Come join our team as Program Manager in Indonesia

For more than five years, Progreso Foundation has been working side by side with coffee and cocoa cooperatives across Indonesia. From Java and Sumatra to Sulawesi, Flores, and Bali, our team supports 14 partner cooperatives with technical assistance, small-scale trade finance, and digital tools that help strengthen data management and traceability. These partnerships are at the heart of our mission: empowering smallholder farmers to grow stronger businesses, improve their income, and farm more sustainably.

For the full ToR, please see here: https://www.progreso.nl/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Program-Manager-Indonesia-2.pdf

As we prepare for the next phase of our Indonesia program (2026–2028), we are opening an exciting new position: Program Manager Indonesia.

The Program Manager will play a central role in shaping and delivering Progreso’s impact in Indonesia. This position leads the implementation of our country portfolio and guides the work of our project managers and field officers. It is an opportunity for someone who is eager to help cooperatives grow stronger, build a national team, and directly contribute to meaningful improvements in the coffee and cocoa value chains.

This is a full-time position based in Indonesia, with regular travel to the field.

What we’re looking for

We’re searching for a candidate who combines technical expertise with an entrepreneurial mindset and a passion for sustainability. The ideal Program Manager brings:

  • A relevant degree in International Business, Rural Development, Agro-business, Development Studies, or a related field
  • At least five years of experience in program or project management
  • Affinity with sustainable agricultural value chains
  • Strong leadership qualities and the ability to work independently
  • Fluency in English and conversational proficiency in Bahasa
  • Experience in the coffee or cocoa sectors—or with Salesforce—is considered an advantage

What you´ll do

In this role, the Program Manager oversees project implementation, supports and evaluates loan and project applications from partner cooperatives, manages the in-country team, coordinates reporting and administration through Salesforce, and maintains strong relationships with donors, cooperatives, and other key stakeholders. The new Program Manager will also play a direct role in designing our upcoming program phase, contributing their expertise and ideas to shape Progreso’s future in Indonesia.

What we offer

Working at Progreso means joining an international team committed to making coffee and cocoa value chains more sustainable and equitable. We offer an entrepreneurial work environment with plenty of room for growth, collaboration with colleagues across Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Europe, and a market-competitive full-time consultancy contract.

Interested in joining us?

If you’re based in Indonesia and passionate about working with smallholder farmers and strengthening sustainable value chains, we’d love to hear from you. Please send your resume and cover letter before 21 December 2025 to admin@progreso.nl.

Progreso Foundation opens two key positions in Côte d’Ivoire

Progreso Foundation is expanding its team in Côte d’Ivoire with two new full-time positions: Project Manager and Project Officer. Both roles are central to our mission of supporting smallholder farmers and strengthening the sustainability of the cocoa sector.

Founded in 1998, Progreso Foundation works with coffee and cocoa producer organizations across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. With more than two decades of operational experience, we focus on improving access to finance, access to markets, and strengthening data management and traceability through tools like Beyco. Our work in Côte d’Ivoire is an important part of this global effort.

Why we are hiring

Côte d’Ivoire is at the heart of the global cocoa supply chain. To deepen our impact, we are investing in on-the-ground expertise capable of working directly with cooperatives, strengthening their management systems, and ensuring long-term sustainability. Both of the newly opened roles are designed to bring dedicated support to our local partners and help drive improvements in business planning, financial management, marketing, and cooperative governance.

1. Project Manager – Côte d’Ivoire

The Project Manager will be the main point of reference for operations in Côte d’Ivoire. Reporting to the West Africa Program Manager, this role oversees the implementation of technical assistance programs, including planning field visits, supporting cooperative management, and ensuring high-quality reporting.
The position requires:

  • At least five years of experience in the cocoa sector
  • Proven project management experience in Côte d’Ivoire
  • Fluency in English and strong communication skills in French
  • A proactive attitude and ability to work independently
  • Strong understanding of agricultural value chains and cooperative structures

2. Project Officer – Côte d’Ivoire

Working under the Project Manager, the Project Officer plays a hands-on role in daily support to cocoa cooperatives. This includes frequent field visits, monitoring activities, assisting consultants, and contributing to training and reporting.
The ideal candidate brings:

  • Relevant academic training (agronomy, agribusiness, economics)
  • Minimum three years of experience in the cocoa value chain
  • Knowledge of agroforestry and cooperative systems
  • Fluency in English and French
  • Strong problem-solving skills and field adaptability

What We Offer

Both positions are full-time consultancy assignments (40 hours/week), based in Côte d’Ivoire with frequent travel to cocoa-growing regions. We offer a flexible working environment, market-competitive compensation, and the opportunity to contribute directly to improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.

