SK Imup, Establishing Sustainable Coffee Farms in Ethiopia

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] SK Forestry, in collaboration with the Korea Forest Service, is establishing sustainable coffee farms in Ethiopia and promoting the global expansion of social value through forest utilization.

On the 17th, SK Forestry announced that it is creating a 3,000-pyeong-scale nursery in a coffee farm located in southern Ethiopia, which has been devastated by conflict and disputes, and planting 70,000 trees including eucalyptus on a 210,000-pyeong site to restore the forest ecosystem.

On the same day, SK Forestry signed a business agreement with the Korea Forest Service and other project stakeholders. In addition to forest restoration, they will transfer various forestry techniques such as agroforestry to local residents to establish a sustainable business model that produces high-quality specialty coffee without environmental pollution. Agroforestry is a form of sustainable agriculture that combines farming and forestry, introduces livestock, produces various foods and fruits, and practices soil conservation simultaneously.

This project is part of the P4G (Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030) initiative promoted by the Korea Forest Service to respond to climate change and achieve sustainable growth. SK Forestry participates as a public-private partnership. P4G is a global alliance involving 12 countries worldwide, including South Korea and Denmark, aimed at accelerating the achievement of sustainable development goals and the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

Coffee produced at the Ethiopian coffee farm will be sold in the domestic specialty market through fair trade, with distribution managed by the social venture Triple Planet. After the two-year project period and infrastructure establishment, improvements in electricity supply and water facilities are expected to enhance living conditions, increase residents' income, and revitalize the local economy.

Meanwhile, SK Forestry has been conducting ODA (Official Development Assistance) projects supporting green growth in developing countries based on advanced afforestation technology, including afforestation projects in the Navoi region of Uzbekistan, cork oak forest restoration pilot projects in Tunisia, and the Quang Tri Province Happiness Program (rural community development project) in Vietnam.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.