The Private Sector Consultative Board (PSCB) is an ICO body which provides a platform for the representatives of private sector organizations of producing and consuming countries. Established in 1999, it consults with and advises the Council on issues relevant to the coffee sector, either on request or on its own initiative.

The PSCB comprises 16 leading industry representatives from producing and consuming countries, along with their alternates and advisers.  It generally meets at the time of the International Coffee Council and Executive Board meetings in January, May and September each year and its Chairperson reports to the Council on the outcome of its meeting.  The current Chairperson is Mr. Christian Rasch Topke of ANACAFE. At the meetings, PSCB representatives review a range of coffee issues including sustainability initiatives, food safety aspects, quality and coffee and health.

The PSCB has agreed that its main mission and objective should be to increase the world coffee market in value and volume. One of the constraints for increasing coffee consumption was the misconception that coffee is bad for your health held by part of the population. On the contrary, there is significant scientific information available on various positive health benefits associated with coffee drinking.

The PSCB oversees the Positively Coffee Programme and supports the Health Care Professions – Coffee Education Programme.  The purpose of these programmes is to disseminate factual information about coffee, with a focus on its health-enhancing properties.

 

For more information on the Positively Coffee Programme,
please visit www.positivelycoffee.org.