Coffee enthusiasts who visit Disney parks will soon taste the benefits of an environmental initiative in Peru, thanks to a collaboration between The Walt Disney Company and Conservation international. A significant amount of Peru's organic coffee is grown in the Alto Mayo Protected Forest, an area that has endured deforestation threats due to unsustainable coffee farming practices. In 2009, Disney began working with Conservation International to educate farmers and change those practices in an effort to positively affect not only the forests, but the lives of the farmers as well. According to the Disney Parks Blog, this partnership offered local farmers, "training in sustainable farming methods, such as growing coffee in the shade, making organic compost, pruning coffee trees and learning methods to avoid coffee-leaf rust diseases."
The Alto Mayo Protected Forest covers 450,000 acres; more than 240,000 people that rely on the Mayo Alto Basin for their quality of living have been affected by this effort. Due to increased production yield and quality of their harvests, farmers are not only earning more money for their coffee, but also reducing deforestation in the area as they lose the need to expand their farmland.
Disney contacted their official specialty coffee provider, Joffrey's, and representatives from both companies traveled to Peru. While there, they sampled the coffee and reviewed harvesting and processing methods used by the local farmers.
The following restaurants will be serving the Peruvian coffee at first, with it eventually being served at all restaurants that serve press pot coffee:
Walt Disney World Resorts
- Tiffins, Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Le Cellier Steakhouse, Epcot
- The Hollywood Brown Derby, Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Flying Fish, Disney’s BoardWalk
- California Grill, Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Cítricos and Narcoossee’s, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Artist Point, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Yachtsman Steakhouse, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
- Carthay Circle Restaurant, Disney California Adventure park
- Napa Rose, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
- Steakhouse 55, Disneyland Hotel
