GLOBAL COFFEEPLATFORM

The Solidaridad Network, Member of the Global Coffee Platform, is currently commemorating 50 years of facilitating the development of socially responsible, ecologically sound and profitable supply chains in over 40 countries. During the recent celebration event in Utrecht, the civil society organization also showcased the achievements of its team led in previous years by Nico Roozen, departing Executive Director. Jeroen Douglas has been appointed as new ED to guide Solidaridad into a solid future.

Founded in 1969 as an international civil society organization, Solidaridad seeks to transform production practices to promote fair and profitable livelihoods and business opportunities, decent working conditions and a fair living wage, according to its website. Solidaridad joined the Global Coffee Platform when it was created in 2016 and since then, both organizations have joined efforts to generate meaningful change in coffee producing countries, especially in Kenya, Honduras and Colombia.

Annette Pensel, GCP Executive Director, attended the celebrations and praised Solidaridad’s engagement with coffee farmers around the world: “Solidaridad’s approach to sustainability clearly resonates with the way we envision a thriving sustainable coffee sector. Nico [Roozen] has been an exceptional, inspirational leader for this organization and you can see that in the way the global Solidaridad network acts. I have no doubt that his legacy is in the best hands and look forward to deepen our collaboration in challenging times for the coffee sector.”

For Jeroen Douglas, new Solidaridad Executive Director, Mr. Roozen’s leadership is undeniable: “People say that ‘Solidaridad is Roozen’ […] Nico’s commitment to a sustainable economy and his ability to read the spirit of the times, and to, again and again, translate this into new approaches towards solutions is a rare talent. We will take this further into a solid future, especially focusing on the young generation of farmers, helping them to become the owners of their own data and optimizing their business case.”

The Global Coffee Platform congratulates Solidaridad and its entire team for their exemplary work over half a decade and wishes Jeroen Douglas a great start in his new role. Both organizations will continue developing local activities to benefit coffee farmers and encourage the sustainability of the coffee business.

Click here to learn more about the 50 years of Solidaridad