“For decades farmers and processors have been told coffee processing does not affect final quality, unfortunately moving the farm to a higher and different location, or shifting coffee tree varieties for new and improved ones at a large scale are close to impossible tasks. Ultimately, the only difference farmers and processors can actually make to improve their circumstances is limited to their hard labor, efficiency, knowledge and skills; making coffee processing a key element in their permanent struggle for subsistence.”
Until recently world coffee farmers and processors were able to commercialize their entire coffee production at commodity prices and still get a tight revenue. However, persistent low coffee market prices and growing competition have made nearly impossible for small processors and farmers to participate in the international coffee market. Today, the coffee market is reserved only to those who could reduce cost of production by scaling up volume substantially enough to still be lucrative at market prices, therefore it is just limited to large farmers and corporations.
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What could small coffee farmers and processors do to stay competitive?
Nowadays, the coffee market is mostly exploited by speculators and traders who particularly profit from coffee’s low prices and abundance rather than from its intrinsic taste and quality. Although, commercial coffee is often enough for most people, there is a persistent growing market for a differentiated type of coffee.
Coffees that have interesting flavor profiles, produced by high quality standards, fully traceable to origin or/and grown and processed in a sustainable manner have increased in popularity. However, these coffees are difficult to produced and commercialized in a large scale, offering an exceptional opportunity for small and medium scale coffee producers.
While this new emerging market represents an opportunity for small and medium scale coffee producers. It is definitely not a solution. Still coffee buyers manage their risk by hedging in the international market anchoring coffee prices to the commodity and therefore restricting coffee producer’s potential economic growth.
Additionally, the stereotype that better define coffee farmers in the western world is mainly based on poverty, ignorance and need. Coffee farmer’s competence and skills are often taken for granted and no value added is expected from them.
We have learned to admire the work of chefs, wine makers and beer and cider brewers, nevertheless in the coffee industry we are used to ignore the true geniuses and artists and only praise baristas and roasters for the beautiful coffees we nowadays enjoy.
This condescending view interfere with genuine commercial partnerships and cooperation with coffee producers.
What is the coffee industry doing about it?
I would be unfair if I don’t acknowledge this situation is slowly changing; the Cup of Excellence competition, the massive success Panama farmers have had with geisha coffee and record high coffee prices achieved by farmers from different origins at competitions and auctions around the world are a few examples where coffee farmers have been in the spotlight. However, if we consider the volume of coffees being traded in the world today, we will immediately notice they only represent a microscopic fraction of the global coffee supply. Still, most of the coffee and the work performed by skillful and competent farmers go unnoticed and unappreciated.
It is also worth recognizing the interesting job the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) is currently doing, by including the coffee processing training 1 and 2 along with the highly successful Q course into their training curricula. It would definitely help farmers and processors technically by formalizing procedures and skills they have mostly acquired empirically and also by attracting attention and awareness of coffee processing intricacies and beauty to people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to this kind of knowledge and experience.
Furthermore, I would like to mention a company that unwittingly have developed the first commercial product to enhance coffee flavor during coffee processing; elevating coffee processing to the same league as winemaking and beer brewing by developing three commercial strain of yeast specially design to enhance taste profile during fermentation. Although, currently acquiring this product is beyond reach to most coffee producers and its commercial success is doubtful to say the least. It finally acknowledges the potential, coffee processing has during the developing of quality and taste and sets an important milestone in the process of dignifying the hard work of coffee producers.
Recently, I had the opportunity to try these products LalCafe (http://www.lalcafeyeast.com) in Ethiopia and despite the results we obtained weren’t impressive. I must admit this product has the potential to be revolutionary.
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What could coffee consumers do to help coffee farmers in this respect?
As a consumer you can help by getting involved, developing loyalty not to brands, coffee shops, coffee blends nor baristas but rather to coffee producers instead. Get familiar with the origin of the coffees you love and request them from your provider. Your loyalty will force your provider to create a commercial relationship with the producer.
Remember, your loyalty and the loyalty from people like you are the building blocks of a farmer’s potential success.