Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Producer Insight: 4 Keys to Farming Success

As fourth-generation farmers, we’ve had to balance traditional insight with the demands of today’s market. And we’ve come to realise that good coffee alone is not enough.

Our farm, Sao Luiz, is in the Cerrado Mineiro region of Brazil. Miguel Veloso, my great-grandfather, was the first in our family to work on it. And Manoel Veloso dos Reis, my grandfather, founded our town’s first agricultural cooperative, as well implementing drip irrigation and working with pulped naturals – a local pioneer.

And today, we need to keep innovating. Here are four elements we believe to be key for success.

SEE ALSO: Slow Naturals: How Controlled Fermentation Came to Brazil

coffee farm

An aerial view of Sao Luiz Estate. Credit: Lucio Velloso and GRUPODVÖS

1. Strategy

We’ve always produced quality coffee, yet only recently has that resulted in higher prices for us. In order to see this change, we needed to position ourselves in the market more strategically. And fortunately, the recent trend for specialty coffees enabled us to do so.

We created a Development Plan, Business Model, and Brand Strategy. In doing so, we defined our vision, established our purpose and outlined our values. These allowed us to act with more direction.

We also knew that we had to add more value to our product. We did so by developing our visual identity.

Understanding our brand as well as the market we sell in – this is important for any farm.

coffee beans

Coffee beans from Sao Luiz Estate. Credit: Lucio Velloso and GRUPODVÖS

2. Technology

Our region is characterized by large-scale production. And this makes technological innovation necessary if we want high-quality coffees that are also cost-efficient.

Our farm has always searched for better technology. We work on relatively flat lands, allowing us to mechanize our harvest – but this doesn’t mean we harvest every cherry at once, ripe and unripe. Our machines are designed to harvest only the maturest of cherries, which fall off the branch with less pressure.

sorting cherries

Sorting coffee cherries by hand. Credit: Lucio Velloso and GRUPODVÖS

We use drip irrigation, cutting down on water waste while ensuring our coffee remains healthy. We perform annual quality mapping, so we know where on the farm the best coffee comes from. We have a field of experimental varietals. We invite manufacturers to test new agricultural products and machinery with us, so that we can be at the cutting edge of farming. And we have also implemented Enterprise Resource Planning software so we can monitor costs and administration.

Prioritizing innovation in this way is expensive, but it also ensures high productivity and good-quality coffee. And in the long term, it makes us financially sustainable.

Examine your farm’s operations: can technology help you cut costs? Improve quality? Identify your best coffees?

coffee rows

Long rows of coffee on flat land makes a mechanized harvest possible. Credit: Lucio Velloso and GRUPODVÖS

3. Staff

Technology is important, but so are our workers. Today, there are 28 of us on the team. Some of us even remember my grandfather. And our head, Fausto do Espírito Santo Velloso, has a close relationship with the senior staff. They include his childhood friends and his godson’s parents. On the weekends he meets them to talk, not about work, but about family events.

We consider this a unique value – one that is important for ensuring crop quality. It means everyone working on our farm is motivated. They believe in Sao Luiz and what it stands for.

But we also know that good relationships don’t happen without work. We hold workshops and training sessions. We pay attention to how our team operates. We strive to create personal value and quality of life – based on what our staff tell us they need.

Pay attention to your staff. Are they motivated? Do they need support from you?

staff

Staff at Sao Luiz Estate. Credit: Lucio Velloso, GRUPODVÖS

4. Partnerships

It isn’t only our staff with whom relationships are important – it’s also our external partners. SEBRAE, a private non-profit, is one of our most important partners. A training and development promotion agent, it supports small businesses like us. Its Educampo project is focused on managerial and technological assistance in rural properties.

The Cerrado Mineiro Federation is another important partner. A non-profit organization made up of associations of producers and cooperatives, it works to promote the region’s coffees on a global scale. In particular, it applied for Cerrado Mineiro to have Denomination of Origin status – and was successful.

These partnerships support us. And by belonging to the Cerrado Mineiro Federation, we support other nearby producers. Look for partnerships that offer your farm the same benefits.

coffee farm clients

Clients visit Sao Luiz Estate. Credit: Lucio Velloso, GRUPODVÖS

We have inherited our farm, father to child, for four generations. And with it, we have inherited an understanding of its value. But we know that entrepreneurship, innovation, and an incessant search for quality are also important for success.

Written by Ana Cecila Velloso.

Perfect Daily Grind is not affiliated with any of the individuals or bodies mentioned in this article, and cannot directly endorse them.

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Trump’s Immigration Ban: How Is The Coffee Industry Responding?

On January 27th, President Trump banned nationals of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US for the next 90-120 days. Initially it appeared that even permanent residents of the US would be barred entry, if they were also nationals of Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, or Yemen, although that now appears to not be the case.

Refugees from Syria have also been denied entry indefinitely – something which the UN claims contravenes human rights law.

There have been protests, denouncements, endorsements, court cases, boycotts, and more. The “Muslim ban” hasn’t just sparked furore in the US but all over the world. And the coffee industry has also reacted. Here are the responses we’ve heard of, and how you can participate.

SEE ALSO: VIDEO: How Coffee Is Bringing Together Refugees in South Sudan

Donald Trump campaigns for President

Trump campaigned on the promise of a “Muslim ban”. Credit: Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia, CC BY 2.0

The SCA Responds

The SCA has published a statement expressing their deep concern, as well as an invitation to SCA members planning to attend the upcoming Expo in Seattle to get in touch.

As an organization committed to representing the specialty coffee community all around the world, we are deeply concerned about the impact this may have on our members, and especially those hoping to attend our events in the United States. We are assessing the situation and would invite any members from these countries hoping to attend our upcoming Global Specialty Coffee Expo in Seattle this April to please get in touch. As stated on the home page of our website, we celebrate and nurture diversity. We oppose any effort to divide or segregate our community and will be monitoring this development carefully.

