Getting together for sustainable coffee in June

Oikocredit has been financing its grassroots partners worldwide throughout the sustainable coffee value-chain since 1987; from the grower to the producer, and from the importer to the trader.

Our coffee cooperative partners in Latin America and Africa provide support, services and technical assistance to their smallholder coffee grower client-members, benefiting their families and their communities alike.  Oikocredit goes beyond simply extending loans by joining forces with like-minded organisations to provide its partners with advice and providing targeted training. One such example is our ongoing price risk management project which earlier this year trained members of our Peruvian and Colombian coffee cooperative partners to better manage price volatility and enhance their management strategies.

Why celebrate coffee in June?

This month, Oikocredit is participating in a number of coffee-themed events in various European cities. This is part of its drive to bring all sides of the coffee industry together to support micro and small-scale coffee growers, and to strive for a sustainable value chain which empowers growers while at the same time protecting the environment.  Oikocredit is sponsoring the World of Coffee - Sustainability Forum being held in Amsterdam (21 to 23 June), an event which provides a platform to share knowledge and ideas to transform the coffee industry for a more sustainable future.

June 2018 is also the month our annual European road show takes place. Following last year’s successful event, Oikocredit has again invited members of Fapecafes (its Ecuadorian coffee partner) to showcase their work while serving up a cup of aromatic fair-trade coffee to an audience of investors and stakeholders. Fapecafes is an organisation of coffee cooperatives which commercialises fair trade and organic coffee to benefit its farmer members. The road show kicks off on 18  June in Germany before travelling to the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland.

Important dates:

Sponsoring coffee industry events, providing capacity building to partners, and financing smallholder producers are all ways in which Oikocredit brings together the various actors in the coffee value-chain. More importantly, the growers and their families enjoy a better quality of life as a result.

We hope to see you indulge in a delicious cup of sustainably sourced coffee at one of the June events!