October 7, 2023 – The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Vision Zero Fund (VZF) and the Global Coffee Platform (GCP) have initiated a collaborative partnership with the shared goal of improving occupational safety and health (OSH) within the global coffee value chain. This strategic alliance aims to mitigate the daily risks faced by millions of workers in the coffee industry.
Under this partnership, the ILO’s Vision Zero Fund and the Global Coffee Platform will work jointly to elevate awareness surrounding OSH-related risks and practical solutions. Their combined efforts seek to inspire global and national stakeholders to advocate, implement, and ensure safe and healthy working conditions for all involved in the coffee industry.
ILO VZF’s Global Programme Manager, Ockert Dupper, emphasized the timeliness of this collaboration, noting that the right to a safe and healthy working environment was officially recognized as a fundamental principle and a fundamental right at work by the ILO last year. Dupper added, “We are looking forward to sharing the research, tools, and lessons learned that the Fund has amassed from its past five years of work on OSH in coffee supply chains. To do this, we are implementing a global communications campaign with the support of our partners.”
The ILO Vision Zero Fund and the Global Coffee Platform have distinct yet complementary roles in promoting sustainable, responsible, and inclusive workplace practices within the coffee sector. On this year’s International Coffee Day, the ILO VZF launched the #CoffeePeople campaign, along with a social media challenge focusing on the theme of “promoting the right to a safe and healthy working environment in the coffee supply chain.” This ongoing campaign aims to engage producing and consuming countries, international organizations active in the coffee sector, coffee companies, and celebrities.
GCP’s Director of Programs and Corporate Partnerships, Gelkha Buitrago, highlighted that this partnership is a significant step towards advancing the GCP 2030 Goal of effecting transformational change for over one million farmers through sustainable coffee practices. Furthermore, this collaboration will contribute to GCP’s broader strategic efforts by leveraging its network of coffee sustainability platforms in coffee-producing countries.
The collaboration between GCP and ILO VZF builds upon a successful prior partnership aimed at enhancing OSH in Vietnam’s coffee sector. This joint effort has been instrumental in supporting one of the key objectives of the GCP Country Plan for Farmer Prosperity in Vietnam, which is to accelerate the social sustainability of coffee production in the region.
