GLOBAL COFFEEPLATFORM

With the support and leadership of UTZ and many other GCP Members and partners, coffee stakeholders in Nicaragua have come together to officially launch the Nicaraguan Platform for Sustainable Development (NICAFES).

“The Nicaraguan Platform for Coffee Sustainability aims to create a national dialogue where public and private sector can address solutions to challenging issues in the coffee sector, such as climate change, profitability, gender and smallholders strengthening and inclusion. ” Juan Francisco Martinez, Nicaraguan Country Representative of UTZ.

Considering over 35 organizations have initiated NICAFES, “the GCP is very happy to see the fruitful results of effective public-private dialogue and the potential impact this alignment will have on the future of the Nicaraguan coffee sector” Annette Pensel, Executive Director of the Global Coffee Platform.

Regarding the next steps for the platform, Mr. Martinez believes: “the MOU with the Global Coffee Platform and Solidaridad brings optimism for continued strong collaboration towards reaching coffee sustainability goals in Nicaragua”.

Additionally, Ms. Pensel states: “the GCP looks forward to continuing to support its members and partners in Nicaragua and around the world in driving the NICAFES forward and translating the alignment among national stakeholders into collective action on the ground”.

The next steps for NICAFES will be to undertake a sector diagnosis to identify key focus areas and develop a national plan for 2018 to 2021. The focus areas to be addressed are expected to mirror the three issues which GCP Members jointly tackle through their Collective Action Networks – Economic Viability, Climate Smart Agriculture, and Gender & Youth.

NICAFES plans to meet in January to discuss their country plan for 2018. For more information about this meeting or NICAFES, please contact GCP Latin America Manager, Guillermo Belloso.