“In a market so closely tied to the “C price”, the solution is for the farmers to spend less and produce more.” -Molly Laverty, Sustainability Manager – Farmer Brothers Coffee After scooping my jaw off the floor, I paused to give what Ms Laverty said consideration. Its easy to have a knee jerk reaction. Rather than […]
Medellin And there is better coffee in them thar hills than I knew I’m always wide eyed and a little too interested in every place I go. Its a habit, whether good or bad. I fall in love too easily, over and over again. On this particular trip Bogota was a too much for my […]
Catherine Murphy Mwangata, like many of the ladies present at the International Women’s Coffee Alliance conference, doesn’t mince words “It seems to me there is an awful lot being done to hold farmers accountable for sustainability but there’s a whole other question when it comes around to the other side of the table” Her thick Irish […]
What is the IWCA and what do they do? This week I will have the great honor of learning much more about that, and about how to promote prosperity and equality, as I head off to Bogota Colombia to attend the 2015 International Women’s Coffee Alliance event, which will occur alongside Expoespeciales. I might even […]
Dry processed coffee can save water. When water is used in coffee processing there is also the question of its affect on the environment when released. Coopchebi is working on solutions that fit for them, and the surrounding area. “We are adding two hectares of African Beds located up higher on the hill. We will […]
“We aren’t really sure what El Nino will do this year, but resistance to Nematodes as well as La Roya is important” Farmers in Peru have to adapt to a changing climate, and the better ones are also proactive. In some environments they have to think about stocking varieties that are going to survive as […]
“This is the mother tree!” Gustav Villa, the enthusiastic farmer was pointing at a particularly tall and lovely coffee tree up the slope from a winding path along side semi-separated sections of the coffee farm. We had just walked past a section of the farm that held the shorter Caturra variety. The Mother stood out, […]
“I do these trade missions all the time, but this one is different” Ricardo Romero, Director of the Trade Commision of Peru is a slender, spectacle wearing man with a demeanor that at first appears reserved and studious, but eventually his strong opinions and genuine character slip out. He is what some young men might […]