New Delhi (NVI): Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal urged International Coffee Organization (ICO) and Coffee Board of India to explore ways to make Indian coffee a brand and make India a sustainable destination for coffee.
Addressing the curtain raiser event for 5th World Coffee Conference and Expo here on October 15, Goyal urged the Coffee Board of India and the ICO to bring in innovation to the conference and expo by crowd sourcing ideas from citizens.
India will be hosting the 5th World Coffee Conference and Expo in Bengaluru from September 7th to 12th, 2020. For the first time this expo will he held in Asia. India is the fifth largest exporter and producer of coffee in the world and is fast emerging as major coffee consuming country.
“Government of India and the Government of Karnataka will extend full co-operation for the success of the 5th WCC & Expo.This is a great opportunity that India has got and the Coffee Board of India will welcome to India participants from more than 70 countries for the Expo and Conference,” Goyal said.
The Government of India has also a strong focus on increasing coffee plantation. The global community also desires to connect with coffee growers in India and Asia and WCC 2020 offers an opportunity to explore India and Asia to the global coffee community. Bengaluru is the coffee capital of India and produces nearly 70 percent of country’s coffee
“Methods may be explored to make coffee farmers stakeholders in the value chain as this will have a positive impact on the 25 million families who depend on coffee cultivation the world over. And suggested that a rupee may be added to every cup of coffee that is bought all over the world by coffee lovers and this can be given to the coffee growers,to make a positive impact on the lives of coffee growers and their families,” Goyal said.
During this year long period of preparation, he also urged the ICO to commission studies that will assuage concerns regarding the harmful effects of caffeine.
WCC is expected to be attended by delegates of all 76 member countries of the ICO and over 1000 attendees, including coffee growers, exporters, representatives from government, private sectors and international agencies.
The proposed theme of WCC 2020 is sustainably through consumption because the world coffee production is increasing and having a negative impact on coffee prices, this can be offset by increasing consumption, therefore consumption is the key to sustainability. The focus will be on economic, agriculture, commercial, environmental, social and cultural impact.
(sb/rb)
