Representatives of the ECOFFEE project held an institutional meeting with the Secretariat of Economic Development of the Government of Tolima to explore new avenues for international cooperation.
The meeting continues the work developed during ECOFFEE’s participation in the Glocal Circular Economy Summit in Ibagué.
The European project continues positioning itself as an innovative model to transform coffee waste into sustainable high value-added solutions.
Ibagué (Colombia), Thursday, 7 May 2026.
The European project ECOFFEE continues to consolidate its presence in Latin America through new institutional alliances aimed at promoting the circular bioeconomy and agricultural sustainability within the coffee ecosystem. Last Thursday, an institutional meeting took place with the participation of Juanma Revuelta, CEO of Finnova Foundation; Carlos Ramos, Operations Manager at FumiHogar and partner of the ECOFFEE consortium; and Yolanda Nasayo Bravo, Secretary of Economic Development of the Government of Tolima, with the objective of exploring cooperation opportunities linked to sustainable innovation and the valorisation of agricultural waste.
The meeting forms part of ECOFFEE’s internationalisation and technology transfer strategy following its recent participation in the Glocal Circular Economy Summit – Nova Next Summit, held in Ibagué, where the project presented its innovative solutions to transform coffee grounds into high value-added products.
ECOFFEE consolidates its international projection in Latin America
The meeting made it possible to advance dialogue between Colombian regional institutions and European entities interested in promoting sustainable models applied to the agri-food sector. In this context, participants analysed potential lines of collaboration related to the circular economy, rural innovation, sustainability, and access to international funding for projects with territorial impact.
During the meeting, the potential of ECOFFEE as a replicable model for the comprehensive valorisation of coffee waste was highlighted, a solution aligned with international objectives for ecological transition and agricultural sustainability.
European technology applied to the coffee ecosystem
One of the central topics discussed during the meeting was the potential for the technologies developed by the ECOFFEE consortium to be implemented in coffee-producing regions of Latin America.
Carlos Ramos, Operations Manager at FumiHogar, highlighted the functioning of the waste valorisation model developed within the project, which makes it possible to transform coffee grounds from the HORECA sector into natural biocides and sustainable solutions for animal feed through innovative dry micro-dispersion technologies.
These technological solutions are complemented by reverse logistics systems and digital traceability tools developed within the consortium, consolidating a comprehensive circular economy model adaptable to different territories and agri-food chains.
Continuity of the work developed during the Glocal Circular Economy Summit
The institutional meeting held in Tolima continues the contacts and synergies generated during the “EU-LAC International Meeting on Bioeconomy and Coffee”, organised by ECOFFEE within the framework of the Glocal Circular Economy Summit held on 22 April in Ibagué.
The event brought together institutional representatives, international experts, universities, cooperatives, and Agrotech companies with the objective of fostering bi-regional alliances between Europe and Latin America and promoting sustainable solutions for the coffee sector. During the event, ECOFFEE generated considerable interest among attendees for its capacity to combine technological innovation, sustainability, and economic profitability.
In addition to the technical presentations, the participation of local and regional entities opened new cooperation opportunities to promote projects linked to the bioeconomy, regenerative agriculture, and the valorisation of organic waste.
ECOFFEE: circular innovation with real impact
ECOFFEE is a European project that demonstrates how coffee-generated waste can be transformed into high value-added resources through innovative technologies and circular economy models. The project works to promote sustainable solutions applicable to the agri-food sector, encouraging waste reduction, the generation of bioproducts, and the creation of new economic opportunities in coffee-producing territories.
The ECOFFEE project has a budget of €256,451.25, co-financed by the European Union through the Horizon Europe programme (Grant Agreement CIRCULOOS No. 101092295). The consortium is composed of AZTI, Euskovazza, FUMIHOGAR, and the Finnova Foundation, entities working together to promote innovative, sustainable, and replicable solutions within the agri-food value chain.
More information: Finnova Foundation
More information: ECOFFEE Project