TCC Combining Resources! conference, 26th January 2012

Tropical Commodity Coalition always combined the strengths of numerous civil society organizations to promote sustainability in the coffee, cocoa and tea sectors. Established in 2002 as the Coffee Coalition, the TCC is nowadays a well-known and respected stakeholder. TCC can look back at a successful nine years and it is therefore with great regret that the Tropical Commodity Coalition is to be concluded.

However.....the work is not done yet. Many challenges lie ahead and constant vigilance must be maintained to warrant that plans set into action will bring improvement for small-scale producers and their environment. Therefore this final conference will not only reflect on the journey that we have made so far, its main focus is on the challenges ahead and what is needed from the different stakeholders involved.

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TCC announces its closing

September 21, 2011 - Dear Partners and Friends of the Tropical Commodity Coalition

The Tropical Commodity Coalition (TCC) has always combined the strengths of numerous civil society organisations to promote sustainability in the coffee, cocoa and tea sectors. Established in 2002 as the Coffee Coalition, the TCC is currently a recognised player. We are pleased to feel that the Coalition is respected amongst international organisations and industry as a neutral entity.

When the Coalition was established, sustainability in coffee, cocoa and tea was barely on the agenda of the big multi-nationals. On the contrary, many industry players rejected the program of civil society organisations to improve the living conditions of small scale producers and agricultural workers in the sectors.

Today in 2011 the tide has turned: sustainability is taken seriously throughout the industry, NGOs and multi-nationals work together in consuming and producing countries. Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, UTZ Certified and Organic have become household brands. Logos of these standards are found on countless coffee packs, chocolate bars and tea bags. The sustainability movement has reached a tipping point and seems to have reached its own momentum.

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4C achieves full ISEAL membership

September 15, 2011 - The 4C Association graduated to Full Membership status in ISEAL, thereby joining the leading group of sustainability standards that have demonstrated their credibility through compliance with ISEAL Codes and accompanying good practices.

"The 4C Association is very proud to become a full member of the ISEAL Alliance and be part of a leading community of standard setting organisations. By achieving full ISEAL membership, the 4C Association has demonstrated that its standard setting process is credible, transparent and participatory”, stated Melanie Rutten-Sülz, Executive Director of the 4C Association.

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Leading partners in coffee trade and industry form IDH Coffee Program

August 3, 2011 - The IDH Coffee Program is a public-private cooperation involving the coffee industry, trade and export partners, governments, NGO’s and standard setting organizations. The 4 founding industry participants are Kraft Foods, Nestlé, Sara Lee and Tchibo, representing an annual coffee purchases of 36 million bags or 30% of global production. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) is involved as a development partner. Additional participation is channeled through the Royal Dutch Coffee and Tea Association (KNVKT), the European Coffee Federation (ECF) and the Tropical Commodity Coalition (TCC). Other partners are currently being engaged.

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The First Aromas and Flavors of Chocolate of Ecuador Fair

24 August, 2011 - The First Aromas and Flavors of Chocolate of Ecuador Fair took place on July, 27th, 2011 at the National Agriculture Research Institute’s (INIAP) Pichilingue Experimental Station, outside of Quevedo, Ecuador. The event was implemented by the Ecuadorian NGO Conservacion y Desarrollo, along with 11 cocoa growers’ association and INIAP and was financed by The World Bank’s Development Marketplace Program.

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Koffiecoöperaties in problemen door prijzen

Juli 20, 2011 - Coöperaties van koffieboeren in ontwikkelingslanden hebben het afgelopen oogstseizoen vaker niet aan hun leveringsverplichtingen kunnen voldoen. Koffiebranders kunnen daardoor op dit moment moeilijker aan koffie komen. Dat meldde Fairtrade International, de koepelorganisatie van het keurmerk voor eerlijke handel waarbij ook het Nederlandse Max Havelaar is aangesloten, woensdag.

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UTZ Certified becomes a member of the 4C Association

June 23, 2011 - On 23 June 2011 UTZ CERTIFIED joined the 4C Association. The news was made public on the occasion of the SCAE conference in Maastricht.

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