ABOUT PROJECT

This project represents a unique opportunity for south-south cooperation between Ethiopia and Latin America countries to strengthen gender equality and climate along coffee value chain. The selected partners institutions have actively participated in the design of this action and possess a long history of experience in gender equality within coffee value chain and in opening new markets for women's coffee as a driver for sustainable development in producing countries. As a result, a new intercontinental institutional network will facilitate knowledge exchange and learning opportunities will be consequently co-created by the Community of Practice (CoP). Additional opportunities will be seized to ensure that the project truly functions as a multi-actor knowledge network with a strong element of co-creation. CoP will bring together coffee institutions (e.g. ECTA, CONACAFE), researchers (e.g., EEFRI, EIAR/JARC, TECNICAFE and other stakeholders), academia (among others, UVA, SOAS, UCM, UAM, IE, SGPA, etc…) women's organizations (e.g., EWiC-ET) and other donors and projects (e.g., Neumann Foundation, or the EU via the EU Coffee Action Project). Additionally, an activity of knowledge exchange among the many groups and organizations that previously worked on coffee value chains in the region will take place at an early stage of the project, including discussions on the prominent role of women coffee farmers.

The work of CoP will combine technical and institutional innovation. From a technical point of view, various stakeholders will come together to determine which experiences, best practices and technologies are first best suited for gender equity for sustainability in the coffee value chain, and consequently which ones are suitable according to Ethiopian coffee sector, coffee landscape management and coffee market trends.

From an institutional point of view, new linkages will be made between Ethiopian and coffee agencies from COL and HND. This action will bring together the Academia and National institutions, as selected approaches must be both technically sound and capable of being scaled up within the local context in the Yayu Reserve. EEFRI will develop new research on ecosystem services and new NTFP in YAYU also assessing guidelines for landscape management/governance in Yayu. For their part, EEFRI, JARC /EIAR, EWiC will work with women farmers to develop new business models based on tailored trainings on business plans, taking into account the potential to exploit the products (mushrooms, wild honey, etc.) while improving building capacity in coffee communities.

Project Duration

24 + 6 months

Methods of implementation

This project will be managed by AECID who will assume the overall operational and financial responsibility. A project management unit will be set up to oversee the daily implementation of the project, monitoring, visibility and the operational coordination between associated implementing partners.