Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, ICP is active in the coffee-growing areas of the Amhara region. Since 2019, ICP and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) have been funding the CAFE II project here that is implemented by Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung (HRNS). It continues the work of CAFE I that was funded by the Lavazza Foundation, The Löfbergs Family Foundation, HRNS, and the ADA.

CAFE II focuses on enhancing farmers' livelihoods by

• further promoting the professionalization of farmers' cooperatives and union,
• providing training to farmers through farmer field schools to increase their adoption of good agricultural practices (GAPs) and to diversify their production systems,
• promoting gender equality through couples’ seminars, encouraging a more equitable and efficient use of the available resources, and
• supporting youth income generation along the coffee chain.

The initiative for coffee&climate (c&c) approach is incorporated into the project to foster climate change adaptation.

The project aims to improve gender relations in farming households. The unequal distribution of disposable income and workload between women and men in smallholder families are addressed through couple seminars. The objective is to achieve a fairer and more efficient use of the available resources through joint planning and decision-making. Further, the CAFE II promotes the involvement of women in leadership positions in farmer organizations through awareness-raising and targeted training measures. As a pilot measure, the project supports youth groups in the establishment of economically independent nurseries for coffee seedlings with improved properties. Moreover, the project contributes to the professionalization of 23 Coffee Farmer Cooperatives and the Amhara Coffee Farmers’ Cooperative Union (ACFCU), the apex organization for the cooperatives.