New Collaboration between coffee&climate and CIAT Brings Science-Based Solutions to Smallholder Coffee Farmers

We are joining forces with the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), bringing together CIAT’s research-based expertise with c&c’s farmer-focused work in coffee-growing regions, which is coordinated and implemented worldwide by Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung (HRNS). The objective: improving access to climate-smart practices that strengthen farmers’ livelihoods and sustain coffee landscapes.

Science Meets Practice

A central focus of the partnership is on the c&c toolbox, a digital platform developed by coffee&climate to provide farming families with easy-to-use step-by-step instructions on how to adapt their farms to climate change and secure their future in coffee production. The practices promoted through the c&c toolbox are not only tested and proven by farmers, but will also be scientifically validated by CIAT.

CIAT’s core mission is to deliver research that informs forward-looking adaptation to climate change. This means that we need to deliver insights to producers faster than climate change develops. By partnering with the initiative for coffee&climate, we can fast-track bringing science into farmers’ hands – validating and enriching climate-smart practices that truly improve livelihoods on the ground.

Christian Bunn
Associate Scientist at CIAT

The collaboration also highlights ACLIMATAR, a platform developed by CIAT, which focuses on using climate projection data to support adaptation planning for coffee and other crops. In the future, both ACLIMATAR and the c&c toolbox will benefit from the collaboration, for example, by linking site-specific climate risk assessments with the toolbox’s practical guidance, helping farmers match data-driven insights with on-farm solutions.

The c&c toolbox was developed to give farmers and extensionists access to practical, climate-smart solutions that have already been proven on the ground. Collaborating with CIAT allows us to ensure that the practices included in the toolbox are also scientifically validated. This strengthens its role as a trusted, accessible hub for the coffee sector.

Anika Nicolaudius
Project Manager coffee&climate toolbox 

Building Global Impact 

Beyond these digital resources, the collaboration aims to facilitate global learning by exchanging experiences across countries, but also within regions. At the same time, both organizations will explore opportunities to mobilize financial support, engaging public and private partners.

Through their new partnership, coffee&climate and CIAT demonstrate their joint commitment to addressing the pressing challenges of climate change in coffee production. By uniting scientific knowledge with farmer-driven solutions, both organizations are helping to create resilient farming systems and a more sustainable future for smallholder families worldwide.

Combining the strengths of both organizations, we can reach more farmers, create global learning opportunities, and open new pathways for scaling up climate adaptation efforts. One element will be creating a community of practice where stakeholders can jointly advance climate adaptation in coffee farming. Working together in this way enables us to build the momentum needed to take our efforts to scale and ensure long-term impact for coffee farming families.

Stefan Ruge
Program Manager Climate at HRNS