Farmer Bros named honoured in inaugural Texan by Nature 20
Farmer Bros. a national coffee roaster, wholesaler and distributor of coffee, tea and culinary products – has been named as an honouree of the first-ever Texan by Nature 20 (TxN20), an official ranking of 20 companies with Texas operations that have made a demonstrative commitment to conservation.
Texan by Nature (TxN), a Texas-led conservation non-profit, founded by former First Lady Laura Bush, launched the TxN20 to recognise the best and most innovative work in conservation coming from Texas-based business and operations. As part of the TxN20, Texan by Nature will honour 20 companies across 10 industries in state whose ingenuity are forging new, beneficial paths in conservation.
Farmer Brothers earned this distinction as a result of its ongoing focus on sustainability. During 2019, the company achieved its zero-waste goals in all roasting plant and distribution centres, and decreased consumption of electricity and transport fuels. Farmer Brothers publicly reports its carbon footprint each year through the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). It has also thrown its weight behind a sustainability programme that carried out employee ideas, like fuel-efficient trucking across the fleet and cardboard recycling at various branches.
“Climate change is a central issue within each pillar of the framework,” said Molly Laverty, director of sustainability at Farmer Brothers. “Coffee plants are highly sensitive to ambient temperature, and as the climate warms, many traditional coffee growing regions may prove unable to sustain a coffee crop.”
The company has reclaimed and refurbished more than 6,150 pieces of commercial beverage equipment. At its Houston plant, Farmer Brothers replaced the roaster’s circulating systems to stop heat loss and reduce carbon footprint, projected to save 138,000 kilowatt-hours and reduce energy consumption by 70%.
“At Texan by Nature, our firm belief is that our long-term prosperity and health is dependent upon our natural resources,” said Joni Carswell, CEO & President of Texan by Nature. “In launching the TxN20, we aim to spotlight innovation in conservation and inspire more substantial efforts to create a new model of conservation for Texans and our shared future. It is an honour to showcase and celebrate the Texas-led innovation, commitment, and elevated practices spanning industries and our unique state.”
The final Texan by Nature 20 honourees were selected based upon a stated dedication to conservation, demonstrated commitment to conservation via investment and volunteerism, measurement and reporting of spending and impact on conservation efforts, and employee engagement. Honourees were identified through submissions as well as researched via publicly available information on conservation and sustainability efforts.
