International Coffee Organization (ICO) and World Coffee Conference (WCC)

International Coffee Organization (ICO) and World Coffee Conference (WCC)

Subject : IR

Section: International organisation

Context: Mr. Goyal was speaking at the opening session of 5th World Coffee Conference (WCC) held for the first time in Asia in Bengaluru on Monday.

Details: The four-day global coffee exposition, being organised by London-based International Coffee Organisation set up under the aegis of the United Nations to highlight the economic importance of coffee, is attended by coffee industry stakeholders including producers, curers, roasters, exporters, policymakers, specialty coffee experts and researchers from over 80 coffee-growing and coffee-consuming geographies including India.

Coffee being an international commodity is a unifying force that can bring ethnicities, cultures, countries and colours together and help sustainability and regenerative agriculture

Regenerative agriculture

• Regenerative agriculture is a holistic farming system that focuses on soil health, food quality, biodiversity improvement, water quality, and air quality.
• It is a method of farming that improves the resources it uses,rather than destroying or depleting them.
• It is often also referred to as — agroecological farming, alternative agriculture, biodynamic agriculture, carbon farming, inclusive nature farming, conservation agriculture, green agriculture, organic regenerative agriculture and sustainable agriculture.
• Regenerative agriculture adheres to the following principles:
• Minimise soil distribution through conservation tillage
• Diversify crops to replenish nutrients and disrupt pest and disease lifecycles
• Retain soil cover using cover crops
• Integrate livestock, which adds manure to the soil and serves as a source of carbon sinks.

Benefits:

• Improves soil health through practises that increases soil organic matter, biota and biodiversity.
• Enhance water holding capacity and carbon sequestration.
• Reduces erosion, facilitates retention and nutrient cycling.
• Provides habitat for diverse species and is beyond sustainability.
• Builds resilience and mitigates the effects of extreme weather caused by a changing climate.

World Coffee Conference

Every four to five years, the International Coffee Organization holds a high-level World Coffee Conference to enable discussion around critical topics for the global coffee sector. The first four Conferences have taken place in England (2001), Brazil (2005), Guatemala (2010), and Ethiopia (2016).

International Coffee Organization (ICO)

The International Coffee Organization (ICO) was established in 1963 under the aegis of the United Nations and following the approval of the first International Coffee Agreement in 1962. The ICO is the only intergovernmental organization for coffee, bringing together exporting and importing Governments. It currently represents 93% of world coffee production and 63% of world consumption.

Mission of the ICO

The mission of the Organization is to strengthen the global coffee sector and promote its sustainable expansion in a market-based environment for the benefit of all actors in the Global Coffee Value Chain (G-CVC).

Scope of work of the ICO

The ICO provides a unique forum for dialogue among governments, the private sector, development partners, civil society and all coffee stakeholders to tackle the challenges facing the sector through international cooperation and to nurture opportunities. The Organization collects and compiles independent official statistics on coffee production, trade and consumption; supports the development and funding of technical cooperation projects and public-private partnerships; and promotes sustainability and coffee consumption. It facilitates the coffee sector’s contribution to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to increase the resilience of local communities and coffee farmers, in particular smallholders, and enable them to benefit from coffee production and trade, which can in turn contribute to poverty eradication by providing a living income for families.