Fzin Coffee Wins Global Award for Business of the Year at The Women Changing the World Awards

Sofia Kalfa and Fzin Coffee received the Gold Award and First Place Globally in the Business of the Year category at The Women Changing the World Awards.

Within the European award cohort, Fzin Coffee (pronounced: ef zin) first received Silver in the Business of the Year category, progressing into the global finals against Gold and Silver award winners from Europe, the Americas, APAC, and Australia.

Co-Founder and Managing Partner Sofia Kalfa also received Gold in the Rising Star category, Bronze in the Changemaker category, and an Honourable Mention in the Leader of the Year category within the European cohort.

Commenting on the awards, Sofia Kalfa, Fzin Coffee, said:

“Fzin has evolved around the conviction that sustainability should be integrated into the products people use every day, particularly in categories like coffee and beverages where consumption happens at enormous scale. The cumulative environmental impact of millions of seemingly small daily decisions is significant, and product design, material choices, and supply-chain decisions should not leave businesses and households carrying environmental or compliance debt after purchase. While much of the industry has focused on recycling after waste has already been created, our focus has been on reducing that impact through design and material selection from the outset, including the use of advanced compostable materials such as our Espresso Aromatico range, which holds the highest globally available 4-Star OK Biobased certification.”

“Receiving First Place Globally in the Business of the Year category reflects strategic planning and a deliberate focus on building initiatives that differentiate the business from conventional approaches within the sector. Ireland can credibly be seen as leading the transition towards more environmentally responsible materials, in convenience coffee and it is encouraging to see that work now being recognised in competitions alongside businesses from across the world.”

Fzin Coffee is a sustainability-led coffee and beverage company based in Macroom, Co. Cork, supplying Ho.Re.Ca (hotel, restaurant cafe) offices, and households. The company delivers sustainability through coffee and beverage products consumed every day by replacing plastic and aluminium coffee pods and waste-intensive packaging with compostable and environmentally responsible alternatives. These include compostable coffee capsules, palm-oil-free drinking chocolates, reduced-waste packaging formats for coffee syrups, and reuse packaging schemes where packaging is reused for two to three cycles, enabling homes and businesses to make practical, high-impact improvements to their environmental footprint.

The awards reflect growing international recognition for Fzin Coffee, which is embedding sustainability into product design, sourcing, packaging, ISO-certified manufacturing through exclusive third-generation Italian roaster, and operational decisions rather than treating sustainability as a standalone initiative.

The Women Changing the World Awards is an international awards programme led by Dr Tererai Trent and recognise leadership, sustainability, innovation, and social impact across business and society. 

Further background on Fzin Coffee’s sustainability work, award recognition, and business growth is available in recent features in the Irish Times, Evening Echo, Southern Star, Irish Examiner and Irish Independent.