Oikocredit’s Post

What we hope for the coffee industry of the future as a whole, is that farmers receive just pay, that agriculture of the crop is regenerative to the earth, that processing is circular, that the lines of trade are fair and transparent. Unfortunately this is not the reality of the coffee industry today. We’d like to share an article that highlights some of the current challenges in Colombia. Coffee prices have fallen and labor and materials remain high. The political support that is needed is not there. GoodSAM will continue working hard towards the first scenario. We want you to drink your cup of coffee knowing you are connected to a greater system of agriculture and fair labor that you can be proud of; that you are supporting important jobs for women and families; that you are supporting the regeneration of the soil with every sip. So, through our food purchases we can carve out a better future for our children and global community. https://lnkd.in/ewsC9Nmu

☕🧑🌾🌎 Did you know that your cup of coffee benefits entire communities? That’s the power of cooperatives, which help small coffee farmers grow and market their produce. In honour of the recent International Day of Cooperatives, we’re highlighting the work of COOPERATIVA FRONTERA SAN IGNACIO or COOPAFSI. A farmer may be able to grow superlative beans, but getting them to roasters and consumers requires an entirely different organisation. Cooperatives such as COOPAFSI help producers pool their resources to scale their businesses. Formed in 1968, the Oikocredit partner operates within the districts of La Coipa, Huarango, Tabaconas, and San Ignacio. The Peruvian cooperative comprises 16 committees and provides microfinance, social, and business services to its partners. It also covers a large number of needs that arise from technical agricultural training to community development and health funds. As a result, farmers such as Magdalena López Herrera from San Antonio de la Balsa now get a fair price for their coffee, as well as support with fertilizers, temporary workers at harvest time, and even technical assistance around crops, beekeeping, and climate change. “The cooperative supports us in many ways,” she says. “The practice on our coffee farm has changed. Before, we sold our coffee to the traders. Sometimes buyers came to the house to take it. But they didn't pay us the fair price like the cooperative does. They give us a better price that encourages us to continue growing coffee.” In the process, the entire local community reaps social and economic benefits. So, the next time you brew a cup of coffee, take a moment to appreciate the role of cooperatives and how they build a better future for us all. 👉Find out more about our impact in our most recent impact report: https://lnkd.in/eEKmzeS #Cooperatives #BeTheChange #Coops4SDGs #CoopsDay

Great article featuring Azahar Coffee in Colombia and describing the work we do

☕ It's time to wake up and smell the coffee! This International Coffee Day, get to know VOCAL. This freshly-ground alliance is a network of civil society organisations that want to highlight the urgent need for action on issues in the coffee sector. Rikolto is one of them, along with Coffee Watch, Fairfood, Fern NGO, Forests of the World, INKOTA-netzwerk, Oxfam Fair Trade, Public Eye, and with support of Ethos Agriculture and the VOICE Network. In its first report, “Coffee’s regulatory blend”, VOCAL points to the benefits of the forthcoming EU regulations, and urges the sector to catch up and step up compliance, rather than backtrack. ✅Sustainability should be a requirement, not an option: it is vital for the survival of the sector. ✅Regulations should provide clear guidance, robust support and reliable compliance tools, including financial and technical support to enable smallholder farmers to comply. Continue reading to access the report and see the concrete solutions Rikolto is implementing with private sector actors to build a sustainable coffee sector. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eQ-Evdqt #InternationalCoffeeDay #SustainableCoffee #VOCAL #Sustainability #EURegulations

☕ Big chance that you’re reading this whilst sipping your morning coffee. Smaller chance you knew it’s International Coffee Day today! To mark this day, we wrote a blog about our projects with coffee farmers. You might wonder, coffee and 100WEEKS, how is that related? Well it is. Because while you are enjoying your morning coffee, millions of coffee farmers are living in poverty. Small plots of land, poor tree management due to a lack or financial resources, no alternative income generating activities, to name only a few of the challenges. And 100WEEKS would not be 100WEEKS, if we would not face these challenges head on, together with our partners Sucafina (alongside Fondation Kahawatu (Suisse) and Ahold Delhaize) and ofi. Thanks to tailored direct cash transfers and trainings, farmers' lives are being transformed. 📃 Read our blog (in comments) to learn more about these projects and how the lives of coffee farmers can be transformed using cash! #internationalcoffeeday #coffee #coffeefarmers #directcash

Coffee powers the impact sector in more ways than one. Sure, most of us (myself certainly included!) cannot contemplate a morning without it, but for those of us lending into agricultural value chains, it holds significant potential for increasing farmer incomes. We are a proud investor with impact funds such as Root Capital, Clarmondial AG, MCE Social Capital, and Global Partnerships that are active in the sector, and have been increasingly eyeing direct lending opportunities. This year we are excited to have closed on new relationships with Onyx Coffee and Thanksgiving Coffee Company. Industry insights from the folks at Council on Smallholder Agricultural Finance (CSAF) and farmer data from 60 Decibels has helped us further assess opportunities for impact. Make sure you are caffeinated and then read more about how we are thinking about coffee!

