Coffee Innovation Fund
Supporting smallholders, fostering innovation
The Coffee Innovation Fund supports pioneering projects in the Ethiopian, Myanmar, Indonesian and Vietnamese coffee sectors. Now, factsheets on the projects are available.

How can companies and cooperatives foster sustainability in the coffee sector? The Coffee Innovation Fund, financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), supports pioneering projects making coffee more profitable for farmers. The projects take various approaches to improve the production, processing or marketing of coffee beans and increase local value creation.
Coffee grown in bunk beds, blockchain-based transparency mechanisms, coffee paired with eco-tourism – 21 projects from four countries made the race in the idea competition the fund organised. Since 2019 and continuing through 2020, they have been receiving financial support, advice and access to a broad network in the coffee sector.
The fund’s support enables start-ups and cooperatives to test new ideas and gain experiences. Other stakeholders, too, can profit from these outcomes – which will be shared at exchange meetings and a in toolkit compiling the different solutions implemented by the projects. Innovations from Ethiopia, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Vietnam will thereby be spread all over the coffee-producing world.
The Coffee Innovation Fund is implemented by the programme for sustainable agricultural supply chains and standards of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). GIZ partnered with the companies to assist in the design and implementation of the projects.
Factsheets

Ethiopia
Consumer microloans on blockchain for coffee farmers

Ethiopia
Enabling living income through consumer empowerment

Ethiopia
Mechanical coffee drying machine that utilises coffee waste to dry coffee faster


Indonesia
Developing Agni-Dryer for natural coffee processing

Indonesia
Connecting coffee growers and drinkers to make coffee more sustainable

Indonesia
Digital traceability to ensure coffee quality

Indonesia
Farm facilities model for speciality coffee processing


Indonesia
Improving fermentation to create new taste profiles and boost cupping score

Indonesia
Developing instant speciality coffee for the global market

Myanmar
Speciality Arabica coffee and eco-tourism

Myanmar
Innovative bunk beds with drying tables and garden beds



Vietnam
Solar dryer domes for better quality and profitability

Vietnam
Improved Flavour Spectrum for Catimor Arabica

Vietnam
Better Market Access for Highland Speciality Coffee

Vietnam
Mobile soil testing for optimising fertilizer use

Vietnam
Business Model for Organic Fertiliser Production