First International Coffee Day Set For Oct 1

LONDON -- The International Coffee Organization and its 74 member states have joined forces to celebrate the first annual International Coffee Day on October 1. The ICO includes coffee producing and consumer countries and 26 coffee organizations.

International Coffee Day's mission is to unite coffee lovers in celebration of the diversity, quality and passion of the coffee-growing sector. It coincides with the 115th session of the International Coffee Council and the first World Coffee Forum.

Several countries celebrate their own coffee days throughout the year. In Colombia, the National Coffee Day has been celebrated on June 27 for the past five years with the support of the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation and the Toma Café (Drink Coffee) Program.

Separately, the ICO signed a memorandum of understanding with Oxfam International to launch "Caffè Sospeso Against Poverty," a campaign based on the generous Italian custom of buying a 'caffè sospeso,' a second cup of coffee to be given to a person in need. This will provide coffee consumers the opportunity to donate to small-scale coffee producers through Oxfam International via an online platform.

In other news, Colombia recently ratified the International Coffee Agreement. Ratified by 45 coffee-exporting countries and 32 importing countries, the agreement seeks to strengthen the global coffee-producing sector while promoting its sustainable expansion.