How to Apply

If you meet the mandatory requirements and want to join our mission to build a more sustainable cocoa sector, we welcome your application.

Please send your CV and cover letter before 31 December 2025 to:
Nataniel Yao, West Africa Program Manager
nataniel@progreso.nl

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.

Vacancy: Beyco Implementation Officer – Côte d’Ivoire

Progreso Foundation is looking for a motivated Beyco Implementation Officer to join our team in Côte d’Ivoire. This full-time consultancy position (40 hours per week), preferably based in Abidjan, plays a key role in expanding the use of the Beyco Farmer platform among cocoa cooperatives.

For more than 20 years, Progreso has supported coffee and cocoa producer organizations across Latin America, Africa and Asia to become stronger, more sustainable businesses. Through tailor-made technical assistance, access to finance, and digital tools such as Beyco, we help producer organizations improve their operations and connect to better markets.

About the Role

The Beyco Implementation Officer will work directly with cocoa cooperatives and service providers to ensure the effective rollout and use of the Beyco Farmer platform. The role combines fieldwork, training, and technical support with partner engagement and business development.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Providing on-site and remote training on the Beyco Farmer app, farm mapping, and data collection
  • Conducting regular field visits to support partners and farmers
  • Troubleshooting technical issues and monitoring platform adoption
  • Identifying opportunities to improve the platform and reporting them to the digital product team
  • Building and maintaining relationships with existing and potential partners
  • Representing Beyco at relevant events and trainings

Who We Are Looking For

Candidates should have:

  • A relevant degree (agronomy, computer science, data collection/management)
  • At least 3 years of experience in the cocoa value chain
  • Strong communication skills in French and English
  • Experience with digital tools or app-based data collection
  • A proactive, hands-on attitude and willingness to travel frequently

Why Join Progreso?

  • A dynamic role with frequent field engagement
  • The opportunity to contribute to a more transparent and sustainable cocoa sector
  • A flexible working environment within an international NGO
  • Competitive compensation based on experience

How to Apply

Please send your CV and Cover Letter to Nataniel YAO (West Africa Program Manager) at nataniel@progreso.nl before December 31, 2025.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.

Progreso Foundation Seeks Business & Financial Advisor in Peru

Progreso Foundation is recruiting a Business & Financial Advisor to join its team in Peru, supporting coffee and cocoa producer organizations across the north-eastern region (Moyobamba, Chachapoyas, or Jaén). This full-time hybrid role is central to strengthening the financial management, business capacity, and long-term sustainability of producer organizations in one of the country’s most important coffee- and cocoa-producing areas.

For more than 25 years, Progreso has worked with producer organizations around the world to help them grow as professional, resilient businesses. In Peru, this position will work closely with the Project Officer and the Program Manager for Latin America, becoming a key point of contact for operations and alliances in the country.

For the full ToR, please see here

What the role involves

The Business & Financial Advisor will lead the financial analysis of producer organizations, provide training on financial management, and support the development of financial projections tailored to each organization’s needs. The role also includes advising cooperatives on procurement policies, commercial operations, market trends, and price risk management.

Beyond financial and business advisory, the position contributes to building strategic alliances with producer organizations, traders, and international cooperation agencies. The advisor will be involved in designing new projects, coordinating field visits, and supporting monitoring, evaluation, and reporting processes. As Progreso’s representative in Peru, the selected candidate will also help strengthen communication and collaboration across teams in Peru, Colombia, and Nicaragua.

Candidate profile

Applicants should have at least five years of experience in financial management or business advisory roles with coffee or cocoa producer organizations—a mandatory requirement. Candidates must be based in or near Moyobamba, Chachapoyas, or Jaén, and hold a degree in Engineering, Economics, Accounting, or Administration. Fluency in Spanish and intermediate English are also required.

Additional experience in financial management studies, multi-stakeholder initiatives, and data analysis will be considered a strong advantage. Progreso is seeking someone with leadership skills, a proactive attitude, strong communication abilities, and a genuine motivation to work with producer organizations in sustainable value chains.

