2025 marked the first time the International Coffee Organization (ICO) took part on the UN General Assembly with official observer status, among other milestones, says ICO Executive Director Vanúsia Nogueira.
2025 was a year of recognition – both for the ICO and for the global coffee community we represent. For the first time, we took part in the UN General Assembly with official observer status, a milestone that signals our growing voice in global dialogue.
The FAO Conference formally recognised 1 October as International Coffee Day, elevating a long-standing tradition into an institutional celebration. And at COP30 in Belém, we took part in the global “mutirão” of collective efforts and engaged as an active partner for the first time, providing inputs to shape the COP Action Agenda and ensuring that coffee – its economies, its landscapes, and above all its farmers – was fully represented in conversations on climate and sustainability.
These achievements speak not only to the increasing prominence of our organisation, but to the rising centrality of coffee within multilateral processes. This matters, because multilateralism is the path forward. Only by joining forces – producers and consumers, public and private actors, large and small stakeholders – can we shape a sustainable future for coffee. And as we advance together, it is essential to recognise that coffee farmers remain at the heart of our sector, bearing both the weight of global challenges and the potential to drive meaningful change.
Despite differing priorities, we share common challenges: climate change, evolving regulations, and trade barriers that touch origins and markets worldwide. Because these issues affect us all, they demand collective solutions.
In 2026, our guiding principle will be clear and ambitious: coffee is part of the solution. Coffee has always been a catalyst for social, economic, and environmental development and it will continue to be a powerful driver of progress if we harness its full potential. Our focus will be to turn principles into action: translating commitments into concrete policies, partnerships, and investments that strengthen resilience, empower producers, uplift farmers’ livelihoods, protect ecosystems, and create value across the entire chain. By working together, we will ensure that coffee not only adapts to global challenges but actively contributes to sustainable development worldwide.
This article was first published in the January/February 2026 edition of Global Coffee Report. Read more here.