What this will mean for those who have bought tickets remains to be seen.

Coffee Artwork Raises Money For Refugee Charities

Department of Brewology is famed for their beautiful coffee-themed artwork. Now they’ve come up with a new slogan: We Filter Coffee, Not People. All profits from sales of t-shirts with this slogan will go to support Refugee Services of Texas.

Filter Coffee Not People – Department of Brewology t-shirts

Meanwhile, cafés can receive a copy of this print for free (postage costs still apply). Coffee shop owners may want to consider donating the price of this to the charity or other refugee services of their choice.

Starbucks Pledges to Hire Refugees

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz announced a four-part response to Trump, ranging from pledges that employees will have access to health insurance to investing in Mexico. Spurred on by the immigration ban, he has also promised that the chain will hire 10,000 refugees across the world over the next 5 years. His initial statement continues to say:

And we will start this effort here in the U.S. by making the initial focus of our hiring efforts on those individuals who have served with U.S. troops as interpreters and support personnel in the various countries where our military has asked for such support.

Shortly after this, #BoycottStarbucks began trending on Twitter. Yet there has also been an outpouring of support for the company.

There are also independent cafés staffed entirely by refugees – such as 1951 in San Francisco – which may serve specialty.

Perfect Daily Grind

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A Nationwide Coffee Fundraiser For The ACLU

nationwide-fundraiser

Not all heroes wear capes, but all lawyers need coffee.

Sprudge is not a political publication. We did not endorse a 2016 US Presidential Candidate, nor have we endorsed past candidates in elections in the United States or elsewhere. Although Sprudge is edited and published in the US, roughly half our daily readers come from outside of this country, as does our worldwide corps of editors, staff writers, and contributors. We don’t typically report on anyone’s local politics—and at some point, it’s all just local politics.

Stick to coffee, Sprudge!

We’d love to, but unfortunately the situation in our country has moved beyond political theater. We believe that the current executive order banning refugees from the United States and immigration from 7 majority Muslim nations is illegal, immoral, and fundamentally un-American. Like a hot mug of drip coffee spilled on a crisp white apron, these actions are a dark stain on our national conscience, and as Americans we feel compelled to stand up against them.

Fortunately there are heroes in these dark times. The United States is a nation of laws, not of men, and our government has three branches—Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. It is in this final branch where the battle is now being fought, by the thousands of lawyers organized and funded by the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU is America’s non-partisan guardian of liberty, working tirelessly since 1920 to defend the country’s original civic values, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They have no political affiliation or ideological component to their mission. Today they’re defending innocent refugee and immigrant families impacted by the recent executive orders—tomorrow they could be defending you, because they are committed to defending all of us.

So we’re standing with them by organizing a nationwide fundraiser in coffee bars across the country. Next weekend—Friday February 3rd thru Friday February 5th—we’re partnering with coffee companies throughout the United States to raise funds for the ACLU.  You can take part in this fundraiser by patronizing these cafes, or by donating directly to the ACLU.

aclu donation

Sprudge will match the first $500 per company raised next weekend for the ACLU, in partnership with the following twenty-six coffee brands across 125 cafes:

All Day, Miami, FL

Blacksmith Coffee, Morningstar & Greenway Coffee, Houston, TX (3 locations)

Blueprint Coffee, St. Louis, MO

Blue Bottle Coffee, Oakland, CA (25 locations in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oakland)

Coffee Manufactory & Tartine Manufactory, San Francisco, CA

Cultivar Coffee, Dallas, TX (3 locations)

Either / Or, Portland, OR

Equator Coffees & Teas, San Rafael, CA (5 locations across the Bay Area)

Everyman Espresso, New York, NY (2 locations in Manhattan)

Fleet Coffee, Austin, TX

G&B Coffee and Go Get Em Tiger, Los Angeles, CA (3 locations)

Huckleberry Coffee Roasters, Denver, CO (2 locations)

Intelligentsia Coffee, Chicago, IL (10 locations in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles)

Joe Coffee, New York, NY (15 locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Philadelphia)

La Colombe Coffee Roasters, Philadelphia, PA (22 locations in New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington DC and Philadelphia)

Olympia Coffee Roasting Company, Olympia, WA (3 locations)

PT’s Coffee, Topeka, KS (2 locations in Topeka and Kansas City, MO)

Peace Coffee, Minneapolis, MN (Wonderland Park location)

Slate Coffee, Seattle, WA (4 locations)

Spiller Park Coffee, Atlanta, GA

Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Portland, OR (12 locations in Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, and New Orleans)

Tipico Coffee, Buffalo, NY

Ultimo Coffee, Philadelphia, PA (2 locations)

Variety Coffee Roasters, Brooklyn, NY (3 locations)

The Wormhole & Halfwit Coffee Roasters, Chicago, IL

Wrecking Ball Coffee, San Francisco, CA

We are actively seeking more cafes to join in this effort! If you own or operate a cafe and want to get involved, we welcome you to join us next weekend. Please click here add your name to the list of cafes raising funds next weekend to support the ACLU. We’ll update with more participating cafes throughout the week.

If you own or operate any sort of coffee company—importer, machine manufacturer, products supplier, private citizen or media company—we would love your support in the form of matching sponsorships. Please click here and we will give you all the information you need to join us as a matching fundraiser. We hope to publish a long list of matching companies in the coming days.

If you live beyond easy visitation distance from any of the cafes participating this weekend, or want to just donate without all the rest of it, please consider making your tax deductible donation directly to the ACLU.

To our readers around the world, let us be clear: Americans of all stripes, all political backgrounds and beliefs, are deeply troubled and shocked by the refugee and immigration orders. This is not a coastal elite issue, or a hardcore liberal issue—it is not a Democrat or Republican issue, nor really even a political issue. This is a human issue, and one on which there can be no equivocation. America is a nation of immigrants and refugees, and whether your family came a year ago or 150 years ago, we are equal. All immigrants are refugees are welcome here no matter their spiritual beliefs, their country of origin, or color of their skin.

