5th World Coffee Summit held in India

5th World Coffee Summit held in India

This topic is important for Current Affairs of Prelims Exams and Main Exams General Studies, Paper-3.

October 03, 2023

In News:

  • Recently, the 5th World Coffee Conference was organized in India.

Key points:

  • This conference was held in Bangalore, Karnataka from 25 to 28 September 2023.
  • The conference was organized in collaboration with the International Coffee Organization (ICO) and the Coffee Board of India, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
  • The theme of this conference was: “Sustainability through circular economy and regenerative agriculture”.
  • The official mascot of the 5th World Coffee Conference is Coffee Swami, a symbol of Indian tradition.
  • Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna was appointed brand ambassador in this conference.
  • India is the first country among the Asian coffee producing countries where the World Coffee Conference has been organized for the first time.
  • The objective of this conference is to pave the way for innovative opportunities and markets and to benefit coffee farmers who play a vital role in coffee production.
  • The conference included various activities including an exhibition, skill-building workshops, a CEOs and Global Leaders Forum and a Growers Conclave.
  • World Coffee Summit 2023 has participants from more than 80 countries.
  • One of the major topics discussed at the conference was a special focus on regenerative agriculture.
  • The first conference of the World Coffee Conference has been held in England (2001), the second in Brazil (2005), the third in Guatemala (2010) and the fourth in Ethiopia (2016).

About Regenerative Agriculture:

  • Regenerative agriculture is a holistic agricultural approach that emphasizes soil health, food quality, biodiversity, water quality and air quality.
  • Regenerative agriculture focuses on improving soil health, sustainability of biodiversity by reducing soil disturbance, diversifying crops, using cover crops and integrating livestock.
  • Regenerative agriculture aims to improve soil health, biodiversity and water and air quality through methods such as reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, reducing tillage, integrating livestock, using cover crops, etc. In this, instead of depleting resources, they have to be increased.

About International Coffee Organization (ICO):

  • The International Coffee Organization serves as the principal intergovernmental organization to promote coffee trade and enhance cooperation among coffee producing and consuming nations.
  • This organization was established in the year 1963 as a body of the United Nations.
  • Presently, the International Coffee Organization is headquartered in London, UK.
  • This organization manages the International Coffee Agreement.
  • The objective of this organization is to strengthen the coffee sector and promote sustainable development of the Global Coffee Value Chain (G-CVC).
  • This organization provides a platform to coffee exporting and importing countries for development and cooperation in the field of coffee.
  • This organization represents 93% of the world's coffee production and 63% of coffee consumption.
  • At present, 43 coffee exporting countries including India and 6 coffee importing countries are members of this organization.

About Indian Coffee Board:

  • It is a constitutional organization which was formed under the Coffee Act, 1942.
  • It works under the administrative control of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.
  • This board consists of a total of 33 members including the Chairman, who is the Chief Executive.
  • K.G. Jagdish is currently the CEO of Coffee Board of India.
  • This board operates from Bangalore, Karnataka.
  • Important facts related to coffee:
  • According to the Statista site, Brazil is currently the largest producer of coffee.
  • India is the sixth largest producer of coffee in the world after Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, Ethiopia and Honduras.
  • The Western and Eastern Ghats of India are ecologically sensitive areas for coffee production.
  • About 65% to 70% of the total coffee production in India is exported and the remaining coffee is consumed domestically.
  • About 70% of India's total coffee production is grown in Karnataka.
  • Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh (Araku Valley), Odisha, Manipur, Mizoram and other north-eastern states are coffee plantation areas in India.
  • The main varieties of coffee in India are Arabica and Robusta.

Importance of this conference for India:

  • The Global Coffee Summit will significantly enhance India's potential and exposure in the international coffee markets and domestic markets.
  • The quantity and prices of India's coffee exports will increase.

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Mains Exam Question

Describe the main geographical conditions for coffee production in India.