Launch of SUSTAINEO

03.05.2011

SUSTAINEO is the name of this strategic initiative which strives for a stronger involvement of global market dynamics in development approaches to enable smallholder farmers in coffee, cocoa and cotton to improve their income and living conditions.

On Tuesday, 19th of April 2011, an alliance of the renowned entrepreneurs Dr. Michael Otto, Dr. Christian Jacobs and Michael R. Neumann was officially announced in a press conference held in Hamburg. SUSTAINEO is the name of this strategic initiative which strives for a stronger involvement of global market dynamics in development approaches to enable smallholder farmers in coffee, cocoa and cotton to improve their income and living conditions. Furthermore, SUSTAINEO aims to establish a strategic dialogue with policy makers. An intensive exchange of experiences between the foundations Hanns R Neumann Stiftung, Jacobs Foundation and Aid by Trade Foundation is foreseen to continuously improve the quality of work and document its impact.

Population growth, surface erosion and other use of cultivated areas make the supply of agricultural products a major global challenge. At the same time, the production of coffee, cotton and cocoa is of outstanding economic and social importance to many developing countries. Approx. 250 million people are depending on the production of said commodities which are primarily grown in poor rural areas. A professionalization of the entrepreneurial activities of smallholder farmers is a great opportunity to increase the typically very low income achieved.

“The demand for sustainably obtained products is going to increase more and more. By pooling our strengths in form of an alliance, we want to achieve that especially smallholder farmers contribute to the required supply volumes and benefit from an increasing demand by means of more productivity and better access to markets”, states Dr. Michael Otto.

“In the project work of our foundations, we encounter comparable social and economic framework conditions and challenges when it comes to implementation and achievement of our objectives. In order to be able to enhance efficient and sustainable development cooperation we want to place our projects at new quality levels”, says Michael R. Neumann.

“It is substantial to provide access to education to the children of smallholder farmers and to allow the communities to recognize education as necessary prerequisite for economic advance. It is this approach that I want to anchor more firmly by establishing SUSTAINEO”, states Dr. J. Christian Jacobs.

SUSTAINEO was warmly welcomed by the Minister of International Development Cooperation of Germany, Mr. Dirk Niebel.

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