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Every October 1 since 2015, the International Coffee Organization (ICO) has marked International Coffee Day. According to the ICO, the day “is a celebration of the coffee sector’s diversity, quality and passion.”
The ICO has used International Coffee Day to promote various causes related to coffee, such as 2020’s “Coffee’s Next Generation,” which aimed to engage youth organizations and encourage investment in younger members of the coffee industry. Last year, the theme was “Embracing Collaboration” across the supply chain.
This year is the first for the holiday to be formally recognized by the United Nations. In February, the UN passed a resolution officially recognizing October 1 as International Coffee Day. The resolution noted coffee’s global economic and social importance, while emphasizing the “urgent need to raise public awareness of the importance of coffee for sustainable livelihoods and to improve the coffee value chain.” As Nick Brown notes in Daily Coffee News, the U.S. was the only UN member to vote against the resolution.
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) welcomed the resolution and the official recognition of International Coffee Day, noting the importance of coffee to the livelihoods of millions around the world. “Recognizing the value of the coffee sector will raise awareness about its socio-economic importance and strengthen its contribution to eradicating poverty. We look forward to celebrating the Day and its values,” said Qu Dongyu, FAO director-general, in a statement.
Read more on International Coffee Day here.
