UN agencies team up to help the region better track each stage of coffee production and distribution for the benefit of farmers, consumers and the planet.
© Shutterstock/Joa Souza | A coffee farmer in the Brazilian state of Bahia.
Coffee, one of the most volatile agricultural commodities, sustains the livelihoods of some 25 million Latin Americans – 90% of whom are smallholder farmers.
But the region’s coffee farmers increasingly face challenges from deforestation, soil degradation and climate change, including unpredictable weather patterns and increased pest infestations.
To help overcome these challenges, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Development Programme´s Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNDP/RBLAC) have teamed up to enhance traceability in the region’s coffee value chains. The new partnership was announced on 9 December at the Global Commodities Forum 2024.
Traceability systems can be a game-changer by enabling transparency across the coffee supply chain and allowing farmers producing coffee sustainably to stand out.
By tracking coffee from farm to cup, such systems encourage environmentally friendly agricultural practices and provide consumers with the necessary information to make ethical choices.
This, in turn, drives demand for responsibly grown coffee, promoting long-term sustainability and economic viability across the value chain.
How the new partnership can help
The new partnership leverages UNCTAD’s expertise in trade, research and regulatory alignment alongside UNDP’s field presence and experience in governance, inclusive economic growth and sustainable development.
The objective is to support coffee production practices that ensure compliance, protect biodiversity, empower local communities and foster inclusive economic growth.
The UN agencies will work with governments, businesses and civil society organizations to safeguard the rights of smallholder farmers, women and indigenous communities, promoting their active participation and ensuring equitable benefit-sharing from sustainable agricultural transitions.
As a first step, the two organizations will jointly develop a capacity-building project proposal for 2025, targeting three coffee-producing countries in Latin America.
Subject to donor funding, the partnership will also explore targeted policy dialogues, innovative traceability tools and data-driven research to help bridge the gaps between local coffee farmers and international markets.