Thank you for joining us.

#RefugeesWelcome

#YesEqual

Jordan Michelman, co-founder, Editor

Zachary Carlsen, co-founder, Editor

Zac Cadwalader, News Editor, Staff Writer

Mike Wolf, Features Editor

Max Ortiz, Processing Editor

Robyn Brems, Accounts Manager

Noah Sanders, Staff Writer, SF Bureau Chief

Anna Brones, Staff Writer-At-Large

Daniel Scheffler, Staff Writer-At-Large

Karina Hof, Staff Writer

Tatiana Ernst, Staff Writer

Hengtee Lim, Staff Writer

Charlie Burt, SprudgeLive Lead Photographer, Contributor

Eileen P. Kenny, Contributor

Jenn Chen, Contributor

Lizzie Derksen, Contributor

Evan C. Jones, Contributor

Laura Jaye Cramer, Contributor

Michael Light, Contributor

D. Robert Wolcheck, Contributor

Eric J. Grimm, Contributor

Ximena Rubio, Contributor

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Going Somewhere Solo: Stephen Rogers Of Pipe & Tabor Roasting

solo roasting roaster sprudge coffee stephen rogers pipe and tabor intelligentsia stumptown pulley collective

Welcome back to a new feature series on Sprudge, Going Somewhere Solo, in which we profile the people behind the new wave of so-called “nano-roasters”, the tiniest of new coffee concerns pushing quality and entrepreneurship in a big way. These are seasoned coffee pros who’ve struck out on their own (often in unexpected places) to launch roasting enterprises outside of the traditional coffee shop format, instead growing their businesses within collaborative spaces, home offices, garages, and of course, online.

This week’s spotlight is on Stephen Rogers, owner and operator of Pipe & Tabor Roasting in Brooklyn, New York.

Hi! Tell us what your roasting business is called and where you’re located.

Hello Everybody. I’m Stephen Rogers, owner and roaster for Pipe & Tabor Roasting, a one-person coffee company in Brooklyn, New York.

What equipment are you currently roasting on?

I rent time from Pulley Collective on their Probat UG-22. I am able to start my own business because of the availability of roasters to people who want to start small and grow from these beginnings.

Who else is involved in the business right now?

Pipe & Tabor Roasting is one person’s coffee roasting vision: selecting coffee beans, exploring the flavors possible through roasting, capturing a balanced expression of a moment in time, and delivering a coffee to savor in the comforts of your every day.

From putting a sticker on a bag to handing an order to a customer, tempting someone with samples, or walking to the post office, it’s all part of the dream. It’s all up to me. I am thankful to have help from my accountant, graphic designers, and photographer.

solo roasting roaster sprudge coffee stephen rogers pipe and tabor intelligentsia stumptown pulley collective

Rogers at Stumptown’s Seattle roastery.

What’s your background in the coffee industry?

I am in my 18th year working in specialty coffee and am excited to present my own vision of how coffee can taste. It all started as a barista at Buzz Coffeeshop and CD-o-Rama (Cincinnati).  I have roasted coffee for Intelligentsia (Chicago & LA), Stumptown (Portland & Seattle), Acre Coffee (Petaluma, CA), Linea Caffe (San Francisco), and now Pipe & Tabor Roasting! I have taught roasting in Seoul, South Korea, learned about rebuilding antique roasters (Arkansas),  managed Marlow & Sons and Diner’s coffee program for 3 years (Brooklyn), and have shared coffee and experience all along the way. I want to roast coffee for the rest of my life.

How are you currently sourcing your coffees? What do you look for?

I source coffees from Red Fox Coffee Merchants and CoffeeShrub.

My main focus is as a roaster, a role to which I am dedicated. It’s my link in the “coffee chain”. I work with people whose work I respect and that have a history of quality selection and social responsibility. I look for coffees that are complex and dynamic, that I can balance, articulate, and showcase as a quality cup of coffee. I purchase fully washed coffees for the clarity and cleanliness of green quality and flavor perception. I want coffees that I love to drink.

What—or who—inspired you to go out on your own with roasting? Is there a coffee (or other) company you admire and would love to grow up to be like?

The knowledge that we all have different ways of viewing, capturing, and presenting the same coffee allows me to feel that my way of roasting can find an audience and form a demand.

solo_stephen_rogers_pipe_tabor_pulley_2017

DiFara Pizza’s Dom DeMarco

I am inspired by two pizza legends. Dom DeMarco from DiFara Pizza in Midwood, Brooklyn, for his 52 years of dedication to his craft. And Anthony Mangieri from Una Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco for his focus on quality, tradition, and simplicity.

As far as coffee inspiration, George Howell is a hero of mine for his commitment to quality and Ed Leebrick from Lighthouse Roasters in Seattle for his destination-style business plan that has allowed him to grow to a manageable size and flourish.

What kind of risks have you taken in striking out on your own to launch an independent roasting business? Did you make any unusual decisions?

Starting a one-person company is a risk in itself. My goal is to roast coffee the rest of my life. To do this, I have to try to get people to taste my coffee. I have selected and roasted a coffee that I think tastes great, but is it good enough to change what they are serving/drinking? Some people will like what I do while others prefer something else. Learning how hard to pursue an account is challenging.

solo roasting roaster sprudge coffee stephen rogers pipe and tabor intelligentsia stumptown pulley collective

How are you reaching customers without a retail cafe? Do you plan to have one someday? Where can people buy your coffee?

Reaching customers is a challenge for any new business, especially one without a physical address to present your product or craft. Wholesale accounts become your connection to customers. Social media becomes a chance for you to remind people that you do this and they can have some too. Coffee samples, word of mouth, and a pocketful of business cards are all part of a roaster-with-no-cafe’s daily accessories. At this point, I am finding places to hold coffee tastings to give an example of why I enjoy it. We’ll see what the future holds regarding a cafe, but for now you can sign up for a subscription at www.pipe-tabor-roasting.com to get coffee sent to you every month!

solo roasting roaster sprudge coffee stephen rogers pipe and tabor intelligentsia stumptown pulley collective

It strikes us as a measurement of where the specialty industry is now that many small roasters are now cropping up across the landscape without a physical location to hang a shingle on. How will you stand out from others competing for shelf space in the world’s decreasing multi-roaster cafes?

