What’s Ahead for Coffee’s Next Generation

“As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” — Bill Gates

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Meet the crema of the crop.

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The NCA Next Generation initiative was launched last year to help support talented young professionals who are passionate about the coffee industry. (NCA membership is not a prerequisite to join.)

Led by a volunteer board of emerging leaders, the Next Gen group has worked for the past year to develop new networking opportunities, professional development programming, and NCA social media initiatives.

The first Next Gen Breakout Session will be held at the NCA 2018 Annual Convention on March 15 in New Orleans. The educational session will include leadership lessons, investment insights for a young adults, and information on how to get involved.

Here, Brandon Jackson, Vice President in Commodities & Logistics, Brown Brothers Harriman, and the first Chair of the NCA Next Gen Committee, talks about why we need new voices to help guide the coffee industry’s future – and what to expect next.

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Behind the NCA Coffee Gives Back Program

By William (Bill) Murray, President & CEO, National Coffee Association

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“The farmer has to be an optimist, or he wouldn’t be a farmer.” 

Will Rogers, U.S. Social Commentator, 1879-1935  

More than any other pursuit, successful farming depends on “external” factors.  Successful farming depends upon some things that can’t be controlled easily, and some things that can’t be controlled at all.

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Grounds for Health Receives $200k Challenge Grant to Support Innovation in 2018

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Grounds for Health, an international NGO dedicated to the prevention of cervical cancer in developing countries, is embarking on a large fundraising campaign and it began with a bang. A very generous supporter offered to match every donation received before January 2018, up to $200,000.

Thanks to strong local health partners and coffee industry support, Grounds for Health has successfully screened over 80,000 women and treated more than 6,000 women in low resource settings since 1996.

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Hurricane Harvey: How You Can Help

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Hurricane Harvey continues to batter the Gulf with heavy rain and historic flooding, as the most powerful storm to hit the mainland U.S. in over a decade. More than 33,000 people were in shelters as of Thursday, according to the American Red Cross.

And the devastation isn’t over yet. An estimated 12 million people will be directly affected as the storm heads from Texas into Louisiana. The states of Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky also forecast to see rain and potential flooding over the next few days.

“Our neighbors all across the country reached out to NYC after 9/11 and Superstorm Sandy. We’ll never forget their kindness, especially now during their time of need,” says William M. Murray, CEO, NCA. “We will continue to keep the people affected by Harvey in our thoughts, today and during the recovery ahead. And we encourage everyone to help in whatever ways they can, no matter how small.”

The coffee community’s spirit of support and generosity is needed now more than ever. Make your donation to the Red Cross now, and share additional suggestions in the comments below.

 

Grounds for Health Doubles Impact in 2015, Has Big Plans Ahead

Cervical cancer is a nearly 100% treatable disease, and yet in the next 15 years it is expected to kill six million women – 90% of whom will live in developing countries.

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By Pam Kahl, Vice President, Communications and Development, Grounds For Health

In the last 18 months, Grounds for Health has quietly reorganized to meet our goal of reaching 50,000 women annually by 2020.

And the results from 2015 indicate that we are starting to realize this vision of scale.  Continue reading

A Holiday Guide to Gifts That Give Back

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Still looking for that perfect gift for the coffee lover(s) in your life?

Whether you’re shopping for a picky coworker or your geeky sibling who already has all the latest gadgets, we got you covered.

In keeping with the spirit of the holiday season, our editors put together a coffee-themed guide to charitable gift ideas that let you make a difference with each dollar.

These are only a few of the many companies and products that make it easy to give back this holiday season. Please let us know if we’re forgetting your favorite in the comments, or contact us at info@ncausa.org.

 

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