How to Apply

Interested candidates are invited to send their CV to yasmin@progreso.nl by December 18th, 2025.
Virtual interviews will take place from January 5th to 7th, 2026, with the expected start date on January 20th, 2026.

For more information about Progreso and its work, visit progreso.nl.

We’re Hiring: Operations Manager (32–40 hours)

At Progreso Foundation, everything we do starts with one mission: enabling smallholder coffee and cocoa farmers to earn a fair income and farm sustainably. We support farmer organisations through technical training and coaching, trade finance via the Progreso Fund, and datadriven tools through our digital platform, Beyco.

As our work continues to grow across Latin America, West and East Africa, and Asia, so does our organisation. With a team of 25 professionals working across regions—and an increasing demand for clear systems, data insights, and smart processes—we are excited to open a new position:

Operations Manager (32–40 hours per week)
Location: Hybrid / Amsterdam

For the full ToR, please see here,

Why this role matters

Progreso is a small organisation with a big reach. To keep our international operations running smoothly, we are looking for someone who brings structure, clarity, and the ability to turn complexity into simplicity.

The Operations Manager will play a central role in strengthening our internal systems across planning, finances, HR, project management, compliance, and data management. You will ensure that our team—both in Amsterdam and around the world—has the tools, processes, and support needed to make meaningful impact on the ground.

What you will do

In this new role, you will:

  • Implement practical project management systems and guidelines that help our international team work efficiently and transparently.
  • Develop dashboards and internal reporting tools that give real-time insight into project progress and budgets.
  • Lead financial monitoring and ensure compliance across our operations.
  • Oversee contracts, IT systems, administrative procedures, and coordination with external service providers.
  • Turn raw data from Salesforce into information that supports strategic decision-making.

This is a hands-on role for someone who enjoys building structure, solving operational puzzles, and supporting colleagues to do their best work.

Who we’re looking for

You have at least five years of experience in operations and financial management, ideally in an international context. You’re comfortable with digital tools (Salesforce experience is a big advantage), understand compliance and risk management, and have a practical, solution-driven mindset.

You speak Dutch and English fluently—Spanish is a plus. Most importantly, you’re someone who brings clarity without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.

What we offer

By joining Progreso, you become part of a passionate international team committed to improving livelihoods for thousands of farming families. We offer:

  • A meaningful role with real impact
  • A motivated team of 25 colleagues across continents
  • Hybrid working: Thursdays at our office at the beautiful KIT in Amsterdam, the rest of the week from home
  • Flexibility, autonomy, and an entrepreneurial environment
  • A one-year contract with possibility of extension
  • Salary between €3,500–€4,300 (40 hours), depending on experience

Interested?

We’d love to hear from you.
Send your motivation letter and CV before 9 December 2025 to admin@progreso.nl.

Interviews will take place in January 2026.

For questions about the vacancy, you can contact:
An Ha (Managing Director) – an@progreso.nl

Make Farming Cool Again 

Written by: Daan Mulder (Partnerships Manager)

How role models and creativity engage young people in coffee and cocoa farming 

In coffee and cocoa, as in any other sector, young people are essential for driving innovation and ensuring a sustainable future. Yet, the farming population is ageing, and many prefer urban jobs over agricultural livelihoods. While initiatives exist to improve access to finance and land, one fundamental challenge remains: making farming an attractive choice. To counter this, Progreso’s partners in Indonesia and Rwanda have found creative and inspiring ways to engage the next generation of coffee and cocoa farmers.

A young management and a stacked trophy shelf 

Recruiting new and talented members is one of the key strategies behind the success of Koperasi Rejo Mulyo, or Kojoyo, in Central Java. The cooperative organizes youth camps, local coffee shows, and green bean contests to involve young people in their communities. But perhaps the biggest driver of change is its young leadership team. Acting as role models, they show that creativity in coffee production can turn farming into an art form with a decent income. 

This year alone, through self-learning and experimentation, Kojoyo tested twelve new coffee-processing methods to bring out the best aromas from their arabica and robusta beans. And it paid off: their fine robusta won an award at Jakarta Coffee Week for the second year in a row. 

