The Process Guide to Close Income Gaps is a tool that the ICO-CPPTF contracted NewForesight Consultants (with support from Sustainable Food Lab and Agrofuturo) to create a guide for facilitators to work with key stakeholders to identify income gaps, income drivers and the key actors that can influence those drivers, as the basis to inform and build national strategies around collective action to close income gaps. The Process Guide is framed by a 12-step process to develop and implement an LPI strategy. It recognizes that each country’s context is unique and so is designed to be flexible to adapt to the particular situation of the coffee producing country.

In July 2025, the ICO is initiating a global project to assess the current status of ICO member countries relative to the 12 steps of the process guide, focusing on what is needed to fully understand income gaps and the drivers and stakeholders to close those gaps. As well the project will work with the leading coffee entities in each country to understand what is already being done to support producer’s incomes and where are the gaps in technical and financial support required. This information will inform the creation of national Living and Prosperous Income strategies linked to regional and international action and opportunities.

The International Coffee Agreement (ICA) is the leading document guiding the functioning and actions of the International Coffee Organization. The current ICA 2022 (which is undergoing final ratification by the ICO members as of June 2025) directly references and addresses the fundamental importance of economic resilience, improving producers’ incomes and using the tools of Living and Prosperous Income to support the process. The following document summarizes these references in the ICA 2022.