First-ever PRF: Farm Summit to focus on regenerative agriculture and organic coffee farming on 17 & 18 October 2024

On 17 & 18 October, Producer & Roaster Forum will host the inaugural PRF: Farm Summit in Santander, Colombia. The event will take place entirely on a coffee farm, unlike previous PRF events.

In response to industry demand and feedback from previous attendees, this event will focus on regenerative agriculture and organic farming practices.

Across the coffee industry, producers are under more pressure than ever to try new models in order to survive and thrive. To succeed, however, these practices must be holistic – rather than solely prioritising paying higher prices for coffee.

Regenerative agriculture and organic farming can help farmers achieve this by focusing on success and profitability in the long term. Read on to learn more about what PRF: Farm Summit is and how you can attend.

Learn more about PRF here.

What is PRF: Farm Summit?

PRF: Farm Summit is a new event format which will be held entirely on a coffee farm. Producer & Roaster Forum will continue to host its two-day forums in cities across Latin American producing countries every year. But this new format has several major differences.

As it is exclusively held on-farm, producers and roasters will have a unique opportunity to share practical hands-on expertise. It will bring together producers from over ten different origins and international roasters from more than 30 countries. 

It will also have a maximum of 1,000 attendees, serving as an incubator for the two-day forums to be held in cities. This format is closer to the intimacy of the Sourcing Trip Experience at previous PRF events. Previously only available to roasters and select host producers.

Each Farm Summit event will have a focus based on feedback from previous editions. This year, the focus will be on regenerative agriculture and organic coffee production and how they can be tools for producers to lower production costs, adapt to climate change, and maximise crop yields.

Martin Mayorga is the founder and CEO of Mayorga Coffee – a roaster focused on organic coffee.

“Mayorga believes that true sustainability is centered around understanding everything that happens at the farm level,” he says. “We’re excited to be part of a next-level learning experience at PRF: Farm Summit this October.”

Why regenerative agriculture and organic farming?

Regenerative agriculture is a term used to describe holistic farming practices where producers work in harmony with local ecosystems. Organic farming, meanwhile, is defined by a strict set of standards – including the absence of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides.

As such, it can be challenging for some farmers (particularly smallholders) to certify as organic. Nonetheless, PRF: Farm Summit will welcome producers who are already certified as well as those who are just starting their journey.

This has never been more important. The climate crisis is already causing “ongoing systemic shocks” in global coffee production, which means farmers need to find ways to adapt. Furthermore, with the EU set to roll out deforestation regulations in the coming months, it’s essential that producers are prepared.

Henry Wilson is the founder of PRF. He explains how this new event format empowers producers to control production costs, minimise environmental impact, and find like-minded buyers.

“Even with historic high market prices, many producers still aren’t turning a profit, especially in the long term,” he says. “The event is about discussing alternative options for producers to manage costs more effectively and differentiate themselves in the market.

“We understand that the push to implement structural changes to the C market have proven ineffective at scale,” he adds. “In light of this, producers need to actively assert ownership over their own supply chains. This immersive new event format will allow producers to prioritise practical solutions and retain more value.”

Taking a more hands-on approach to coffee events

PRF: Farm Summit will host up to 1,000 attendees at Hacienda Cafetera La Pradera in Santander, Colombia. This farm has been hand-picked by PRF as a centre of excellence for organic coffee production with valuable local infrastructure.

La Pradera has several characteristics which make it perfect to host the first event of this kind. It uses solar panels to generate energy, implements crop diversification strategies, grows shade-grown coffee in an agroforestry system, creates its own biochar fertiliser, and has a strong focus on soil regeneration. It also has its own biofertiliser plant – where animal droppings are reused to fertilise plants as part of a regenerative system. 

Ana Mildred Muñoz is the owner of Hacienda Cafetera La Pradera, along with her husband Oscar. She explains some of the benefits they saw from switching to regenerative agriculture.

“After our transition to organic farming, we noticed several significant changes,” she says. “As well as the crops flourishing, we saw a change in the local fauna. We also noticed more birds and diverse species on the farm. This was a clear sign that the transition had a positive impact. 

“We’re incredibly excited to host the first-ever PRF: Farm Summit,” she adds. “This will be a unique experience – most coffee events are only held in major cities, so this gives our farm the opportunity to welcome roasters again.”

Hosting the event on a coffee farm naturally means that roasters are able to engage on a much deeper level with producers and other supply chain professionals, and learn more about regenerative agriculture from producers themselves. Attendees will get to see the various stages of coffee production firsthand – from seed nurseries to wet mills to fertiliser production – and meet the producers who are driving innovation in coffee farming.

What’s happening at the event?

The event will host a tailored PRF Voices programme and collaborative workshops – both focused on organic and regenerative farming. It will also feature roundtable discussions and focus groups – from which PRF will collate findings to write an open letter to the coffee industry.

There will also be a select number of booths – featuring brands who want to engage with regenerative agriculture, as well as producers and roasters who have experience growing and sourcing regenerative coffee.

Furthermore, as the event is held 100% on-farm, there will be opportunities for attendees to tour several areas, including the wet mill, dry mill, and biochar factory. The idea is that attendees can attend a talk on relevant areas of the farm – and then see it in practice first-hand. 

Bringing competitions and awards to coffee farms

PRF: Farm Summit will host six competitions – including three brand-new formats:

• The fourth Global Coffee Roasting Contest – which includes both a technical and a people’s choice winner
• The fifth Cold Brew Coffee Championship – where competitors must prepare two cold brew-based beverages, including a designer drink
• The Barista Championship, with more details to be announced soon
• The Green Grading Championship to award producers who are able to scale quality control
• The Fine Cacao Championship to encourage producers to learn more about alternative cash crops, and develop their skills and knowledge about fine cacao

The event will also hold the first-ever Soil Health Championship, which will use chromatography to assess soil samples from some of the world’s best coffee producers.

PRF Seed will also return after its success at PRF Guatemala. This scheme recognises entrepreneurs in the coffee industry and empowers them by funding valuable community-focused initiatives. This edition of the programme will support volunteers who leverage holistic farming solutions and regenerative agriculture.

Finally, the event will also hold the third edition of the Global Coffee Awards – which celebrates key innovators and leaders across the industry.

The inaugural PRF: Farm Summit will take place entirely on a coffee farm – allowing roasters to interact with producers in a unique, hands-on environment. This will allow both groups to learn about regenerative agriculture and organic farming first-hand – for holistic, long-term success. 

International tickets can be purchased here, and Sourcing Trip Experience tickets are available to buy here. A full event schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.

You can stay up to date with all announcements for PRF here, or by subscribing to the newsletter here.

Photo credits: Producer & Roaster Forum

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