GCP and USAID Green Invest Asia Sustainable Coffee Dialogues have come to an end. We reflect on the year-long series and recent forum held in Bangkok, Thailand.
More than 200 industry leaders, buyers, processors, investors, development finance institutions (DFIs), donors, and others with business interest in sustainable agriculture and forestry sectors in Southeast Asia gathered to mark the close out of USAID Green Invest Asia.
The program, which spanned six years, helped agriculture and forestry businesses in Southeast Asia improve their sustainable commodity production and manage environmental risks by connecting companies with a network of financial institutions and investors looking for environmentally and socially-friendly, profitable land use businesses.
Since October 2021, GCP partnered with USAID Green Invest Asia through the Sustainable Coffee Dialogues, an interactive webinar series aimed at cutting industry emissions in the region by convening stakeholders from across the value chain to share knowledge, discuss best practices, and to dive into critical coffee sustainability topics.
For GCP’s Lauren Weiss, Program Manager Countries and Partnerships , participating in the close-out event, held in Bangkok, Thailand, was an opportunity to represent coffee voices in the forum’s discussions on the impact of climate change and potential solutions.
The series of dialogues – culminating in the investment forum – ensures climate adaption and mitigation is recognized as a key element for sustainable coffee production and farmers prosperity. This approach features prominently in the new GCP Strategy and 2030 Goal.
“The event was a great opportunity for the GCP Secretariat to connect in-person with GCP Members operating in Southeast Asia. GCP had the opportunity to speak with potential partners about its new Strategy, and specifically the Country Plans for Farmer Prosperity in Vietnam and Indonesia,” said Weiss.
“There is a growing recognition of the need to work collaboratively in a pre-competitive environment on critical issues facing coffee sustainability, like climate change. The forum’s second panel specifically focused on the importance of partnerships for achieving our shared goals. GCP Members recognize the important role GCP plays in supporting collective action, with two of them referring to the achievements of the GCP Collective Action Initiative ‘Responsible Use of Agro-Inputs for Coffee’ in Vietnam during their panel discussions.”
