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Why are farmers now considering their coffee leaves potential to offset all of that, by using this by-product
as a new product to develop? and transform it into a tea in that off-season period,
generating additional revenue and work for 25 million
Farmers do not have a degree of control over the resale coffee farmers worldwide.
price for coffee, creating unpredictable revenue for
the year. The short window of bean harvest provides How does it help farmers and their families?
a large influx of money that is often depleted before
the end of the year and leaving the farmers with a The leaf harvest, combined with the processing, handling
3-month period of hunger. With the majority of farms and shipping, is now able to ensure a consistent activity
being small-scale farms (under 2 acres), farmers have on the coffee farm during this off-season, with encourag-
to organize in cooperatives to reinforce their bargain- ing early results. We were able to create 30 jobs for local
ing power with buyers. The coffee price index makes workers during the leaf harvest period in late summer
it hard for farmers to get paid at the right price and 2015, and over 100 during its recent harvests. With the
can create disastrous consequences when reaching a perspective of a stable revenue and employment on the
low point. One of the worst example of this price coffee farm, the families are now able to send their kids
volatility was the ‘tuna crisis’ that happened in the to school full time. As the domestic and international
early 2000s in Nicaragua. Unable to reach a sustainable demand is growing for coffee leaf-based product due to
price point, farmers in the region were not able to its promising health benefits and its taste, we hope to
harvest coffee beans, creating a major social crisis in bring 1,000 stable jobs in the coffee communities of Nic-
the coffee lands, with children dying, farmers leaving aragua by 2020, while developing local knowledge on the
coffee farms and marching towards the capital city to leaf and give the keys to sustainable agriculture and year-
ask for food and medicine.Coffee leaves have the round revenue.

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