illycaffè and UNIDO join forces again to improve the sustainability and inclusiveness of the coffee value chain in Mozambique through a public-private partnership

Vienna, 29 January 2019 - illycaffè, a global leader in the high-end coffee sector, and UNIDO – the United Nations Industrial Development Organization – have undersigned a public-private partnership to implement a project titled Improving inclusive and sustainable agro value chains development, including the Ibo specialty coffee one, of Cabo Delgado Province through Public Private Partnership approach whose aim is to promote the agricultural value chain in Mozambique, including coffee.

The aim is to boost the income of local small-scale farmers in the area of the Quirimbas National Park in Cabo Delgado province by improving the technical and entrepreneurial skills of students from the Bilibiza Agrarian Institute. These skills are vital for their active participation in the development of sustainable production, improved processing, and more effective marketing.

This public-private partnership, funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, was signed on 24 January at UNIDO headquarters by UNIDO Director General Li Yong and by Giorgio Marrapodi, Director of the Italian Foreign Ministry’s Agency for Development Cooperation, with Anna Illy in attendance. This approach, supported by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) together with illycaffè and Fondazione Ernesto Illy, lays out a concrete cooperation model involving governments, international organizations, and market actors in order to jointly achieve the objectives set by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The initiative, which received a contribution of € 4 million from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, will also see the active involvement of Mozambique’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and will be run by UNIDO in close cooperation with local stakeholders and in full compliance with the development plans drafted by the local government, with a strong focus on involving Mozambique’s private sector. illycaffè will make available its agronomists and the know-how of the University of Coffee and of Fondazione Ernesto Illy to assist the Agrarian Institute and organize a course on sustainable coffee production. This is an experimental course on the cultivation of the Racemosa coffee bean, a wild and extremely rare species that grows along the coast of eastern Africa. Strong and resistant to disease, Racemosa is naturally low in caffeine. With a minty aftertaste, this coffee’s flavour is characterized by caramel and liquorice, with bitter notes and a hint of toasted bread.

The project will contribute to supporting the dissemination of coffee farming in Mozambique, improving the diversification of local agricultural projects and providing the opportunity to introduce the unique Racemosa coffee on the market. Thanks to the active involvement of local public institutions, the cultivation of Racemosa coffee will be extended to the island of Ibo – part of the Quirimbas archipelago – and to areas in the interior of Mozambique, where illycaffè’s technicians and agronomists will provide the necessary training and support to plant new seedlings and ensure their sustainable cultivation.

Mozambique is a priority country for the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, which aims to contribute to the global effort to alleviate poverty through activities that promote peace, the upholding of basic rights, and sustainable development.

The collaborative partnership between illycaffè, UNIDO and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation that was launched during the 2015 Milan Expo emerged from the desire to create economic, social, and environmental benefits for all stakeholders along the coffee value chain. Indeed, the company is collaborating with UNIDO and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in other development projects as well, especially in Ethiopia, with the goal of improving the quality of that country’s high-end coffee and its ability to produce it.

 

For more information

www.illy.com

illycaffè Giovanna Gregori – Christine Pascolo, Tel. 040/389.0111