International Coffee Organization and Specialty Coffee Association forge historic Partnership to Transform Global Coffee Industry
Source: The DairyNews
In a landmark development, the International Coffee Organization (ICO) and the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) have formalized their collaboration through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the ICO Headquarters in London. This groundbreaking agreement signifies a joint commitment to advancing cooperation within the coffee industry, with a primary focus on elevating sustainability and education in the specialty coffee sector.
With a history of collaborative efforts on various initiatives, the ICO and SCA, bound by the MoU, are poised to harness their collective outreach and expertise. This dynamic partnership aims to design and implement interventions that will benefit coffee stakeholders worldwide, emphasizing knowledge-sharing, education, and capacity building. The collaboration will encompass training programs across diverse segments of the coffee value chain, spanning production, trade, roasting, brewing, and preparation methods.
The MoU outlines a shared dedication to expanding market promotion and encouraging the consumption of high-quality coffee. Both organizations are committed to fostering constructive dialogue among ICO Members, industry experts, and coffee professionals. The collaboration actively promotes sustainable practices and aims to enhance visibility in specialty markets, focusing on attributes, consuming markets, communication, and skill-building.
A pivotal aspect of the program is the empowerment of producer organizations to access specialty coffee and embrace higher-value trading models, facilitated by the use of the SCA Coffee Value Assessment and its associated tools.
Vanúsia Nogueira, Executive Director of the ICO, underscores the significance of comprehensive training, stating, "Education and skills development are the keys to unlocking the full potential of our industry, ensuring a robust foundation for sustainable growth, fostering innovation, and empowering every actor in the value chain, from bean to cup."
Yannis Apostolopoulos, Chief Executive Officer of the SCA, views this partnership as a significant stride towards sustainability, creating new opportunities for knowledge transfer across the coffee sector. He expresses the SCA's commitment to collaborative and diverse approaches, stating, "Collaborative efforts, like this partnership with the ICO, will play a crucial role in making the rewards of the specialty coffee segment accessible worldwide."
The ICO and SCA anticipate that their partnership will bring about positive transformations in the global coffee industry, promoting sustainability, equity, and excellence from bean to cup.
The MoU outlines a shared dedication to expanding market promotion and encouraging the consumption of high-quality coffee. Both organizations are committed to fostering constructive dialogue among ICO Members, industry experts, and coffee professionals. The collaboration actively promotes sustainable practices and aims to enhance visibility in specialty markets, focusing on attributes, consuming markets, communication, and skill-building.
A pivotal aspect of the program is the empowerment of producer organizations to access specialty coffee and embrace higher-value trading models, facilitated by the use of the SCA Coffee Value Assessment and its associated tools.
Vanúsia Nogueira, Executive Director of the ICO, underscores the significance of comprehensive training, stating, "Education and skills development are the keys to unlocking the full potential of our industry, ensuring a robust foundation for sustainable growth, fostering innovation, and empowering every actor in the value chain, from bean to cup."
Yannis Apostolopoulos, Chief Executive Officer of the SCA, views this partnership as a significant stride towards sustainability, creating new opportunities for knowledge transfer across the coffee sector. He expresses the SCA's commitment to collaborative and diverse approaches, stating, "Collaborative efforts, like this partnership with the ICO, will play a crucial role in making the rewards of the specialty coffee segment accessible worldwide."
The ICO and SCA anticipate that their partnership will bring about positive transformations in the global coffee industry, promoting sustainability, equity, and excellence from bean to cup.
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