The Reality of Producing Specialty Coffee on Tiny Farms
Imagine owning a farm so small that you cannot receive practical help – even though, with the low profit margins and high costs of coffee...
Sustainability
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March 20, 2023
How does the timing of capital affect coffee farmers?
As with any agricultural commodity, capital and access to finance are essential for coffee farmers. Moreover, access to capital becomes even more important when we consider that some producers have been facing financial challenges for many years. Coffee is a seasonal product, which means that it is harvested at a certain time every year. In turn, coffee producers are usually paid in a lump sum once a year when they… read more
As with any agricultural commodity, capital and access to finance are essential for coffee farmers. Moreover, access to capital becomes even more important when we consider that some producers have been facing financial challenges for many years. Coffee is a… read more
A Producer’s Guide to Choosing a Processing Method
Choosing the best coffee processing method can be like an artist choosing the best paints for their next masterpiece. Should it be watercolours, oil, or...
Why Some Farmers Struggle to Produce Specialty Coffee
About 70 countries produce coffee, but not all of them are able to effectively engage with the specialty market. In some, producers struggle while growing...
How Can Used Coffee Grounds Create a Greener Industry?
How many used coffee grounds do you put in a bin every single day? How about every week? Or year? If you compost or otherwise...
Micro Lot vs Macro Lot: What’s The Difference?
There are some pretty flexible definitions in coffee, and micro lots and macro lots (or community lots, as I like to refer to them) are...
Support Fight Against Cervical Cancer in Coffee Communities
Picture coffee communities at origin: what do you see? Lush landscapes, coffee trees full of beautiful dark red cherries, and hard-working families? The one thing...
Coca to Coffee in Colombia: How FARC Peace Deal Affects Farmers
Last year, a peace agreement between the Colombian government and the FARC rebels went into effect, ending over 50 years of warfare but also signalling...
Creating Schools & Jobs in Honduras’ Coffee-Farming Communities
The view of Honduras from 2,000 meters in the sky is stunning. In lush pine tree forests on the highest mountains, coffee producers can find...
The Complicated Role of Money in Specialty Coffee
Not all producers have the same access to the specialty market – and it’s time we talk about this issue. The specialty coffee industry is...
Coffee Origin Spotlight: Papua New Guinea’s Specialty Coffee
For many years, Papua New Guinea’s coffee was overshadowed by that of its neighbour, Indonesia. Yet its sweet, fruity crops and ideal coffee-growing conditions are...
Why We Know Less Than We Think About Coffee Production
Working for an exporter in Nicaragua has come with many perks. The most significant is that I get to meet the people who grow my...
How The Region of Cerrado Mineiro Is Creating Coffee Traceability
Traceability opens the door to better coffee quality and a more equitable value chain. Yet the route from farm to cup is long and features...
Hard Questions Asked at 1st World Coffee Producers Forum
World Coffee Producers Forum (WCPF) 2017 was a historical moment in the coffee industry. For the first time, a world coffee conference was focused on...
SCA Launches Avance, New Sustainability Conference
News just broke that the SCA is launching a new type of coffee conference – a sustainability one. And what’s more, it’s focused on production...
From Farm to Café, How Can Your Coffee Be More Sustainable?
Coffee is a lifeline for millions, a major global commodity, and a crop that’s farmed in dozens of countries. It’s a fusion of science and...
Cervical Cancer Is The Coffee Industry’s Concern – Here’s Why
“It’s killing more women than maternity complications these days,” Guy Stallworthy, Executive Director of Grounds for Health, tells me. He’s talking about cervical cancer, something...