FAO and ICO renew longstanding partnership to strengthen coffee sector resilience
ROME, July 19, 2026 – The Director-General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization [FAO], Qu Dongyu, has underscored the importance of strengthening international cooperation to support coffee-producing countries and communities, as FAO and the International Coffee Organization [ICO) renewed their longstanding partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU].
Welcoming ICO Executive Director Vanúsia Nogueira to FAO headquarters, Qu said the renewed agreement builds on more than two decades of successful collaboration since the first MoU was signed in 2004.
“Coffee is much more than a beverage,” the Director-General said. “It provides livelihoods for millions of family farmers, creates employment throughout the value chain, supports rural development, and contributes significantly to export earnings in many low- and middle-income countries.”
He noted that the sector is facing a range of challenges, making it essential to strengthen resilience, improve market transparency and reinforce international cooperation. At the same time, he said these challenges present an opportunity to accelerate innovation, promote sustainable coffee production and trade, empower producers, and further enhance the resilience of the sector.
Dongyu emphasised that FAO and the ICO share common objectives of promoting a more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable global coffee sector. He added that both organisations also recognise the vital role of partnerships in addressing increasingly complex global challenges.
“Through coordinated action, we can translate our collaboration into concrete initiatives that deliver tangible benefits for coffee-growing communities and stakeholders across the coffee value chain,” he said.
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