Share your coffee stories with us by writing to info@comunicaffe.com.
BONN/HAMBURG, Germany – Fairtrade International and the initiative for coffee&climate (c&c) announce a new partnership in which they will work together to assist smallholder coffee farmers to build resilience to climate change while developing new approaches to sustainable agriculture.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed by Andreas Kratz, Fairtrade International’s Director of Programs & Policy and Director of Standards & Pricing, and Michael Opitz, Managing Director of Hanns. R. Neumann Stiftung, which coordinates and implements c&c, solidifies their joint commitment to improve the livelihoods of coffee farmers.
The partnership, which will run until December 2026, will see the two organisations collaborating on the c&c toolbox, a web app that provides coffee farmers with practical solutions to enhance the climate resilience of coffee production system, foster biodiversity, promote reforestation, along with improving the food security of farming communities.
In particular, Fairtrade will help expand the app to additional coffee producing countries in Latin America and East Africa. Plus, Fairtrade will also use its 30 plus years of experience and provide knowledge and know-how that can be added to the app’s content. The target is to reach at least 10,000 new farmers.
Finally, the two organisations will participate in joint workshops, webinars, and other activities to share experiences.
“Fairtrade found in the initiative for coffee&climate a fantastic partner who shares our mission of promoting sustainable agriculture while using the latest technologies and tools,” Kratz said. “We look forward to working together and identifying, evaluating, and sharing our best practices.”
“The initiative for coffee&climate is very pleased to be collaborating with Fairtrade to offer practical solutions for climate-smart coffee cultivation to smallholder farmers worldwide,” Opitz said. “With the c&c toolbox, both farmers and trainers can profit from an open-source knowledge hub with approved farming practices that help tackle the challenges of climate change.”
About Fairtrade International
Fairtrade is an independent non-profit organisation representing about two million farmers and workers worldwide. It owns the Fairtrade Mark, a registered trademark appearing on more than 30,000 products, which is the most recognised and trusted sustainability label in the world.
Fairtrade International and its member organisations collaborate with businesses, engage shoppers, activate civil society, and enable producers to take control in order to bring about a fair, sustainable future. To learn more, click here.
About the Initiative for Coffee & Climate
The initiative for coffee&climate (c&c) supports smallholder coffee farming families and their communities to adapt to climate change and increase their resilience. c&c develops and disseminates tools on climate-smart farming practices. Established in 2010, c&c is a pre-competitive initiative supported by global coffee companies, public donor organizations, smallholder communities, and research organizations.
Since its founding, c&c has been working in seven regions worldwide. More than 139,000 coffee farming households have been trained in climate-smart techniques to date.
