Industry Leaders and Nicaraguan Coffee Farmers Make a Difference

"In thirty years in the coffee business, I have never been so moved as I have been on this trip," exclaimed Erna Knutsen of Knutsen Coffees. "The coffees we've tasted are wonderful, and the people of these communities are just gorgeous." In January, eighteen women from the US and Canadian specialty coffee industry traveled to meet with women coffee farmers in Nicaragua and Costa Rica to understand the impacts of the coffee crisis and determine how they could work together to make a difference through their specialty coffee businesses.

This first ever women's coffee tour, arranged by Kimberly Easson of JavaVentures and Karen Cebreros of Elan Organic Coffee, was an unprecedented gathering of industry leaders. "Industry visitors to coffee producing countries rarely have the chance to meet face to face with small family farmers, even though 70% of the coffee produced in the world, and a majority of specialty coffees is produced on small farms," said Easson. A highlight of the tour was a visit to the cooperative SOPPEXCCA in Jinotega, Nicaragua, which boasts 30% women members, two of whom produce coffee that placed among the winning entries in the 2002 Nicaragua Cup of Excellence.

Becky McKinnon of Timothy's World Coffee said, "It all came together for me in the cupping room. The quality of the coffee is what makes it sustainable. Through fair prices paid directly to the cooperative we pay an earned premium and the coffee is worth it."

"I've been to Third World countries before, but I'd never seen this level of poverty. I support Fair Trade pricing - you can see they're working so hard to make the coffee the best they possibly can. This shows how important all of our businesses are for supporting sustainability globally," observed Hilary Beall of Coffee Traders.

As a further testament to the qualities of the coffees the group found at their coop visits, Karen Cebreros announced the purchase of 196 bags of the coffee from SOPPEXCCA, and another container from CECOCAFEN, under Fair Trade terms. The Women in Coffee group will work together to develop a promotional program to share the story about their trip and promote this excellent Nicaraguan coffee to their customers.

During the visit, the group also made a donation to the Los Alpes community to help complete the construction of a school. Janice Weber of USAID joined the tour in Nicaragua to evaluate how her Latin America development program might fund similar projects to strengthen community efforts of coffee cooperatives.

Karen Cebreros summed up the group's sentiments by saying, "We can make a living while making a difference. These eighteen women of the first historic Women in Coffee tour have made it a reality."

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A Blending of Coffee Cultures and Expertise

Brazilian Coffee Professionals Experience Coffee Harvest in Hawaii

    From the largest producing country, Brazil - to one of the smallest, Hawaii - coffee enthusiasts traded coffee knowledge, traditions and stories in a recent encounter in Hawaii. Seventeen Brazilian coffee industry professionals visited the islands for a nine day multiple island coffee tour this past November. A gregarious and enlightening time was enjoyed by all - not only by the Brazilian travelers, but also the local Hawaiians and coffee industry hosts who enjoyed their spirited banter and playful mood throughout the comprehensive coffee educational program.

    The Brazilian coffee farmers, coffee processors and representatives of companies that supply coffee growing and harvesting equipment were guided around the state by Kimberly Easson of JavaVentures. During the tour, the group visited the four major coffee producing islands - Kona, Kauai, Molokai and Maui to get a taste of how coffee is grown, processed and marketed in Hawaii. The program culminated with the finale events of the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival on the Big Island, including the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival Coffee Cupping Competition, and the coffee estate tours sponsored by the Kona Coffee Council.

    The group members represented the two major producing regions in Brazil: Minas Gerais and Sao Paolo. This is likely the first of several trips of Brazilian farmers, who have observed Hawaii Coffee's entrance and expansion in the specialty market in recent years. The rapid and widespread recognition that Hawaii Coffee has gained in the market has sparked curiosity from other coffee producing countries. In all, Hawaii produces a small crop of some 4 million pounds of coffee each year compared with the 14.8 billion pounds produced by Brazil.

    This years' JavaVentures' Hawaii Coffee Tours were sponsored in part by the Hawaii State Department of Agriculture, which contributed marketing funds to the promotional efforts. Production has more than doubled in the last seven years, and coffee tourism is one avenue to educate people about the product. Industry tours generate awareness and relationships that can work to increase sales for coffee growers whether in Hawaii or in other producing countries. Last year's eight day multiple island tour for the Specialty Coffee Association of America was an educational highlight for this high profile organization, which brought 30 participants to learn about Hawaii coffees. Indirect effects are still being felt from this visit by the local producers. For more information, about Coffee Tours in Hawaii or Central America, call JavaVentures at (415) 824-1484.