Annette Pensel is the Executive Director of the Global Coffee Platform (GCP), an inclusive multi-stakeholder membership association to advance coffee sustainability. Together with GCP Members, its Country Platforms and partners the organization is building a specific actionable framework for closing the living income gap by at least 25% for 1 million smallholder farmers through holistic support that advances sustainable coffee production, climate adaptation and mitigation, and worker well-being.
Annette believes in the power of “glocal” collaboration to overcome systemic sustainability challenges: business as usual is not enough to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
She brings more than 20 years of experience in the international coffee sector and the fields of development cooperation, including corporate sustainability, public-private partnerships and programs, capacity building, and voluntary sustainability standards.
Annette has lived and worked in Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Europe, driving successful sustainability programs in agricultural sectors with leading companies, especially in coffee. Her previous roles included senior positions at the 4C Association, where she was responsible for building the 4C Association’s network, structures, and services at origin and driving innovation. Creating and expanding partnerships to scale positive impacts of sustainable coffee, she has established productive relationships with key stakeholders ranging from coffee growers to private sector companies, NGO and donor agencies, and government representatives.
Annette graduated in Economics, Political Science, and Latin American studies from the University of Cologne (Germany) and Tucuman (Argentina). She speaks German, English, Spanish, and Portuguese and is based at the GCP Secretariat in Bonn, Germany.