Behind your daily cup of coffee is a huge industry of networks that work together for the betterment of how coffee is produced and the well-being of the humans who produce it. One such event that focuses on this is the World Coffee Producers Forum. Michael Wood of I. & M. Smith was in attendance and provided this feedback on the conference.
The World Coffee Producers Forum was held in Kigali, Rwanda, 13th, 14th February 2023, attended by a multitude of representatives from coffee producer countries, policy makers and stakeholders. This was the third biennial event, the first held in Colombia, the second in Brazil. This year’s event hosted over 1,000 delegates from across the globe, to gather to discuss critical issues of common concern to coffee producers worldwide and by extension the entire coffee supply chain. Focus of the panel discussions were; Living Income, Climate Change, and Sustainability.
During this year’s forum the agenda was set to address the following three questions:
Does living income lead to prosperity for coffee producers?
Is climate change the end of coffee?
Will increased environmental regulations in consuming countries save the planet or ruin farmers?
Following panel discussions and deliberations, the World Coffee Producers Forum pledged to continue to work on addressing these concerns, to develop and deliver a set of Sustainable Development Goals, based National Coffee Sustainability Plans to achieve Farmers Prosperity. Progress on this agenda will be presented at the next Forum due to be held in 2025, in Asia.
“The coffee value chain needs to work together under the principles of co-responsibility and solidarity to ensure sustainable coffee production, the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and farmers’ prosperity, which must be at the center of any action or policy. Poverty is the biggest predator of communities and the environment.” Juan Esteban Orduz, Chair of the World Coffee Producers Forum
Report compiled by I. & M. Smith (Pty.) Ltd.
