”, we prefer to talk about travelling companions, chosen one by one.
The most important is one of Brazil’s major coffee producers: more than a fifth of all the green coffee we import comes from them, and some of our Brazilian Specialty coffees also come from their plantations.
Their farms have been Rainforest Alliance certified for more than twenty years. Almost a third of their land is left as forest and nature reserve, and an entire estate is devoted solely to protecting Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. Over twenty years, hundreds of thousands of native trees have been planted there, and bees are kept for wild honey in the protected areas. In the fields, irrigation is by drip, guided by a monitoring system, and no pesticides of toxicological classes I and II, the most hazardous, are used.
These figures are taken from the producer’s 2024 sustainability report, prepared according to GRI standards.
For our other origins we look for the same kind of relationship, although it is not always possible to find certified producers: it is ongoing work, harvest after harvest.
Our organic and Fairtrade blends carry two extra guarantees, checked by independent bodies: we are controlled organic operator no. 13000 (control body IT-BIO-014) and a Fairtrade operator (FLO ID 38246, FLOCERT certified), with regular audits at our roastery.
Packaging designed down to the last gesture
A bag has to protect the aroma of the coffee. But it also has to be easy to throw away in the right place. That is why, wherever technically possible, we have removed paper and aluminium from our packaging: one material, one bin.
- Beans and ground coffee. Plastic-only bags, with no aluminium or laminated paper: after use they go in the plastic collection.
- ESE pods. The pod is made of compostable paper, certified by TÜV AUSTRIA to European standard UNI EN 13432: after brewing it goes in the organic waste. For the wrapper we could have used a paper laminate, which in Italy can go in the paper collection. We chose plastic only, so as not to create a mixed material that is hard to separate.
- Nespresso-compatible capsules. 100% aluminium, with no silicone rings, made of at least 80% recycled aluminium. Once used, they go in the metal collection.
- The box that arrives at your home. Cardboard certified FSC® by the manufacturer, to be put in the paper and cardboard collection.
We have not managed this everywhere yet: the 64 g single-dose packs of Felsina, Bononia and Sanluca still use a film containing aluminium, because today it is the only way to keep single-dose ground coffee intact. They go in general waste, and we prefer to tell you so clearly.
The instructions are always on the pack
Since 2018 we have printed on every pack how to dispose of each part, long before environmental labelling of packaging became mandatory in Italy. You will find the same information online, in the “For the Environment” section of each product page: material, code and the right collection for each component.
A roastery under control
Our coffee is roasted at our plant in Osteria Grande, just outside Bologna. Emissions from the roasting plant are authorised and regularly checked, as required by the plant’s permit.
Ask us anything
We believe trust comes from transparency. If you want to know more about an origin, a pack or a certification, write to us at e-store.italia@gifize.it: we will reply and, if needed, send you the documents.
Information updated October 2026.