ICO Promotes ‘Circular Coffee Economy’ as 8th International Coffee Day Approaches

In the seasonal coffee marketing calendar of the United States, the late summer torrent of pumpkin-spice-everything is followed by loads of in-store giveaways, promotions and product launches leading up to the Sept. 29 National Coffee Day.

The artifice and absurdity of it all can unfortunately overshadow yet another coffee holiday that comes just two calendar days later on Oct. 1: International Coffee Day.

As first established by the International Coffee Organization in 2014 and first observed in 2015, International Coffee Day is just as contrived as its national predecessor, yet with a naturally broader focus.

Whereas National Coffee Day might say “DOWNLOAD OUR APP. GET FREE COFFEE TODAY. YUM!!!,” International Coffee Day might reply, “Maybe let’s also think of multi-stakeholder, broad-scale solutions to address poverty among millions of smallholder farmers in the coffee sector.”

Thus, as the eighth International Coffee Day approaches, the nonprofit ICO has rolled out a marketing and fundraising campaign centered around the concept of circular economies, urging actors in and around the coffee industry to support economic prosperity and environmental stewardship throughout the coffee supply chain.

The organization is also using the holiday to support its ongoing “Next Generation” initiative, designed to increase participation among younger people in the coffee sector, from farming to roasting and retailing.

For more on International Coffee Day, including marketing resources and images, check out the ICO’s event page.

Does your coffee business have news to share? Let DCN’s editors know here.