CSTEPS Contributes Governance Expertise to the International ECOFFEE Initiative

CSTEPS Director Eric Welch and CSTEPS alum Mattia Caldarulo, Assistant Professor at Rochester Institute of Technology, are supporting the international ECOFFEE R&D Initiative by designing a forward-looking governance framework to guide the project’s long-term trajectory.

ECOFFEE (2020–2026) is a multi-country initiative evaluating pathways to reduce synthetic pesticide use in coffee production across Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Vietnam. While the initiative’s research centers on on-farm experimentation and alternative pest management strategies, CSTEPS’s role centers on co-constructing a new governance model.

Working alongside CIRAD, CSTEPS is developing a governance model that enables sustained collaboration across an expanding international consortium. The framework will clarify decision-making authority, embed transparent participatory processes, and strengthen the initiative’s long-term resilience and scalability.

Learn more about ECOFFEE: https://www.ecoffee-initiative.org/