Month: May 2025

In 2024, we faced a year of both challenge and opportunity—with record-high coffee and cocoa prices, shifting markets, and growing regulatory demands like the EU deforestation law. Yet through it all, I’m proud of how Progreso has continued to stand by producer organizations, adapting and growing stronger. Together with our dedicated teams across seven countries, we expanded our reach, built new partnerships, and strengthened tools like Beyco to support more traceable and resilient supply chains. As we look to 2025, I remain confident in our shared mission: unlocking market access and building a fairer future for smallholder farmers.
– Anneke Goede

Read the full Annual Report here

In 2024, Progreso made important progress in diversifying its funding sources and strengthening internal operations to support long-term sustainability. With the support of our new Partnerships Manager, Daan Mulder, we explored new opportunities and secured commitments from multiple donors. A strong example is our expanded work in Côte d’Ivoire—what started with Rabo Foundation has grown into a multi-donor initiative with SEM Foundation and Oikocredit, supporting six cooperatives.Internally, we improved consistency in communication and proposal development, and fully integrated our overhead revenue system introduced in 2023. Our active presence at events such as Chocoa, SCA, and Salon du Chocolat helped connect us with buyers and traders, strengthening the Beyco for Cocoa platform. Collaborations with GIZ and other NGOs also took shape.We renewed key partnerships, including Rabo Foundation’s support across five countries, and deepened our work with Oikocredit through the SSNUP initiative. Looking ahead to 2025, we aim to secure at least two donors per country and expand our Progreso Fund, combining technical assistance with trade finance. We’ll also focus on reinforcing the link between Progreso and Beyco. With 2024 laying a strong foundation, we’re ready to grow our impact in 2025.

Beyco in 2024

In 2024, Beyco accelerated its impact in digital cocoa trade, launching the Beyco Cocoa platform and expanding from dried beans to liquor and butter. Successful rollouts in Côte d’Ivoire, Peru, and Colombia demonstrated strong cooperative interest in Beyco’s decentralized model, which ensures full data ownership and transparency.

Beyco adapted its systems to meet EU deforestation-free supply chain (EUDR) requirements, enabling cooperatives—like one in Uganda—to benefit financially from compliance. The shift to working with local service providers boosted global reach, with promising collaborations in Kenya and Indonesia. Looking ahead, Progreso’s 2025–2030 strategy focuses on enhancing Beyco’s affordability, EUDR capabilities, and data literacy training to empower producer organizations.

Latin America in 2024

In 2024, Progreso reinforced the resilience of cooperatives in Peru, Colombia, and Nicaragua through technical assistance, access to finance, and strengthened market linkages. With partners such as Rabo Foundation and Solidaridad, we enhanced financial management, supported adaptation to market and regulatory demands, and promoted traceability, especially under the EU Deforestation Regulation. Programs like Blueprint Café and the newly launched Blueprint Cacao have empowered cooperatives with agroforestry design training and flexible loan schemes. The Progreso Fund remained solid, expanding in Nicaragua while maturing in Peru and Colombia. Across all countries, digital tools like Beyco were central to improving data use, financial planning, and compliance.

Our 2025 priorities include scaling impact through improved governance, targeted financial instruments, and strategic partnerships with actors like IDH, ADA, and Swisscontact. By deepening our support and refining our tools, Progreso is enabling smallholder organizations to thrive in increasingly demanding and competitive markets.

Africa in 2024

In 2024, Progreso deepened its support to 21 coffee and cocoa cooperatives across Uganda, Rwanda, and Côte d’Ivoire through tailored technical assistance, capacity building, and access to finance. In Uganda, support focused on strengthening internal governance and aligning loans with tailored TA to enhance resilience.

In Rwanda, efforts targeted business planning and credit-readiness, while Côte d’Ivoire saw a new partnership with SEM Foundation to improve cooperative governance and climate-resilient farming. Across countries, Progreso worked closely with Rabo Foundation and other partners to support cooperatives with financing, digital onboarding through Beyco, and market access. Lessons learned emphasized the need to strengthen internal structures before scaling TA.

In 2025, Progreso will refine its onboarding criteria, deepen financial support, and continue aligning TA with market opportunities, including the first union-led cocoa exports from Côte d’Ivoire. The focus remains on building strong, self-reliant cooperatives able to secure financing, access markets, and drive sustainable, farmer-led development.

Indonesia in 2024

In 2024, Progreso Indonesia supported 14 coffee and cocoa partners across Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, Flores, and Bali through financial training, operational guidance, and strategic networking. Six cooperatives accessed working capital loans via Rabo Foundation’s on-lending program, while Ontosoroh Coffee and Makmur Sejahtera transitioned to direct Rabo financing.

Ontosoroh expanded its sourcing and continued exports to This Side Up, and Makmur Sejahtera partnered with Sucafina to supply over 200 tons of Java Robusta. At Jacoweek, Beyco engaged producers on EUDR compliance through digital traceability and joined a panel on sustainability in the premium market. Partners Rejo Mulyo and Lodra Mandiri competed in the Cup of the Year, showcasing their quality coffees. In October, Progreso joined the SCAJ Expo in Tokyo, where partners presented coffees from across Indonesia and shared insights into our inclusive value chain approach, supported by a Rabo Foundation-funded project.