Production & Trade

Production & Trade

colombian coffee pickers

Why Colombia’s coffee pickers aren’t Colombian

9 out of 10 coffee pickers in Colombia are Venezuelan, many of whom have crossed the border in recent years to escape domestic political and economic turmoil.

honey processed coffee

Honey processing: Did the world steal Costa Rica’s coffee niche?

Costa Rican coffee farmers pioneered honey processing; then other origins soon followed.

Smuggling & tariffs: The complicated world of coffee imports to origin countries

Many of the world’s coffee origins import coffee to meet domestic demand – but a secret culture of smuggling has existed for decades.
auditing coffee producers

Why the coffee industry’s “audit culture” is ruining direct relationships

When they arrive, the auditors not only ask probing questions, but feed the information back to the ones who have paid for the audit.
older generation of coffee producers

Specialty coffee varieties: Why older farmers have reason to be sceptical

While 43% of US coffee consumers report drinking specialty coffee, it still remains a relatively small market compared to commodity coffees.
urban coffee farms in Medellín Colombia

Invisible Medellín: Lifting the curtain on Colombia’s urban coffee farms

Sixty years of armed conflict uprooted many of Antioquia’s rural coffee farmers – now a new urban coffee-producing sector has emerged.

Are consuming countries forcing two-way traceability on coffee farmers?

For many of the world’s producers, knowledge of what happens to their coffee ends long before it finds its way into a consumer’s cup.
coffee prices affect local economy of antioquia in colombia

From literacy rates to criminal activity: How coffee prices affect local economies

High coffee prices fuel a thriving local economy – but market volatility can have disastrous consequences.
female shea butter producers

Women’s gold: What the coffee industry can learn from shea butter production

Gender inequality is rife on coffee farms. But it can learn from the shea butter industry.
fetishisation of coffee farmers

The fetishisation of coffee farmers

Exploring why specialty coffee's marketing efforts need to move beyond the narrative of impoverished farmers.
organic coffee farming

Organic coffee farming: Have intermediaries skewed perceptions?

For many, sourcing coffee from organic farms is non-negotiable – but why are there still detractors?
female-led coffee farms

Female-led coffee farms offer hope in male dominated sector

Women contribute around 70% of the global coffee production workforce – but less than a third of farms are female-led.
coffee leaf rust epidemic

Were Ponzi schemes to blame for Colombia’s coffee leaf rust epidemic?

Between 2008 and 2011, a coffee leaf rust outbreak ravaged production in Colombia – were pyramid schemes responsible?
coffee producer colombia

How farmer-focused negotiations can fix coffee’s living income crisis

In Colombia, the percentage of coffee producers who receive a sustainable income is low – by some estimates less than 40%.
direct trade coffee

Without direct trade, the coffee industry could collapse

Direct trade is one of the most effective ways of creating a more equitable system in the coffee supply chain.
colombia toma cafe

Does selling coffee domestically leave farmers worse off?

Initiatives such as Toma Café have helped boost Colombians' interest in specialty coffee – but does it make economical sense for farmers?
koji processing

Can koji processing improve the lives of Colombia’s coffee farmers?

Forest Coffee in Colombia is experimenting with a new processing technique that uses no water and can increase cup scores.
ugandan coffee production

Why Uganda is on track to become the coffee king of East Africa

With the help of government and private company initiatives, Ugandan coffee is closing in on the likes of Ethiopia and Rwanda.
carbon neutral coffee 2030

Have coffee businesses lost the race to become carbon neutral by 2030?

With less than a decade to go until 2030, many fear coffee businesses have not done enough to sufficiently cut carbon emissions.
coffee production

Risking it all: The true cost of experimental coffee processing

Today, experimental processing is used not only for exotic varieties, but also traditional ones, where it is used to diversify characteristics and add value. But is it accessible to all farmers?