This month, they became an independent member of the International Coffee Organization, an action that was met with relief by the members of the ICO whose members represent 97% of the coffee growing, producing and exporting nations in the world.
One of the necessities of post BREXIT life, (BREXIT being the Britain/Exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union) is that as a nation, Great Britain has been exploring a variety of avenues of trade in relation to imports and exports.
Since the actual BREXIT on January 1st 2021, Britain has been forging new relationships as “the new boy back on the block” with centuries of international trading experience.
“I am delighted to represent the UK at a virtual ceremony to mark our accession to the International Coffee Organization (ICO) as an independent member. The UK is the 10th largest importer of coffee globally. Joining the ICO demonstrates the UK’s support for this valuable sector.”
Victoria Prentis, Food Minister – UK”
As with most trade sectors, 2020 was a difficult year for the global coffee industry which saw volatile pricing, a commotion in the supply chain, unpredictability among other issues.
The news was seen as a positive step since the United States, under President Donald Trump withdrew from the ICO in June 2018 under his Trump’s “Made in America” theme.
As host country of the ICO, it only seems right that the United Kingdom was welcomed so quickly.
What about a Nice Cup of Tea Coffee?
With over 95 million cups of coffee served every day, the UK coffee business is worth £11 Billion (about US $15 Billion) per year requiring a work force of 150,000. It’s still second to that famous British cup of tea but its catching up fast. @BritCoffAssoc
Nicaragua
On the 28th of January, 2021, Nicaragua participated in a virtual meeting of over two hundred representatives from the international coffee sector. They joined the Director of the ICO in welcoming the United Kingdom as the latest member country and welcomed Victoria Prentis as their representative.
Part of the meeting was debate the content of the ICO’s 2020 Report on Global Coffee Development. This report highlighted the need for inclusive programs that impact resilience to Climate Change, the current global Covid-19 pandemic as well as improving the lives of producers.
Click Here for: Coffee Shops Plus in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua.
Photo by Viktoria Alipatova from Pexels