I feel the intrigue of developing coffee and the vast range of flavor possible creates a desire to continue to learn and experiment with what coffee can taste like. The more you trust your instinct and experience, you start to form your own signature taste with each coffee’s distinction to stand out within your style. The fact that we are starting to focus on the effect the person roasting has on the outcome of flavor, we begin to acknowledge and support coffee roasting as an art form. We are finding ways to have our artwork be noticed and encouraged. When I buy green coffee, it is the overall flavor that determines if I will buy it or not. I hope that people taste my coffee and want to have more of it. If the flavor doesn’t stand out to you, it’s ok, the simple, shiny bag will!

solo roasting roaster sprudge coffee stephen rogers pipe and tabor intelligentsia stumptown pulley collective

Lastly, how would you describe your vibe in general? Is there a kind of music you like to listen to when you roast, do you wear lucky shoes, etc.?

Roasting for me is a lot like meditation. You set up your environment, start your cycle, focus on what is at hand, and repeat. With thoughts of the way the last roast tasted, you decide what you want to do to roast the coffee to taste the way you hope it can. Music can play and blend with the repetitive machine noises, or I will mentally add music to the machine sounds with the roasting groove I get in. Listening to music from the country of the coffee I’m roasting is always nice.

Thanks, Stephen!

Find Pipe & Tabor Roasting online and order their coffee at pipe-tabor-roasting.com

Liz Clayton is an associate editor at Sprudge.com. Read more Liz Clayton on Sprudge.

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Los Negocios detrás del Café de Especialidad: Micro Festival El Salvador

El último día del Micro Festival de Café El Salvador inició temprano y radiante – ¡Tal vez demasiado radiante para los que estuvieron disfrutando del Ron Cihuatan y las cervezas Cadejo la noche anterior! Luego de un delicioso desayuno de tamales, comenzaron las presentaciones y actividades.

Con un amplia variedad de ponentes y actividades, el segundo día brindó una perspectiva a las habilidades prácticas en los negocios y a lo que significa “especialidad”.

English Version: The Business Behind Specialty: Micro Festival El Salvador Day 2

micro coffee festival

Re-Evaluando Nuestra Definición de Especialidad

Expandir la definición de “orígenes de especialidad” fue una tendencia durante el evento. Además de los cafés salvadoreños, el primer día tuvo cataciones de cafés de Indonesia y tuestes de Arabia Saudita. Y en el segundo día, Thiago Borba de Burgeon dió inicio con Cómo pasar de Producción de Café Convencional a Café de Especialidad, quién se enfocó en los cafés de Brasil y la catación de cafés brasileños fue algo popular.

Más adelante, Malian Lahey presentó el café de Ka’u. ¿Nunca lo has escuchado? Tal vez reconozcas el café que se cultiva a tan solo unas millas de allí: Kona. O por lo menos, tal vez pienses que lo reconoces: “Café Kona” legalmente solo debe ser 10% Kona, el otro 90% – bueno, puede ser cualquier cosa, desde café de Ka’u hasta café de baja calidad. Y por lo general es de baja calidad, explica Malian.

“Pero los productores hawaianos producen de forma consistente café de especialidad”, nos dice Malian – y luego lo comprueba con una catación de café de Ka’u.

kau coffee

Un Enfoque Práctico en los Negocios

Mayra Orellana-Powell de Royal Coffee explicó cómo los productores e importadores pueden construir relaciones estables, desde estar en contacto hasta enviar la documentación y comunicar los problemas a tiempo. Un consejo clave para los productores que están intentando mejorar la calidad de su café: taza. Y no solo la taza, sino la taza con la comunidad. Invita a los productores miembros a ayudar a detectar áreas de mejora.

Justo después del almuerzo, Gilberto Baraona presentó los resultados de un estudio de Anacafé acerca de los patios de GrainPro versus los patios de concreto utilizados en la Cooperativa Tomastepec, Guatemala. El resultado: se obtuvieron puntajes de catación similares de ambos (basándose en tres muestras de cada uno), pero con GrainPro el costo bajó de aproximadamente $2000 dólares a $800 dólares.

Luego de esto, Ildi Revi de Ally Coffee, habló acerca de las formas prácticas de asegurar que los empleados logren el mejor desempeño. Con base en estudios científicos y el Modelo de Tecnología de Desempeño humano, propuso nuevos enfoques para motivar a los colaboradores, identificar las necesidades en capacitación, y analizar inconvenientes en el lugar de trabajo.

Malian Lahey, también habló acerca de los problemas empresariales, contando como le ofreció a los productores hawaianos $5.5 dólares/libra solo para descubrir que les cuesta el doble de eso para producirlo y cómo ha afrontado este problema. Y Michelle Marie de Matheu explicó cómo maximizar la diversificación de los cultivos desde la perspectiva agrícola y de marca.

Ildi Revi

Ildi Revi habla acerca de la motivación del trabajador, capacitación y desempeño

Aprendiendo del Alcohol de Especialidad

Todos han escuchado antes la comparación del café y el vino, pero ¿del café y el ron? Resulta que hay mucho que aprender de este licor. El Ron Cihuatán es conocido por ser el primer ron salvadoreño producido a escala comercial por el productor Juan Alfredo Pacas.

Alfredo, cómo le gusta que lo llamen, nos mostró el proceso de preparar café antes de llevarnos a una catación de dos rones en tres diferentes etapas de desarrollo. Esto nos permitió entender la importancia de procesar la taza final – una perspectiva que es infortunadamente mucho más difícil de obtener en el café.

ron cihuatan

Ron Cihuatán Solera 8 y Solera 12 se cataron en tres etapas diferentes de desarrollo.

