IPED Lecture: “Coffee, Trade, and Power: Sustainability at the Intersection of Markets and Development”

Camilo Sanchez is director of coffee sustainability at Olam Food Ingredients (ofi), based in Stamford, Connecticut, where he leads global sustainability strategy and customer engagement for the coffee business. He supports major U.S. and E.U. customers in integrating sustainable development into their portfolios and oversees multi‑country initiatives across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. With more than 20 years of experience in sustainable development policy and on‑the‑ground implementation, his work centers on building high‑impact public‑private alliances that maximize resource utilization and scale farmer‑ and community‑level interventions, delivering verified outcomes across traceability, deforestation‑free sourcing, livelihoods, and environmental performance. Sanchez has led and contributed to customer‑facing sustainability and impact reports, thought‑leadership pieces, and executive summaries, translating complex data into actionable insights. Prior to joining ofi, he worked closely with USAID, the Coffee Quality Institute, and the United Nations, supporting sustainability, capacity‑building, and development initiatives at the intersection of agriculture, markets, and public policy.