Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, ICP has been active in the coffee-growing areas of the Amhara region. In early 2026, the CAFE legacy project was officially launched. Since 2019, ICP and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) have been funding the CAFE II project implemented by Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung (HRNS). CAFE II continued the work of CAFE I that was funded by the Lavazza Foundation, The Löfbergs Family Foundation, HRNS, and the ADA.

The CAFE legacy project builds on the achievements of the previous CAFE projects, in which we worked closely with smallholder farmers and farmer organizations to enhance skills, productivity, and climate resilience.

Through targeted training, technical support, and market-oriented approaches, the CAFE legacy project helps cooperatives become more competitive, inclusive, and sustainable:

Project Scope

• Collaborate with 10 coffee cooperatives and 1 cooperative union
• Reach more than 2,000 cooperative members, including women and youth
• Indirectly benefiting approximately 12,000 coffee farming households

Focus Areas

• Strengthen cooperative governance and management capacity
• Improve business performance and market competitiveness
• Enhance coffee quality through improved post-harvest handling and standards
• Promote youth and women's participation and leadership
• Support infrastructure such as drying beds and storage facilities

CAFE II focused on enhancing farmers' livelihoods by:

• further promoting the professionalization of farmers' cooperatives and union,
• providing training to farmers through farmer field schools to increase their adoption of good agricultural practices (GAPs) and to diversify their production systems,
• promoting gender equality through couples’ seminars, encouraging a more equitable and efficient use of the available resources, and
• supporting youth income generation along the coffee chain.

The initiative for coffee&climate (c&c) approach is incorporated into the CAFE projects to foster climate change adaptation.