Ecuador is pioneering sustainable agriculture with innovative practices that enhance productivity, while preserving its rich biodiversity and forest ecosystems.
UNDP has teamed up with Lavazza to produce the world’s first certified ‘deforestation-free’ coffee. Using funds from the Green Climate Fund and the Global Environment Facility, and technical assistance from the UN-REDD Programme, the UNDP-Lavazza partnership is working with farmers in the 23 provinces bordering Ecuador's Amazon rainforest. The goal is not only to improve the quality of coffee beans but also to protect nature and forests.
Agriculture is one of the biggest causes of global deforestation. As with many places around the world, Ecuador’s Amazon basin has seen massive deforestation in recent years. The UNDP-Lavazza initiative aims to restore land and prove that fine quality coffee can be grown without cutting or damaging forests.
The initiative is taking place under the banner of PROAmazonía, the Amazonian Integral Forest Conservation and Sustainable Production Programme. It’s a national government initiative led by the Ministry of Environment and Water and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and supported by UNDP. So far it has restored 15,023 hectares of Amazonian land.
"The deforestation-free coffee certification in Ecuador has been a significant achievement, driven by strong collaboration between local producers, the government, UNDP, and the private sector. It marks a milestone that reflects the commitment of small producers to both forest conservation and product quality.” - Patricia Serrano, Manager, PROAmazonia
Seventeen tonnes of deforestation-free coffee have been shipped to Lavazza for international distribution as part of the first shipment in this pilot project. Farmers are seeing the benefits of new techniques in higher prices and wider recognition of their work.
“PROAmazonia has taught us to take care of the environment, to not cut down the forest. For us it also pays off to leave the forests standing, this way we can demand better prices for our coffee.” - Gonzalo Castillo, Coffee farmer
Lavazza will introduce its Ecuadorian coffee in a limited-edition tin under its “Tierra! For Ecuador” line in late September, ahead of a critical EU ruling mandating deforestation-free coffee production by January 2025.
Investing in responsible supply chains is not only environmentally beneficial but also crucial for the long-term viability of businesses.
The deforestation-free certification includes comprehensive geospatial surveys and third-party verification to ensure that the coffee meets the highest standards of environmental integrity.
“Ecuador has that potential because it has good coffee. It has an environment, biodiversity, care for biodiversity that is very, very important. Above all this is a collaboration between public sector and private sector. I think that’s the key. If we don’t work together, the public-private and international organizations like UNDP we can’t reach these results.” - Veronica Rossi, Sustainability Manager, Lavazza Group
This wide-ranging public-private partnership, is not only improving the quality of life for farmers, it’s creating agricultural and forestry policies that are helping Ecuador to achieve its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement. The effort has so far supported over 70,000 local producers, 40 percent of whom are women, through improved infrastructure across 18 gathering centres.
“This is not a project, it’s a movement. And I would be fascinated to see it last, not as a project, but as a movement that Ecuador can promote further.” - Arturo Santos, Regional Technical Advisor, UNDP Ecuador
Much of the growing demand for coffee in the next 20 years can be met by regenerating degraded land and improving productivity. UNDP’s approach emphasizes economic inclusion and is grounded in the knowledge of local and Indigenous communities, ensuring that sustainable agriculture practices align with their deep understanding of the ecosystems.
“As women we do everything. We come, we reap, we wash, we process. Yes, it’s hard work but in the end it’s worth the work because our coffee is produced, and it goes to other countries. It’s beautiful to preserve nature.” - Yadira Troya, Farmer
To learn more about the deforestation-free coffee initiative and UNDP's leadership in sustainable coffee production, visit the page on our partnership.
© 2026 United Nations Development Programme
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