ICO to address plummeting income of coffee growers

The International Coffee Organisation’s (ICO) is hosting a forum to address the plummeting income of coffee producers, in London, UK, on 23 September 2014. The 4th Consultative Forum on Coffee Sector Finance: Bridging the Gap Between Farmers and Finance in an initiative designed to generate discussion on topics related to risk management and investment for coffee growers. According to the ICO, the forum will discuss ways for producing countries to engage with financial institutions and ensure that the support from those institutions meets the needs of coffee farmers. “The objective is to establish a direct dialogue with financial multilateral institutions, donors, and other actors in the field, to discuss and implement concrete plans for poverty alleviation and wealth creation in rural communities which depend on coffee production,” said the ICO, in a statement. Experts from a range of fields within the coffee industry have been invited to speak at the international forum. The event is open to ICO members, financial institutions, development professionals, and other actors in the coffee industry. Those interested in attending can email the ICO at info@ico.org to register.