Te Puede Interesar: Perspectiva del Productor y Destrezas de Barista -Micro Festival, El Salvador

Competencia de Arte Latte

El día se enfrió o ¿deberíamos decir que se calentó? – con una competencia de arte latte. Aproximadamente 20 personas participaron con la ilusión de ganar un tostador Behmor 1600+ certificada por la SCAA y una taza de Keep Cup.

Francisco Javier Escobar Flores de OverDose Coffee Roasters salió con el premio logrando derrotar por muy poca diferencia a El Campeón Barista Víctor Florez Menéndez. Francisco planea utilizar la Behmor para tostar muestras diciéndonos que su tamaño y consistencia al tostar es perfecto para esto.

latte art

Francisco Javier Escobar Flores con su tostador Behmor y Henry Wilson de Perfect Daily Grind.

Se Hicieron Conexiones

Con asistentes de Estados Unidos, Latinoamérica y Europa, el Medio Oriente, África y Asia, la gente no solo hizo nuevas conexiones. Hicieron conexiones con diferentes partes del mundo.

Luego Mayra Orellana-Powell habló acerca de La Cadena de Suministro desde la Perspectiva del Importador, surgen preguntas acerca de cómo trabajar con Royal Coffee: “¿Qué puntajes en catación aceptan?”, “¿Cómo califican los cafés que compran?”, “¿Consideraría aceptar esta variedad?”

Asimismo, a lo largo del evento, vimos que se hicieron planes de negocio y se programaron visitas a las fincas. Más de un exportador y tostador nos dijo que estaban considerando diversificar su portafolio para incluir más cafés de El Salvador.

Y mientras el festival se terminaba, el evento aún no. Los invitados internacionales regresaron a sus familias anfitrionas para continuar su semana en origen, visitando fincas y beneficios, catando y aprendiendo de la experiencia del productor.

Escrito por T. Newton

Traducido por A. K. Molina Ospina y Editado por Karla Ly.

PDG Español

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Monday, January 30, 2017

7 Green Bean Defects Roasters & Producers Need to Recognise

The SCAA state that specialty green beans can have no more than 5 full defects in 300 grams of coffee – and no primary defects at all.

But what’s a primary defect? What do green bean defects look like? And how do they affect the final cup profile?

I visited Ricardo Villegas Wilkie of Tecnocafé, Bogota at his company’s lab to find out. Tecnocafé won four gold, three silver, and three bronze medals at the International Contest of Coffees Roasted in their Countries of Origin last year. They’ve been roasting specialty coffees for 11 years, and working directly with producers for one year. Here’s what Ricardo had to show me.

SEE ALSO: Universal Sensory Coffee Language: The Key to Fighting Green Bean Defects?

coffee defects

Sorting green coffee beans for defects. Credit: Tecno Café

How Samples Are Analyzed in The Lab

Tecnocafé buy parchment coffee, and their first step is to analyze it green. They prepare 300g samples and hull and classify the beans by screen size – beans that are consistent in size will roast better. Next, the moisture (which should be between 11% and 12.5%), bean density, and yield factor (how many bags of parchment are needed for a 70-kilo bag of green beans) are measured.

coffee defects

Specialty Grading Specifications from the Roasters Guild. Credit: Angie Katherine Molina Ospina

Next, physical defects are identified. Tecno Café follow SCAA (now SCA) guidelines for this: only 5 secondary defects, 0 primary, are allowed.

Primary defects include: full black, full sour, pod/cherry, large stones, medium stones, large sticks, medium sticks. Secondary defects include: parchment, hull/husk, broken/chipped, insect damaged, partial sour, floater, shell, small stones, small sticks, water damage.

coffee defects

Green coffee bean defects. Credit: Coffee Research

7 Common Green Bean Defects

There are many green bean defects, and some are easier to spot than others: we all know what a stick or stone looks like. Ricardo talked me through the two primary defects that are difficult to recognize – full black and full sour – and five common secondary defects.

Full Black & Partial Black Beans

Full black beans is a primary defect, while partial black is a secondary one. The beans are brown or black, shrivelled, and with the crack too open. Causes include y over fermentation, over-ripe cherries, and not enough water during cherry development.

coffee defects

Full black beans are a primary defect; partial black a secondary defect. Credit: Angie Katherine Molina Ospina

Full Sour & Partial Sour Beans

Full sour beans are a primary defect, while partial sour is a secondary defect. They are a light to dark brown. These defects are caused by too long a wait between picking and depulping, an overly long fermentation process, or storing the beans while they have too high a moisture content.

coffee defects

Full sour beans are a primary defect; partial sour a secondary defect. Credit: Angie Katherine Molina Ospina

Broken, Chipped or Cut Beans

This is a secondary defect, normally caused by the depulping machine.

coffee defects

Beans broken by the depulping machine. Credit: Angie Katherine Molina Ospina

Insect Damage

Another secondary defect, this is caused by coffee pests: the coffee beetle borer, the white stem borer, the coffee bean weevil, and so on. Coffees damaged the the coffee beetle borer (la broca) tend to be sour and earthy.

coffee defects

Insect damage, probably from la broca. Credit: Angie Katherine Molina Ospina

Unhulled Beans

Unhulled beans is a secondary defect. It leads to an astringent, bitter cup. What’s more, the hull can become burnt during roasting, damaging other beans in the process.

coffee defects

Unhulled beans. Credit: Angie Katherine Molina Ospina

How to Decrease Defects

Ricardo tells me that Tecnocafé is lucky to work with loyal and reliable suppliers. The amount of green coffee defects he sees is minimal. Despite this, he pays close attention to what defects he does see and uses it to provide feedback. Producers can then improve their picking and processing methods.

It’s important to understand that each farm, and each country, is different. Some regions may be struggling with the coffee beetle borer; others could be facing drought or unexpected rains. All of these will lead to specific defects.

