CQI Honors Steve Walls
Steve Walls, a longtime evangelist for coffee producers around the world, will be honored in April by the Coffee Quality Institute as the 2017 recipient of the institute’s Leadership Medal of Merit.
In announcing the award, the Coffee Quality Institute cited Walls “for his tireless work to improve the plight of the coffee producers, as well as his innovative approaches and extensive collaborations on development projects.”
Over the years, Walls has worked for many aid organizations, including the Canadian International Development Agency, TechnoServe, Chemonics International, and Winrock International. He most recently worked as Winrock’s chief of party for USAID-funded Value Chains for Rural Development before retiring.
“There is no greater example of an individual using public funds to provide effective assistance to the thousands of lives dependent on coffee production,” CQI executive director David Roche said of Walls. “CQI is very excited to give this award to Steve and highlight the outstanding work done throughout the world by USAID and other development agencies to create sustainable agricultural solutions.”
The Leadership Medal of Merit, traditionally presented at the annual SCA exposition, is awarded to someone who “embodies CQI’s mission to improve coffee quality and the lives of people who produce it.”
Learn more about CQI and the event: www.coffeeinstitute.org.