The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed by Andreas Kratz, Fairtrade International’s Director of Programs & Policy and Director 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 systems, 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 its 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.”