Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
As an international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations, the federally owned Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH supports the German Government in achieving its development-policy objectives. GIZ promotes complex reforms and change processes.
The program “Sustainable Agricultural Supply Chains and Standards” is a unit of GIZ’s “Rural Development and Agriculture” department. It works on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The aim of the program is to improve the conditions for sustainable agricultural supply chains – the coffee value chain is one of them. The program promotes the development of sustainable growing regions, transparency in global supply chains and the further development of sustainability standards.
Donors/Partners
GIZ is partnering with a diverse range of organizations and initiatives. Within the coffee sector, GIZ is currently working with the Global Coffee Platform, the International Coffee Organization, the Südwind Institut e.V. and Fairtrade.
Key activities
On behalf of the BMZ, the program implements several projects and supports other organizations in doing so. Key activities are currently the development of sustainable sourcing regions in Ethiopia (District Nono Sale) and Colombia (Caquetá and Meta) in order to establish sustainable, cross-commodity production regions. The focus lays on working towards achieving a living income for smallholder families without endangering the forest and other natural ecosystems. The program supports the Global Coffee Platform in establishing a National Coffee Platform to promote sustainable coffee cultivation in Kenya and Ethiopia.
GIZ works closely together with the International Coffee Organization (ICO) in conducting a structured sector dialogue for a joint response to the price crisis in the coffee sector.
With the Coffee Innovation Fund the BMZ supports small and medium-sized companies in developing and disseminating innovative approaches. The innovations are intended to increase local value creation and facilitate access to higher value markets. The fund is implemented in Ethiopia, Indonesia, Myanmar and Vietnam. Besides, the BMZ supports the development of a blockchain-based traceability solution for coffee and beeswax.
Signature projects/tools
- ISASE- Innovations for Sustainable Agricultural Supply Chains in Ethiopia (https://www.giz.de/en/worldwide/39619.html and https://www.nachhaltige-agrarlieferketten.org/en/success-stories/ina-in-ethiopia-pilot-project-isase-innovations-for-sustainable-agricultural-supply-chains-in-ethiopia/)
- Coffee Innovation Fund (https://www.nachhaltige-agrarlieferketten.org/fileadmin/media/CoffeeInnovationFund/Coffee_Innovation_Fund_PPT.pdf)
- Sustainable sourcing region in Colombia (https://www.nachhaltige-agrarlieferketten.org/en/success-stories/ina-in-colombia-pilot-project-in-the-amazon-and-orinoco-region/)
Priority Countries and corresponding areas of activities
Ethiopia: Labour conditions – Forest conservation & restoration – Access to finance
Kenya: Labour conditions – Forest conservation & restoration – Producer country policy
Colombia: Labour conditions – Forest conservation & restoration – Technical assistance