Coffee hipsters between the cocoa trees 

On Sulawesi, the cooperative SIMULTAN is drawing young people into cocoa farming through hip, hands-on experiences. In their creative warehouse filled with murals and local crafts, young members prepare their camping gear and coffee sets before heading into the field. There, they chat about cocoa farming with peers from nearby communities, sometimes while jamming on a guitar or cajón. 

SIMULTAN’s young member base is the driving force behind its innovative initiatives, such as a magnetic board game that teaches farmers about agroforestry in a fun and interactive way. 

Passion for football, passion for coffee 

In southern Rwanda, Maraba Coffee Cooperative encourages youth involvement in the coffee value chain through an annual football competition among communities surrounding its washing stations. While competing for the cup, young coffee farmers share stories about how coffee farming has become a reliable and sustainable source of income. 

The initiative also highlights that the coffee sector offers more than farming alone, it provides opportunities to develop skills in roasting, cupping, and even becoming a barista. 

Leading by example 

Creativity, self-expression, and young leadership are powerful tools to make farming appealing again. By showing that agriculture can be innovative, social, and rewarding, cooperatives like Kojoyo, SIMULTAN, and Maraba are inspiring the next generation of coffee and cocoa producers. 

Let’s make farming cool again. 

From small farms to global bids 

This October, coffee buyers from around the world have the chance to participate in an online auction featuring exceptional coffees from Peru and Colombia from cooperatives supported by the Progreso Foundation. On October 28 and 29, 2025, registered participants can bid on lots curated by 3 producer organizations: 

  • Rutas del Inca, a Peruvian cooperative with 275 members since 2013 (Fairtrade & Organic), offers two standout lots: Inka Essence and Chasqui Reserva. Inka Essence reflects the enduring Inca legacy—ancestral wisdom, respect for nature, and a deep connection to the land—grown at high altitudes in Cajamarca. Chasqui Reserva honors the chasquis, the messengers of the Inca Empire, combining exclusivity with generations of collective knowledge. Together, they showcase both quality and living heritage. 
  • Aromas del Valle, with 596 members since 2015 (Fairtrade, Organic, Rainforest Alliance), is dedicated to closing gender gaps and empowering women in specialty coffee. Their lot, Mestiza, raises awareness of women’s work in the sector, while the microlot from Norbil Pérez Tello of Finca La Chirimoya features innovative Geisha coffees shaped by Cajamarca’s unique microclimates. These lots highlight both inclusivity and excellence. 
  • Global Cafés, a Colombian cooperative with 256 members since 2012 (Fairtrade, Organic, UTZ, SPP), presents Cima Ancestral and Conexión. Cima Ancestral offers bright acidity, notes of panela, lemon, and honey, and a lively body. Conexión features chocolate and orange notes, medium body, citric acidity, and light nutty aftertaste. These coffees reflect the cooperative’s commitment to quality, traceability, and the flavors of Colombian highlands. 

Organized by Progreso and Beyco, with the support of V-Auction, the auction runs for two days and offers buyers the opportunity to bid directly on lots from producers. The auction offers a unique way for producers to showcase their coffees to a global audience and for buyers to discover new sourcing opportunities. It’s a space to explore a variety of coffee profiles, connect with previously unknown producer organizations, and potentially establish long-term partnerships. 

Beyond the cups themselves, the event highlights the people and communities behind the coffees. By bringing buyers and producers together in one platform, the auction opens doors to new connections and collaborations, helping participants navigate the global coffee market in fresh ways. 

The auction will take place online and is open to all interested buyers. Registration is now available through the auction platform. 

Auction Days: October 28–29, 2025 
Registration link: beycoauctions.v-auction.com/en/ 

EUDR – From compliance to opportunity

This month marked an important milestone for the coffee sector and for Beyco. Busongora Coffee in Uganda and Val & Tin Coffee Gardens in Switzerland have signed a purchase contract on our platform. At first glance, it may appear to be just another trade agreement, but in reality, it is so much more!

The contract demonstrates how farmer organizations and buyers can already meet the requirements of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Thanks to the Beyco farmer platform, the agreement includes geo-data traceability down to the level of individual plots and households, ensuring that the coffee can be traced back to its exact origin. At the same time, financial and value chain data were exported directly from the platform, giving all actors insight into the numbers behind the trade. Even the financing conditions were made visible, clearly showing who funded the contract and under what terms.

