GLOBAL COFFEEPLATFORM

The Global Coffee Platform (GCP) recently presented its Call to Action toCollectivelyAddress the current Coffee Price Crisisand ensure the economic viability of coffee farming for a sustainable, thriving coffee sector (please see further down for details of the GCP Call To Action).

But what are the actions that contribute to resilient coffee farmers and animproved business environment for sustainable and profitable coffee production? GCP shows you where companies and organizations can take action:

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1. Report on sustainably purchased coffee

If you’re a GCP Member, you will soon be able to demonstrate your
commitment to sustainable sourcing and other investments which benefit coffee farming communities by reporting into the GCP Progress
tool. With more indicators to be added over time, GCP Progress will be crucial to measuring the collective performance of the coffee sector.

Contact: Caroline Glowka | Manager Member Relations & Corporate Partnerships | glowka@globalcoffeeplatform.org

You can also use the opportunity to share your commitments in the Commitment Hub of the Sustainable Coffee Challenge.
Contact: Niels Haak | Senior Manager Sustainable Coffee | nhaak@conservation.org

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2. Share your sustainable sourcing success stories

Broadcast your company’s progress and achievements to over 4,000 leading coffee sustainability experts by featuring in GCP’s monthly newsletter, the GCP Espresso.

Contact: Josh Edwards | Communications Manager | edwards@globalcoffeeplatform.org

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3. Join your country’s National Coffee Platform

Made up of public and private sector stakeholders active in a producing country’s coffee sector, joining a National Coffee Platform will enable you to help shape and implement its coffee sustainability strategy, ensuring coffee farming is economically viable into the future.

Contact: Melissa Salazar | Program Manager – Countries | salazar@globalcoffeeplatform.org

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4. Join a GCP Member Initiative

Responsible Use of Agro-chemicals in Brazil

Jump on board with a wide range of leading coffee stakeholders and contribute to improving the usage and storage of agro-chemicals in ways that protect the health and environments of coffee farming families.

Contact: Pedro Ronca | GCP Brazil Manager | Ronca@globalcoffeeplatform.org

Agro-Inputs in Vietnam

Together with national and international partners, take advantage of this unique opportunity to contribute to improving the use of pesticides and fertilizers in various coffee growing regions of Vietnam.

Contact: Caroline Glowka | Manager Member Relations & Corporate Partnerships | glowka@globalcoffeeplatform.org

Find out about otherGCP Collective Action Initiatives and new opportunities:Contact:Caroline Glowka | glowka@globalcoffeeplatform.org

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5. Comparably measure what matters

Utilize the common indicators and metrics of the Coffee Data Standard to collectively and comparably measure progress on common sustainability issues, contributing to a better use of resources, smarter investments andincreased transparencyto positively impact on the income of coffeefarmers.

Contact: Andreas Terhaer |Manager IT & Data Programs | terhaer@globalcoffeeplatform.org

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6. Join the GCP Country Congress & Membership Assembly (7th & 8th October)

Together with other GCP Members and partners, discuss and shape existing and new follow-up actions around the GCP Call to Action to collectively address the current coffee price crisis. For more information and to register, please click here.

Contact: Mary Petitt | North America Ambassador petitt@globalcoffeeplatform.org

GCP Call to Action to Collectively Address the Price Crisis

1. Engage with the international coffee exchanges (US and EU) to:

• Enhance the coffee futures contracts (Arabica and Robusta) as genuine and effective price discovery tools to service producers, exporters, traders, roasters, and retailers; This includes the regulation of high frequency, artificial intelligence, and algorithmic (black box) trade participation to minimize excessive speculative participation

2. Encourage roasters and retailers to:

• Make forward looking and increasing commitments about sourcing sustainable coffee with remunerative prices that allow for investments into sustainable coffee production
• Transparently report volumes of sustainable coffee purchased by origin on an annual basis to encourage diversity of sourcing
• Promote consumption of sustainable coffee both in coffee importing markets and coffee producing countries
• Enlarge the scope of sustainable coffee, enabling greater participation of smallholder farmers to manage their farms as businesses

3. Activate stakeholders in producing countries – governments, producers, businesses, and donors – to:

• Foster the improvement of a conducive business environment for sustainable coffee production through public-private country platforms
• Reduce inefficiencies and increase transparency along the supply chain to ensure that the farmer receives a higher percentage of the price
• Promote hedging strategies and insurance schemes through producer organizations in order to protect coffee growers’ margins
• Encourage income diversification for smallholder coffee farmers in collaboration with governments, private sector, donors, NGOs

4. Mobilize governmental agencies, the private sector, and civil society to:

• Achieve policy changes that enable a living income and the economic viability of coffee farming
• Explore practical ways to channel revenues from taxes generated specifically by coffee (excise, specific, tariffs, etc.) directly to coffee farmers to pay for good environmental practices, achieve optimum productivity, and reduce costs
• Design innovative solutions to fund sustainability initiatives, for example through “check-off” programs

GCP’s action network of over 140 global members, strategic funding partners, and National Coffee Sustainability Platforms has been working on several of the items above to improve the business environment for sustainable and profitable coffee production.

Through National Coffee Sustainability Curricula, digital tools with harmonized metrics to measure sustainability, and GCP Collective Action Initiatives for collective action we are increasing investments, efficiencies and local ownership to eliminate sustainability gaps and inspire progress towards Sustainable Coffee Regions. GCP advances local action for global results in 9 countries representing 70% of global production.

Join the efforts of GCP Members and partners today to act on the price crisis and ensure an equitable, sustainable and thriving coffee sector for generations to come.

Geneva, 6th June, 2019

The GCP Board of Directors and Executive Director:

Carlos Brando – Chair of Board, Juan Antonio Rivas – Vice Chair of Board (Olam), Marcelo Burity (Nestlé), Dan Martz (JDE), Shannon Higgins (Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee), Trishul Mandana (Volcafé), Silvia Pizzol (National Coffee Council Brazil – CNC), Juan Esteban Orduz (Colombian Coffee Growers Federation – FNC), Joseph Kimemia (African Fine Coffees Association – AFCA), Han de Groot (Rainforest Alliance), Herbert Lust (Conservation International), John Schluter (Café Africa), Jenny Kwan (Sustainable Trade Initiative – IDH), Annette Pensel – GCP Executive Director.

[i] Currently, sustainable coffee is understood to include every scheme that has been recognized for GCP Reporting: 4C, Certifica Minas, Fairtrade, Rainforest/UTZ, C.A.F.E Practices and Nespresso AAA. Additional sustainability schemes are foreseen to be recognized.

[ii] A check-off program collects funds from a small value added to the price of a product and uses these funds to do research, expand markets, increase demand or for other generic initiatives related to the product.