Roasters and buyers need to check for these defects before purchasing coffee – it’s keen to ensuring they receive high-quality beans and for giving feedback to farmers.

Ricardo reminds me, however, that what matters at the end of the day is the final cup. “Some coffees could have a good physical aspect, but… the taste in the cup is not appealing for me.” This is why green bean analyzing is only one of the many quality control processes in place for specialty coffee.

Written by Angie Katherine Molina Ospina, with thanks to Ricardo Villegas Wilkie, Jhonatan Arias, and Uber.

Perfect Daily Grind is not affiliated with any of the individuals or bodies mentioned in this article, and cannot directly endorse them.


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Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey Coffee Is A Thing Now

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I like coffee. I like whiskey. Hell, I even like whiskey in my coffee. But non-alcoholic whiskey-infused pre-ground coffee? Not so much. That’s the premise of the new Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey Coffee, a product presumably created to answer the age-old riddle, “How can I combine two liquids to make one liquid?”

Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey Coffee is a collaboration with World of Coffee, a New Jersey-based roaster that “specializes in premium, high-end, great tasting, gourmet coffees, private label packing, [and] foodservice,” according to the JD press release. It’s made up of 100% Arabica—a selling point for most 7-Eleven coffees and those have never let me down—roasted to medium, infused with Jack (or at least the essence of Jack), pre-ground and non-alcoholic, just the way ole Gentleman Jack himself would have wanted it.

The website for the new whiskey coffee touts that it is “the best tasting gourmet coffee infused with authentic Jack Daniel’s® Tennessee Whiskey,” which is hard to argue.

Even the very best tasting tasting version coffee infused with authentic Jack Daniel’s® Tennessee Whiskey still sounds kinda horrible. And beyond the taste–which I imagine could be replicated by putting a dab of liquid smoke and some wood chips (charred, new Oak, preferably) in a pot of coffee on the heating element for no less than two years—doesn’t this product pretty much already exist? It’s called putting whiskey in your coffee. It’s been the fuel for countless barista shifts since time immemorial, from Melbourne to Melbourne, Florida. You think those effortless smiles are because of your witty banter? Nope. It’s whiskey. It’s always been whiskey.

There is literally no need for this product. No one is putting whiskey in their coffee for the “flavor”. You might like the way whiskey and coffee taste together, but this is simply a fringe benefit.

All that to say, I can’t be mad at it. If smoky, pre-ground, hooch-essence-infused coffee is your Truth, then live it. Live it to the fullest. Get you some Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey Coffee and be the best you that you can be.

Zac Cadwalader is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network.

*top image via Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey Coffee

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Comfort In A Cup: Takamura Wine & Coffee Roasters In Osaka, Japan

takamura wine and coffee roasters osaka japan cafe wine shop sprudgeOsaka is a city famous for its passion for food and drink, and it has a lot to boast about. Takoyaki (fried octopus balls), okonomiyaki (savory cabbage pancakes), udon noodles, and oshizushi (a regional style of sushi) are all claims to Osaka’s fame. But coffee hasn’t been on its list of bragging points. Still, there are whispers of a coffee revolution happening in this great town. After hearing about an emerging new wave coffee scene in Osaka, I set off for the spot on every coffee enthusiast’s list: Takamura Wine & Coffee Roasters.

In the heart of Nishi-ku, a ward in Osaka famous for being well-planned and modern, I approached a two-story warehouse with a gleaming glass front. Warm incandescent light poured out of the building onto patio seating, where couples sipped coffee at cafe tables. Inside, I was greeted by corrugated metal ceilings and exposed steel beams. Built within this industrial cocoon are shelves, staircases, pillars, and scaffoldings made of light wood—a wine cellar inside of a garage. Inside this juxtaposition of contemporary construction and old-world style: thousands of bottles of wine from every origin imaginable.

takamura wine and coffee roasters osaka japan cafe wine shop sprudgeTakamura’s mission is simple: to make great wine available to the oenophiles of Japan. It boasts an inventory of 2,200 different wines with price tags ranging from the equivalent of $10 to around $10,000. The clientele is varied: well-to-do middle-age business types roam the aisles filling their carts with choice bottles, while young couples on dates grab sips of wine from pay-by-the-cup electronic dispensers.

The left wall of Takamura reveals a full-service coffee operation run by hip—but serious—young baristas. There I was met by Yuya Iwasaki, who took my order for an espresso and answered the question on my mind: why coffee and wine?

takamura wine and coffee roasters osaka japan cafe wine shop sprudgeHe explained that Takamura’s top brass had noticed a trend: a restaurant would serve good food paired with good wine, and after the meal would come dessert and a cup of coffee; but the coffee was usually bad. “Why does everyone take food and wine so serious, but forget about the coffee?” they wondered. They began to investigate the coffee industry. The similarities between wine and coffee culture interested them even more. Concepts like the importance of region, the care taken in raising a crop, the tasting process, and the complex flavors in each cup were all familiar. In 2013, Takamura built up a coffee team and set out to provide restaurants with not only top-shelf wine, but specialty coffee as well.

takamura wine and coffee roasters osaka japan cafe wine shop sprudgeA look at the gear behind the counter shows that coffee is taken as seriously here as wine. A custom La Marzocco Strada EP sits on the counter next to a Nuova Simonelli Mythos One Clima-Pro grinder for the espresso blend, while single-origin espressos are ground on a Mazzer Kony. Pour-overs are prepared via Hario V60 and ground on a Kalita Nice Cut Mill. Off to the side, a 35-kilogram Loring Smart Roast machine gleams. At the time of my visit, the coffee menu featured six Cup of Excellence winners and two national winner options in addition to 13 other unique choices.

