Global – The Coffee Corps

Connecting Volunteer Experts with Local Farmers

The Coffee Corps is a service organization established by the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) in September, 2002. In collaboration with CQI, ACDI/VOCA recruits coffee-sector volunteer experts who are willing to share their time and talents with coffee farmers and communities around the world. The mission of the Coffee Corps is to enhance the livelihoods of coffee farmers, workers and entrepreneurs in developing countries and to help ensure a reliable supply of quality coffee products.

ACDI/VOCA has helped to mobilize demand abroad for this program’s services and has channeled coffee-country producer groups and companies into the program’s sphere of activities. ACDI/VOCA helps overseas client organizations present formal applications for program assistance, prepare detailed and viable volunteer scopes of work for CQI approval. ACDI/VOCA also provides administrative support necessary to develop effective recruiting materials and to handle all details relating to volunteer travel.

The Coffee Corps initiative includes a worldwide component and a component that focuses specifically on Central America and the Dominican Republic (CADR) and how that region has been affected by the global coffee crisis.

Volunteers have provided training in roasting, cupping, marketing, quality control and other areas in countries such as Guatemala, Venezuela, Rwanda, Ethiopia and the Philippines.

Visit the official Coffee Corps website.

Coffee Corps was featured in the July-August 2005 issue of Frontlines–USAID's monthly news publication. Read the article here.