The International Coffee Organization and Specialty Coffee Association Join Forces to Elevate Global Coffee Industry
In a historic move for the global coffee sector, the International Coffee Organization (ICO) and the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) have officially solidified their collaboration through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the ICO Headquarters in London. This groundbreaking agreement symbolizes a mutual commitment to advancing cooperation within the industry, with a focus on enhancing sustainability and education in specialty coffee.
Having fostered collaboration on various initiatives over the years, the ICO and SCA, bound by the MoU, are poised to leverage their combined outreach and expertise. This dynamic partnership aims to design and implement interventions that will benefit coffee stakeholders worldwide through knowledge-sharing, education, and capacity building. Training programs will be developed across diverse segments of the coffee value chain, encompassing 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 will actively promote sustainable practices and increase visibility in specialty markets, emphasizing attributes, consuming markets, communication, and skill building.
A key 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 tools.
Vanúsia Nogueira, Executive Director of the ICO, emphasized the importance 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, sees this partnership as a significant stride towards sustainability, creating new opportunities for knowledge transfer across the coffee sector. He expressed 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 partnership between ICO and SCA is anticipated to bring about positive changes in the global coffee industry, promoting sustainability, equity, and excellence from bean to cup.
