ICO and GCP renew commitment to coffee sustainability collaboration

 by Priya Jadhav 

Mumbai / Bengaluru, 29th September 2023: During the World Coffee Conference, the International Coffee Organization (ICO) and Global Coffee Platform (GCP) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), renewing and expanding their special partnership within the Coffee Public-Private Task Force (CPPTF), in an effort to accelerate coffee sustainability, farmer prosperity, and address systemic sustainability issues facing coffee farming communities around the world. 

“Innovative and effective public-private cooperation is key to promote farmers prosperity, improved social well-being and conservation of nature in coffee producing countries,” said Annette Pensel, GCP Executive Director. 

“By renewing and deepening our partnership with the ICO, GCP acknowledges that public private dialogue, conducive policies, along with a mix of financing mechanisms to enable sector transformation, are essential to achieve our shared goals.” 

In line with the International Coffee Agreement 2022, which sets out a new institutional framework, including, for the first time, the private sector and civil society as affiliate members, and foresees the transformation of the CPPTF into a permanent Working Party. The MoU signed today acknowledges the important role GCP will play in contributing to achieving the CPPTF Roadmap 2030. This includes the successful delivery of the platform’s recently-approved GCP 2030 Goal on farmers’ prosperity and coffee sustainability through focussed and measurable collective action at local and global levels. 

”Only a common approach to the future development of the sector can create achievable opportunities and pave the way for a sustainable, resilient and inclusive coffee sector. Through the CPPTF, the ICO intends to strengthen its partnerships to advance initiatives that ensure greater economic, ecological and livelihood sustainability for future generations of farmers,” said Vanusia Nogueira, Executive Director of the ICO. 

“We are proud today to sign the MOU with the GCP and we look forward to the future role this agreement will play in the development of the sector locally and globally.” 

The ICO has a goal of economic resilience and developing pathways to prosperity for coffee farmers. This goal is underpinned by ambitious public-private cooperation which has the greatest potential to drive the sector’s sustainability and ensure a prosperous income level for farmers. The MoU between ICO and GCP confirms shared commitment to promoting sustainable development as a means of achieving social and economic progress in coffee producing countries. 

The continuation of the partnership falls in line with GCP’s new strategy to become the change agent around farmer prosperity through advancing coffee sustainability in collective action. Through the GCP Network of Coffee Sustainability Platforms in producing countries, the learnings harvested through the partnership can be further discussed and scaled. 

Both organizations will continue to work together around relevant Sustainable Development Goals. This includes enhancing coordination and collaboration, strengthening the enabling environment for systemic change and enabling more efficient and effective use of resources. 

“Within this coordination and collaboration, we believe that farmer prosperity must be at the core of any sustainability program to bring lasting, systemic change on challenges such as climate change, regulations and human rights. This change can only be achieved through effective sector cooperation and smart investments,” said Pensel.