By bringing all of this together in a single document, Busongora and Val & Tin have gone beyond compliance. They have shown that traceability and transparency do not have to be obstacles, but can instead be tools to strengthen trust and inclusion across the value chain. This achievement is not only a step toward EUDR readiness, but also a glimpse into the kind of fairer, more sustainable coffee trade that digital platforms like Beyco make possible. 

Brian Masereka, Beyco Implementation Officer Uganda:  “Beyco means Beyond coffee in the context of the coffee industry, By signing this contract on beyco and visibly showing the various aspects of the value chain, the buyer is giving the consumers more than just coffee, he is allowing them the opportunity to interact with origin stories and see various aspects of the value chain. I suppose that if you know the true story of your coffee, it can never taste the same because you see it just beyond the coffee in the cup.”

Visualizing coffee contracts on Beyco

Behind every signed contract on the Beyco Platform lies a story. The recent purchase agreement between Busongora Coffee in Uganda and Val & Tin Coffee Gardens in Switzerland is no exception, and this time, the story is made visible in a new way.

On Beyco, the contract is more than a set of signatures. It captures the trust built between farmers and buyers, while also making the often-invisible parts of a trade relationship clear for everyone to see. For example, the financing behind the contract is displayed transparently, showing how access to trade finance made the deal possible. Financial and value chain data, exported from the farmer platform, add another layer of openness that builds confidence among all parties. And thanks to geo-data collected at the plot and household level, the origin of the coffee can be traced with unprecedented precision.

What makes this so significant is not only the technology itself, but the signal it sends: contracts on Beyco can become living documents that tell the full story of a trade, from the household level in Uganda to a roasting company in Switzerland. This visualization of trust, data, and traceability sets a benchmark for the sector, showing how digital platforms can reshape the way coffee is traded and valued. 

Ayub Asingataba, Program Manager – East Africa: “Beyco is not just a platform; it is a bridge that connects farmers to the global market. Through robust data management, full traceability, and EUDR compliance, it gives cooperatives the credibility buyers demand while securing fairer opportunities for farmers. With Beyco, origin stories gain visibility, trust is strengthened, and farmers’ coffee earns its rightful place on the world stage.”

Welcome to our new Managing Director!

We are delighted to welcome An Ha, who started on August 18th as our new Managing Director. To get to know her better, she shares a bit about the path that brought her to Progreso, her vision for working with farmer cooperatives, and what excites her most about stepping into this role.

When An looks back at the path that led her to Progreso, she describes it as a journey that has always circled back to the same place: close to the farmer. After studying development economics, her career began at Rabo Foundation, continued at Rabobank and later took her to Solidaridad. While these roles gave her valuable insights into development finance and sustainability, she felt a strong pull to work more directly with farmers and their cooperatives.

Through Iris van der Velden, a member of Progreso’s Supervisory Board, An was introduced to the role of Managing Director. The moment she learned about the position, it felt like a natural fit. Stepping into this role, she explains, felt like a welcome home, being closer to farmer cooperatives than ever before, and at the very heart of the challenges and opportunities they face.

For An, supporting farmer cooperatives is both a professional challenge and a source of deep fulfillment. Cooperatives are complex organizations; their success depends on many intertwined factors. Yet it is precisely this complexity that motivates her. The opportunity to contribute to their growth and resilience in a way that has a direct impact on farmers’ lives is what excites her most about Progreso.

She brings with her a unique mix of experiences: a background in banking and technical assistance, with financing gradually becoming an important part of her professional toolkit. She sees her role as one of bridging Progreso’s technical assistance programs with the Progreso Fund, helping cooperatives move more smoothly along the path toward independence. Finance, she admits, is a challenging part of the equation, but it is also where she sees great potential.

Making finance accessible and understandable is something An values deeply. She knows how transformative it can be for a cooperative to truly grasp its own financial health and to build the capacity to grow stronger on that foundation. This, she says, is one of Progreso’s distinctive strengths: the emphasis on both the quality of cooperatives’ financial management and the people behind it. It is something she wants to highlight more in the future.

Outside of her professional journey, An recently started her own garden. Only now, with her hands in the soil, has she come to fully appreciate the time, patience, and dedication farming requires. It has given her a renewed respect for the farmers at the center of Progreso’s mission and makes her even more committed to supporting their cooperatives as the new Managing Director.