GLOBAL COFFEEPLATFORM

GCP at the National Convention of the Peruvian Chamber of Coffee and Cocoa


15 / Jul / 16

The Global Coffee Platform Regional Operations Manager, Cor Hanssen, recently met with Guillermo Belloso, Latin America Regional Manager to reach out to GCP members. They used this opportunity to continue building on sustainable practices, as well as to participate as speakers in the National Convention of the Peruvian Chamber of Coffee and Cocoa (Cámara Peruana del Café y Cacao). Blog post by Guillermo Belloso.

Cor Hanssen and I visited La Coipa coffee district, 2 hours from Jaen. We met with small coffee farmers who follow the 4C Code of Conduct.

Small farm in Perhusa, located in La Coipa, Jaen, region of Cajamarca (North Peru)

Small farm in Perhusa, located in La Coipa, Jaen, region of Cajamarca (North Peru)

We also visited young coffee parcels with vast yields, located in very high slopes. However, on the road coming up, we started seeing less productive coffee parcels; the roya/coffee leaf rust is a common sign of this weaker productive yields. Local farmers introduced us to the agronomists and the promoters working in the area.

Promoters are those farmers that have undergone advanced training in certification, verification and good practices. Promoters train and support their neighbors and other local farmers in sustainable practices. These professionals use organic pesticides as well as manure or compost (including “guano de isla”), which they sometimes mix with synthetic fertilizers. A couple of minutes with these small farmers showed us how proud they are to grow coffee with minimal synthetic inputs. These sustainable practices enhance the value of the coffee produced here. There are additional practices that need to be implemented to make the most of this tasteful coffee, but the potential is undeniable.

Guillermo and Cor at Perhusa coffee milling facility in Chiclayo, northern Peru (Perales Huancaruna).

Guillermo and Cor cupping coffee at Perhusa coffee milling facility in Chiclayo, northern Peru (Perales Huancaruna).

These farmers do not have easy access to the town centre, which is why their production goes beyond coffee: they also grow vegetables, fruits, poultry, and rabbits. Basic electricity and drinking water from their streams are available, and mules or horses are commonly used for their work. Despite the improvements achieved in their practices, these farmers still face challenges that relate to those observed in other regions or countries. However, here are some of the particular issues they face in this area::

  • Low productivity and incomes
  • Deficient harvest and processing practices
  • Absence of quality control practices
  • Need of inclusiveness on gender scope
  • Lack of finance access and land tenure problems
  • Heavy rains and strong droughts
  • Abrupt pest and disease outbreaks
  • Lack of updated information regarding the market trends

Support from all partners in the coffee value chain are key to reach good practices and eventually solutions to some of the biggest challenges faced by the sector. Collaboration and broad cooperation is vital at this point.

I would like to thank all staff from Perhusa (Perales Huancaruna) and Comercio & Co., for their constant support during our coffee trip. We continue to learn from their sustainability programs CEYS Program (Sustainable and Specialty Coffees) and Programa Familia, respectively- and we are proud to have them as partners.