takamura wine and coffee roasters osaka japan cafe wine shop sprudge

Yuya Iwasaki of Takamura Wine & Coffee

A lot of thought and planning clearly went into this operation. The lighting, in particular, was striking. The baristas’ work area’s soft incandescent bulbs add to the atmosphere and support the feeling of human connection to the beverage; there’s even a dim spotlight focused on the pour-over station. In stark contrast, the roasting area has bright-white LED lighting, which gives an industrial vibe to the production space. There is no wall between the two sections, but they are clearly separated. On all sides there are wood, leather, and oriental rugs—but also poured concrete, high-powered heating and cooling, and exposed electrical fixtures. Everything is warm, but wide open; classic hospitality meets modern efficiency.

takamura wine and coffee roasters osaka japan cafe wine shop sprudgeI sunk into a deep, brown leather armchair by the window and took another look around. The place buzzed with young mothers on coffee dates, tourists from Western countries, businessmen stealing a few moments alone, and even old bickering couples. A group of friends chatted at a large table; a lone reader sat in a cozy chair for one. All were drawn by the love for, or curiosity toward, a drink. I sipped my Panama La Esmeralda Geisha pour-over while my friend sipped his 1980 Cabernet Sauvignon from Caymus Vineyards. They both offered a little comfort in a cup.

Takamura Wine & Coffee Roasters is located at Osaka Edobori 2-chome, 2-18 2-2-18 Edobori Nishiku, Osaka. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Eric Tessier is a freelance journalist based in Tokyo. Read more Eric Tessier on Sprudge.

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Peak Inside Maru Coffee In L.A.’s Los Feliz Neighborhood

maru coffee los feliz los angeles california cafe sprudge

There’s a new coffee shop open in Los Feliz, the small neighborhood in Los Angeles that borders Silver Lake and Hollywood. A lot of small and independent businesses line the streets here, including a fair share of coffee spots. One of the newest to hit the scene is Maru Coffee, a minimalist and tranquil spot that fits into the eclectic makeup of Los Feliz perfectly.

A dream conceived by co-founders Jacob Park and Joonmo Kim more than three years ago, Maru finally began serving coffee in late September. On a visit, you may catch Park behind the bar—he’s not just an owner, but also the head barista and a certified Q Grader. Co-founder Kim is also in-house most days and manages the business side of things. “It’s an amazing feeling to see your vision come to life,” he tells me.

maru coffee los feliz los angeles california cafe sprudge

maru coffee los feliz los angeles california cafe sprudge

Joonmo Kim

Maru is from an old Korean word ‘San Ma Ru’ which means mountaintop, Kim tells me, “it is our representation of high quality as good coffee beans come from high elevation,” he says. Inside, you’ll find the standard coffee menu with espresso drinks made on a sleek Synesso MVP. Kalita and Kono drippers are also on hand for pour-overs, alongside a Mahlkönig EK 43 and Mazzer grinders. Maru plans to feature three roasters at a time; on a recent visit, the shop carried Coava Coffee Roasters, Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters, and Stereoscope Coffee.

maru coffee los feliz los angeles california cafe sprudge

maru coffee los feliz los angeles california cafe sprudge

If you happen to have the time to stay and drink inside, you’ll get your beverage served in a stylish ceramic cup by Notary Ceramics from Portland, Oregon. Maru also serves a selection of herbal, green, and black teas. For now, pastries come from LA’s Cake Monkey—with treats like slices of babka, doughnuts, and savory bacon jam twists available to pair with your coffee.

There are a lot of cafes to choose from in the vicinity of Los Feliz, but they all offer something different to coffee patrons. Maru is a cafe with a mellow vibe, somewhere to get away from the chaos of the city. There is a comforting tranquility in the simplicity of it all.

Maru Coffee is located at 1936 Hillhurst Avenue, Los Angeles. Visit their official website and follow them on Instagram.

Tatiana Ernst is a Sprudge staff writer based in Los Angeles. Read more Tatiana Ernst on Sprudge.

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Hawaiian Coffee: How Do You Educate Customers on Prices?

Forget your preconceptions of coffee farming – Hawaii breaks them all.

In Hawaii, US minimum wage and labour laws apply. In Hawaii, Kona coffee gets diluted by up to 90% with other origins. But how do you operate with such high labour costs? How do you create value for a single origin – when it’s all about Kona?

And how do you sell customers roasted coffee for $14/lb – when they ask for it at $2/lb?

Malian Lahey of Kona Coffee spoke on this at Micro Coffee Festival El Salvador. Listen to her presentation below (and see our Events Calendar for more events like this).

SEE ALSO: More Than Kona: 4 Things You Should Know About Hawaiian Coffee

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The Coffee Lover’s Guide To Sofia, Bulgaria

sofia bulgaria coffee cafe guide fabrika daga rainbow factory dabov specialty coffee chucky's coffee culture store sprudge

Flowing from the shadow of Vitosha Mountain, Bulgaria’s 9,000-year-old capital mixes buckling sidewalks with constant revitalization. In Sofia, you will find slowly crumbling buildings perched alongside modern craft beer shops and a newly designed rapid transit metro running in tandem with rusting trams. Out of these competing eras has emerged the specialty coffee scene.

The Sofia coffee community has many small basement roasters and online-only retailers, but few specialty cafes. Though some coffee roasters source high-quality beans and have equipment to deliver a wonderful cup, the process from roast to extraction often lacks the essence of a specialty shop. The cafes that do overcome this challenge find they face a demand problem. For now, these shops tend to focus on education, teaching the art of craft coffee, and that black can taste better than white.

