The International Coffee Organisation (ICO) has announced the coffee-industry outcomes of the G7 Summit, which took place in Fasano, Italy, from 13 to 15 June.
At its 50th session, members of the G7 states gathered with representatives from the European Council and European Commission (EU), focusing on critical global issues such as climate change, economic recovery, and international relations.
Prior to the event the G7 Ministers met with the Italian Presidency of the G7 to discuss these issues, acknowledging the challenges faced by the coffee industry, and advocated for a public-private partnership initiative to promote sustainable, circular, and regenerative coffee value chains.
Pledging to support multi-stakeholder programmes, the main outcome of the summit was the leaders’ commitment to policies and investments which aim to address climate-related food supply disruptions within the sector, including a public-private initiative on coffee.
A proposal was also established highlighting detailed aims to advance policy, investment, research, innovation, partnerships, and blended finance to ultimately boost sustainability, value addition, and the circularity of the coffee global value chain (C-GVC).
A plan to support smallholders and family farmers in coffee-producing countries through a dedicated global fund was also put in motion.
Recognising the significance of this milestone, Vanúsia Nogueira, Executive Director of the ICO, emphasises the ICO’s commitment in its support to achieve these goals.
“The ICO is committed to achieving a diversified global coffee sector and to economic and social development through sound value distribution in the C-GVC and by enhancing income opportunities in producing and consuming countries,” he says.
“We are proud that the ‘coffee diplomacy’ efforts of the ICO and our Coffee Private-Public Task Force have resulted in coffee being recognised as a key strategic sector by the G7 leaders. This is proof that a strong ICO amplifies the voices of farmers and empowers coffee stakeholders, bringing hope to millions worldwide.”
Dedicated to supporting exporting and importing countries in improving sustainability within the coffee sector, the ICO will continue to build on the outcomes of the Summit and work towards developing a proposal that helps mobilise the coffee sector’s journey towards sustainability.
For more detail on the insights and outcomes of the summit a pdf document is available to download here.
