Frequently Asked Questions

ICP is promoting in developing countries through its project work, we believe sustainability to be a dynamic concept that achieves economic viability while enhancing social conditions as well as protecting the environment and natural resources with longevity. Aware of the need to further develop and gradually improve the concept of sustainability, ICP strives toward continuous learning and would like to share its experience with interested parties.

ICP contributes technical assistance based on its core competencies, including project design, preparation, and implementation as well as monitoring through our implementing partners, Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung. ICP offers professional coffee know-how and financing of specific components. National and international experts share their experiences according to specific requirements and ICP actively coordinates support from other dedicated partners such as donor organizations, NGOs, and governmental institutions.

The difficult situation of smallholder farmers and their families is usually rather complex and encompasses aspects other than coffee production. Thus, we prefer to cooperate in partnership schemes with other supporting organizations. These partnerships help to establish synergies and assure a more comprehensive support for farmer families. The involved organizations have national or international reach as well as governmental and non-governmental legal status. Therefore, all projects are realized within Public/Private Partnership schemes.

Our project support is usually provided over a 3 to 5 year period, though it is becoming more and more embedded into regional approaches. Despite this relatively short period, sustainable project impact is achieved for several reasons: the project target groups are strongly committed to developing their self-help capacity and therefore take maximum advantage of ICP’s technical assistance; ICP’s support offers excellent expertise which focuses on observed shortcomings and draws upon rich experience from all coffee producing continents; and last but not least, through our project work, farmer organizations develop over time their own network and partnerships with public institutions and the private sector.

With a longstanding experience in coffee-related development projects, Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung was entrusted by the International Coffee Partners to implement all its operative activities including project identification, preparation, and coordination with the project partners.