What Is HACOFCO CONNECT?

HACOFCO CONNECT is a sustainability standard developed by the Hamburg Coffee Company (HACOFCO), of which ICT is a member. On May 15, 2025, the Global Coffee Platform officially recognized CONNECT as equivalent to the Coffee Sustainability Reference Code for 2nd Party Assurance. The standard addresses environmental, social, and economic criteria across the full supply chain from farm level through export.

What the Standard Covers

  • 1.

    Environmental criteria: climate change mitigation, biodiversity, water stewardship

  • 2.

    Social criteria: gender equity, labor rights, community development

  • 3.

    Economic criteria: farmer income, economic resilience, supply chain transparency

  • 4.

    Independent review conducted in collaboration with the International Trade Centre (ITC), ensuring a credible and transparent audit process
Diagram of a cycle linking verified coffee sales, short and long-term projects, and monitoring

What This Means for ICT

ICT is one of the few specialty green importers in the US carrying this independently verified sustainability credential. As a member of the HACOFCO Group alongside BRASCOF in Brazil and AMCOF in the United States, ICT implements the CONNECT standard across its North American supply chain.

The certification is an independently audited standard with GCP equivalency that roasters can reference when communicating sustainability to their own customers.

What This Gives You as a Buyer

If your roastery needs a verified sustainability credential behind the green you are sourcing, buying from us gives you a documented, third-party-recognized standard to stand behind. As sustainability requirements from wholesale accounts, retail certifications, and import regulations continue to tighten, having an independently audited supply chain credential is worth understanding.

Learn More About HACOFCO CONNECT