BOGOTÁ, Colombia – By signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU), the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC) and the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) stroke a historic partnership to promote an inclusive and sustainable rural development agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Taking advantage of the successful experience of the Colombian coffee growers’ union, CAF joins forces with the FNC in search of sustainable coffee farming and prosperity of agricultural producers in the region.
The joint work will be focused on a model that is replicable regionally and contributes to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with special emphasis on social and economic inclusion of rural communities, including the over 130,000 Colombian women coffee growers.
The agreement sets a general collaboration framework so that these experiences can be capitalized in favor of other production chains in Colombia and in the agricultural sector of other Latin American and Caribbean countries.
The MOU, negotiated between the CAF and FNC teams in New York, was signed in Bogotá by the FNC CEO, Roberto Vélez, and the CAF Executive President, Sergio Díaz-Granados, in an event also attended by the FNC Steering Committee, CAF officials, and national coffee grower representatives.
“Partnering with the FNC will allow us to join forces to promote Colombian coffee growers’ prosperity and extend ecofriendly practices to other agricultural sectors in the country and the region. It also reflects CAF’s commitment to leading interventions that improve competitiveness of agribusiness chains and promote rural development with an emphasis on social inclusion and gender equity,” Díaz-Granados said.
For his part, Vélez stated: “In addition to contributing to sustainability and prosperity of coffee growers, CAF has wanted to take advantage of the strengths and successful experiences of the Colombian coffee sector to help other agricultural producers in Colombia and the region be also more prosperous and sustainable, which is in line with our mission and makes us proud as a union.”
Within the agreement’s scope, both parties will seek to promote and develop joint projects and actions in the following specific areas:
- Baseline analysis of successful experiences in the Colombian coffee sector, including science, technology and innovation strategies, policies and tools; sustainable, clean and inclusive production systems; circular economy; differentiation strategies and brands, and institutional support to the sector.
- Joint work spaces within the framework of the sustainability areas of the UN and its General Assembly.
- Cooperation within the framework of the World Coffee Producers Forum.
- Collaboration in other areas of mutual interest that may arise during the term of this agreement.
- The collaboration between the parties includes knowledge generation and transfer and mutual training, as well as joint promotional events or activities.
The MOU will last up to four years and may be renewed by common agreement of the parties.