What does your morning coffee ☕ cup mean to you? For us, it’s a blend of #Tradition, #Perseverance, and expert #Craftsmanship. That’s exactly what Heidelberger Partnerschaftskaffe, our newest Guaranteed Member, embodies! With over 20 years of experience working with small coffee producers in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico, Heidelberger Partnerschaftskaffee is a #FairTradeEnterprise that provides farmers and cooperatives with financial and logistical support, helping to strengthen their production and access global markets. Their impact is also seen in: 👩🌾Partnering with local initiatives to offer scholarships for children of coffee farmers, supporting women’s self-organisation, and funding the construction of cooperative houses. 🌳Promoting the cultivation of organic coffees produced without artificial fertilisers and under shade trees, which reduces environmental stress and increases pollination. Some of their projects include financing the certification of cooperatives, establishing composting ♻️ facilities, and establishing protocols to minimise waste heat from roasting processes. As a result, they enable local coffee farming communities to become more #Resilient to rising temperatures and extreme weather events, while also developing added value as younger generations bring new knowledge and professional skills. How much do you know about the coffee you brew every morning? Let us know in the comments below! 👇 #BusinessRevolution #WFTO #FairTradeEnterprises #GuaranteedMember #FairTrade

From a pub in rural Kenya to a green coffee import company in Oregon, Francis Kungu's journey is one of passion and resilience. Growing up witnessing the struggles of smallholder farmers, Francis swore off the coffee industry. Today, Jamii Coffee stands as a testament to his dedication to empower Kenyan farmers, bridging the gap between them and U.S. roasters. With partnerships involving over 3,000 small-scale farmers, Jamii Coffee not only improves incomes but also champions sustainable and ethical coffee farming practices. Why Coffee Matters: Coffee has the potential to uplift lives and combat economic depression. Embracing coffee rituals can unite communities and enhance cultural appreciation. Technological advancements are making coffee brewing more enjoyable. Challenges: Climate change is severely impacting coffee crops in Kenya, causing irregular rainfall and flooding. The decline in coffee quality is often misunderstood, exacerbated by inadequate resources for farmers. Coffee's ability to sequester carbon is hindered by deforestation and lack of shade. #KenyanCoffee #SustainableAgriculture #DirectTrade #CoffeeIndustry #JamiiCoffee Learn more on on this article on Francis https://lnkd.in/gKcw22eg

International Coffee Partners Addresses Megatrends in the Upcoming Five Years ____Hamburg, International Coffee Partners (ICP) just unveiled its new 5-year strategy comprising the years 2024 to 2028. It places ICP’s work in the context of global megatrends that affect rural livelihoods namely climate change and future prospects of young people. In order to make smallholder farmers and the coffee business successful, ICP will judiciously contribute to the necessary transformation processes and is open for partnerships with like-minded companies and public organizations. During the last 5-year strategy phase, ICP achieved notable milestones: In 2021, it celebrated its 20th anniversary. During all this time International Coffee Partners worked as consistently as did the seven family-owned companies that are its shareholders. ICP does not look at coffee production in an isolated way but at the family and its farm as a whole. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dzWqA8Ww #CoffeeAndClimate #RuralLivelihoods #CoffeeFarmers #YouthEngagement #FarmerOrganization #FamilyBusiness #GenderEquality

Our CEO Michael Schiedel has been invited as a presenter at the upcoming "World of Coffee" event on June 27-29th in Copenhagen☕👨🏫. "If Your Livelihood is Linked to Coffee, it’s Time to Up Your Investment with Coffee Farmers and Their Communities" We will share our thoughts and perpectives on this topic with subject matter experts like: Rikke Ramm Eberlein, Aske Skovmand Bosselmann, Netsanet Nega and Monika Firl The future of coffee is at risk. Climate change, regulatory environment shifts, a lack of young farmers willing to take up the trade, farming communities struggling with intergenerational poverty - these complex challenges threaten our industry as a whole, and each hinges on a fundamental issue that has been unaddressed for too long. Regardless of what is happening on a highly speculative NY Commodities Market, coffee farmers have real and continually increasing costs, driven by demands for particular qualities, new legal requirements for export and certifications. The historical record shows that the vast majority of coffee farmers simply aren’t paid enough for their efforts and final product. Meanwhile, we all know that there is no future for the coffee industry if there is no business case for the coffee farmers. This panel, moderated by Fairtrade, brings together representatives from a coffee roaster, retailers and farmers from Latin America and Africa to discuss the urgent need to build stable financial foundations for coffee farmers. In the context of striving towards “Sustainable Coffee” -- industry leaders will be challenged to consider: Are we investing in the future of coffee with the prices we’re paying to the farmer? Date: Saturday, June 29, 2024 Time: 11:45 - 12:45 Location: Lecture Room 2