Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the money come from ?
The ICO is a cost-effective organization, with a small budget and staff of 25 (reduced from 93 in 1989). Contributions to the ICO budget are shared among all Member Governments in proportion to the number of votes held by each Member, which in turn are based on the amount of coffee exports or imports in the previous four years. The major coffee exporting countries, for example, include Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia, and major consuming Members include the European Union and the United States, who pay the biggest shares of the ICO budget. Benefits such as participation in Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) projects and market development activities enable many Members to recoup the costs of their ICO contribution many times over. From 1995 to 2012, for example, over US$105 million was secured for projects from the CFC and other donors, while an investment from the ICO Promotion Fund of US$300,000 in a Guide to promote consumption has generated funding of over US$30 million in programmes to promote internal consumption.
Other FAQ Within This Category
- Why do we need an international organization to look after coffee ?
- What exactly is the ICO ?
- What is the International Coffee Agreement ?
- How did the ICO come into existence ?
- Where does the money come from ?
- Is the ICO a cartel ? Does the ICO operate a quota system ?
- What is the impact of the ICO on world trade in coffee ?
- To what extent do non-governmental organizations participate in the work of the ICO ?
- How far does the ICO represent the coffee growers themselves ?
- What is the extent of private sector involvement in the work of the ICO ?
- What is the role of the EU ?
- What happens at Council meetings ?
- How are decisions taken in the Council ?
- Who can attend meetings ?
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