IFC announced this month that it’s complementing a us$3.2 million loan transaction to Nespresso in order to raise the yield of Ethiopian coffee farmers.
It’s an Advisory Services initiative to “increase farmer productivity” by integrating a broad range of ecological considerations and wildlife preservation in the region of Oromia (Ethiopia). The initiative is possible due to an alliance with the BioCarbon Fund from the World Bank in which grant funds will be used to train coffee farmers with practices that will meet Nespresso’s AAA Sustainable Quality program. Smallholders participating in the project will be trained with skills to better manage the coffee crop, on benefits in using shade trees, prevention of deforestation and improving the quality of coffee produced. The improved agronomic, environmental and social practices will ultimately improve livelihoods of coffee farmers and their families.
jamaicamocha 