LONDON, United Kingdom – Respect for workers and compliance with labour standards are the foundations of decent work and an integral part of ensuring universal human rights. Promoting respect for such international labour standards and supporting key stakeholders’ efforts to uphold them is essential to achieve inclusive growth, strengthen the stability and sustainability of the coffee industry and improve workers’ quality of life.
The International Coffee Organization (ICO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) play a complementary role in promoting the realization of and the need for sustainable, responsible and inclusive workplace practices.
On this year’s International Coffee Day (ICD) – 1 October 2023 – the ICO and ILO are jointly launching the #CoffeePeople campaign and a social media challenge around the theme “promoting the right to a safe and healthy working environment in the coffee supply chain.”
A celebration of the coffee sector’s diversity, quality and dedication, International Coffee Day is an opportunity for coffee lovers to share their passion for the beverage and acknowledge and support the work of millions of coffee farmers, as well of all those women and men engaged in producing, trading, retailing, and serving coffee.
The #CoffeePeople campaign will also raise awareness of ILO’s Vision Zero Fund, a G7 and G20 initiative that brings stakeholders together to advance towards the vision of achieving zero severe and fatal work-related accidents, injuries, and diseases in global supply chains.
In recognition of International Coffee Day, the ICO and ILO are co-hosting a series of events. These initiatives will establish new resources and opportunities aimed at enhancing the working conditions for coffee sector workers, in pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The campaign will seek the direct involvement of some producing and consuming countries, international organizations active in the coffee sector, coffee brands and celebrities. Join the campaign by sharing a selfie with your coffee cup and dedicating it to coffee workers.
We are counting on your support and enthusiasm to help spread the word about the #CoffeePeople campaign via your own platforms, and to follow the celebrations on International Coffee Day, on 1st October 2023.
Vanúsia Nogueira, Executive Director of the ICO, stated:
“All workers deserve to enjoy decent and safe working conditions. This implies, as a minimum, rules for working hours, adequate payment of wages and effective monitoring of health and safety at work. The coffee sector, which employs millions of people around the world, can be a model of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, where all workers are treated with dignity and respect.
We are working hard towards this. I am proud that today, together with the ILO, the ICO is committed to leading and modelling a better coffee workplace to meet all challenges. Promoting respect for international labour rights and helping key stakeholders commit to upholding these rights is essential to achieve inclusive growth, strengthen the stability and sustainability of the coffee sector, and improve the quality of life for workers.”
