ICO and GCP renew commitment to coffee sustainability collaboration

The MoU signed acknowledges the important role GCP will play in contributing to achieving the CPPTF Roadmap 2030

During the 5 th World Coffee Conference 2023, the International Coffee Organization (ICO) and
Global Coffee Platform (GCP) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on
September 29, 2023, 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 organisations 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.