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C Story / Willem Boot

Producing

Coffee in an

Uncertain

World

Challenges and Solutions

for Coffee Farmers

T he value chain of coffee includes countless ac- lenges for the community of coffee producers and their fam-

ilies. How are producers dealing with the complex responsi-
tors who share responsibilities in the production
process of coffee. Millions of mostly smallhold-
family obligations? What possible solutions do they seek to
er farmers try to sustain their livelihoods by bilities they face to manage both their business as well as their
producing coffee cherries in often dire conditions. Togeth- mitigate the onslaught of difficult situations presented by what
er with coffee processors, intermediary traders, service seems to be a perfect storm of hardship? Which innovative
providers, exporters, importers, and roasters, they make up concepts, technologies, and marketing platforms have been
the gigantic family of participants in the global market that emerging to deal with the situation at hand?
produces our beloved coffee.
The focus of this article is to review the diverse chal- Panama: Finca La Mula and La Cabra
lenges that coffee producers face in this turbulent world
which has created such uncertain conditions for the entire I consider Panama as my second home country. Ever
coffee industry. The current COVID-19 crisis has caused since 1995 I’ve been a frequent guest of this beautiful coun-
game-changing challenges for farmers around the world. On try with its amazing coffees. Initially I came to Panama as a
top of that, coffee producers in a growing number of countries coffee buyer and then in 2004 I fell in love with the flavor
are also dealing with staggering problems related to violence profile of Geisha coffee during the Best of Panama coffee
and the lack of personal security that is caused by it. competition. That experience had a profound impact on the
Last but not least, the continuing economic crisis among course of my life and on my work as a coffee professional.
coffee producers caused by depressed coffee prices and the Less than two years after tasting the phenomenal flavor of
impact of climate change create overall unprecedented chal- Geisha, I ventured into an exciting farming experiment by

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