The non-profit partnership International Coffee Partners (ICP) has announced its new Chair, Rui Miguel Nabeiro, CEO of Grupo Nabeiro and Delta Cafés. He is taking over the role from Kathrine Löfberg, Chair of the Board at Löfbergs, who was in office for the past seven years.
At the official handover in Lisbon, Portugal on 8 March, Löfberg, Nabeiro, and Michael Opitz, Managing Director of ICP outlined where ICP stands, reviewed the past years, and presented what is planned for the upcoming years.
“Our experience of 20 years taught us to not look at coffee production in an isolated way but at the family farm as a whole. We take a holistic approach including youth, gender issues, off-farm activities, and nature,” says Löfberg.
Since its founding, ICP has reached more than 110,000 smallholder families in 13 countries.
“It was a pleasure to lead ICP as its Chair for so many years and of course, I will happily keep supporting ICP’s activities as part of the Steering Committee. I wish all the best to the new Chair Rui Miguel Nabeiro,” says Löfberg.
For the upcoming years, ICP plans to further develop its activities with a specific focus on youth and climate change. As ICP’s new Chair, Nabeiro will oversee these activities together with the Steering Committee.
“I am happy to support the progress of our joint work. Youth and climate change are very relevant megatrends in sustainability. We aim to enable youth to explore agriculture and coffee as pillars of their livelihood,” says Nabeiro.
ICP’s goal is to empower youth within their rural communities, create prospects for them on site, within and outside agriculture or the coffee industry. Developing their social and technical capacities shall enable them to develop their own living.
With regard to climate change, ICP plans to further strengthen the initiative for coffee and climate (c&c) which was founded by ICP in 2010. Löfberg is the current Chair of c&c, and she will continue to work closely with Nabeiro on these common subjects.
“ICP has a lot to offer when it comes to knowledge and experience on the ground. Cooperation with public and private actors helps us all to utilize synergies and address the challenges in the regions more efficiently,” says Nabeiro.
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