Here are a few places where you can find a complex cup in Sofia.

sofia bulgaria coffee cafe guide fabrika daga rainbow factory dabov specialty coffee chucky's coffee culture store sprudge

Dabov Specialty Coffee

Brainchild of five-time Cup of Excellence judge Jordan Dabov, Dabov Specialty Coffee has been working to bring the world’s best coffee to Bulgaria since 2008. They sell roasted beans to over 100 shops in Sofia and recently began to make their mark on the city’s cafe scene. While a planned mixed cafe space including a roasting facility and cupping area waits on permits and construction, their small space west of the National Palace of Culture has opened its doors to customers and coffee enthusiasts.

sofia bulgaria coffee cafe guide fabrika daga rainbow factory dabov specialty coffee chucky's coffee culture store sprudge

The pop-up style shop aims to build awareness and customers for the next wave of specialty coffee to hit Sofia. Pulling shots with a Sanremo Opera, Kees van der Westen Mirage, and Mahlkönig EK 43, Dabov doesn’t skimp when it comes to having the best coffee gear. Most importantly, they want every shot they pull to be your best ever. With quality beans—including the 2016 Guatemala Cup of Excellence winner—and single origins from all over the world, Dabov has one of the widest selections of coffee in Sofia. In addition to classic espresso drinks, the pop-up offers liquor-based coffee cocktails, drip coffee, and a welcoming atmosphere.

This shop seeks nothing less than to raise the bar for the Sofia craft coffee scene. If you want to see what Sofia’s bright specialty coffee future looks like then swinging by Dabov is a must.

Dabov Specialty Coffee is located at ul. “Lyuben Karavelov” 58, 1142. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

 

sofia bulgaria coffee cafe guide fabrika daga rainbow factory dabov specialty coffee chucky's coffee culture store sprudge

Chucky’s Coffee & Culture

Chucky’s Coffee & Culture prides itself on being the first craft coffee shop in Sofia. Owner Ivan Chavdarov worked in coffee in Athens for eight years before returning to Bulgaria and opening “Chucky’s Coffee House” near Vitosha Boulevard in 2014. The shop started as an experiment, something Chavdarov never saw succeeding. He remembers thinking he’d be forced to close it in three to six months. To his pleasant surprise it took off. Using educational workshops to introduce a new breed of customers to craft coffee, the shop quickly became a success.

sofia bulgaria coffee cafe guide fabrika daga rainbow factory dabov specialty coffee chucky's coffee culture store sprudge

Chucky’s offers a Bulgarian-style espresso blend and a few single origins on bar. They also offer a variety of brew methods from AeroPress and V60 to Turkish coffee. The small downtown location fills up around lunchtime and weekend mornings with people swinging by for a quick takeaway coffee or a longer chat with a friend. There is a second shop, called “Chucky’s Coffee Store,” outside the city center.

Chucky’s represents the old guard in the scene, a snapshot of where specialty coffee in Sofia began.

Chucky’s Coffee & Culture is located at ul. “Hristo Belchev” 29, 1000. Chucky’s Coffee Store is located at ul. “Kazbek” 61, 1680. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

sofia bulgaria coffee cafe guide fabrika daga rainbow factory dabov specialty coffee chucky's coffee culture store sprudge

Fabrika Daga

Fabrika Daga, “Rainbow Factory” in English, also broke onto the craft scene in 2014. The name joins two concepts: “Daga,” meaning rainbow, a nod to the 1979–1992 beloved comix magazine of the same name, and “Fabrika” emphasizing their “we-make-it-ourselves-mindset.” Located close to the National Gallery of Art, the central location makes it easy to grab an espresso, latte, or brewed coffee while walking about the city or heading to work. The shop draws a large crowd at lunch and for brunch on the weekends. They serve up a number of Bulgarian classics all made in-house. Don’t let good food fool you; they are serious about coffee, too. A team of dedicated baristas pulls shots on a La Marzocco Linea Classic.

sofia bulgaria coffee cafe guide fabrika daga rainbow factory dabov specialty coffee chucky's coffee culture store sprudge

With first-time specialty coffee drinkers regularly walking in upon hearing rumors of fantastic coffee, Fabrika Daga has become a destination for people all over Bulgaria. After tasting the blend or one of the three single origins on bar, all provided by Dabov, these customers rarely leave disappointed.

Its constant process of evolution has made Fabrika Daga a must stop on a Sofia coffee tour.

Rainbow Factory is located at ул. Веслец 10, 1000. Follow them on Facebook.

Matthew Simmons is a freelance journalist. This is Matthew Simmons’ first feature for Sprudge. Photos by  Elizabeth North for Sprudge Media Network.

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¿Es Corea el Futuro de la Tecnología de Café de Especialidad?

Sunday, January 29, 2017

How to Improve Profits: 4 Strategies for Coffee Producers

Increased profits can happen as a result of hard work and luck. But they’re more likely to happen thanks to hard work and strategy.

Strategy is the long-term vision of a company. It’s its path to success – to increased sales, greater demand, and lower costs. And it’s not just large businesses that need it. Coffee producers do too.

Here are four strategies producers can take advantage of – marketing, financial, operational, and disruptive – and how to implement them.

SEE ALSO: Farm, Mill, & Roastery: How Producers Can Vertically Integrate

La Palma y El Tuca uses social media to market their nano lots. Credit: La Palma y El Tucán

1. Marketing Strategy

A marketing strategy is centred on creating a strong brand. The key element here is your philosophy. Emphasizing this to premiumize your coffee and so raise the price. But to use this strategy effectively, it’s important to have high-quality products.

  • How to Use a Marketing Strategy

Start by creating your brand. A good place to begin is with your story. Next, come up with a brand statement (a summary of your brand), brand mission (your goals), brand core values, and your brand personality.

Once you’ve done this, you must communicate it. I believe the top three methods of communication are attending coffee shows, using social media (Facebook and Instagram), and creating email campaigns.

Whatever your form of communication, it’s important to be consistent. A brand is created when you express the same message over and over again.

  • Examples of Producers Who Use Marketing Strategy

Producers using this strategy include Santa Felisa in Guatemala, El Injerto in Guatemala, and La Esmeralda in Panama. They all attend major coffee shows, have their own cupping labs where they can entertain visitors, have good presence on social media, and have their own websites. This means their brand is well-recognized.

Additionally, many baristas use these farms’ products for competition, endorsing their brand on a world stage. And they all of them have their own private auction, where they sell their best lots. These facts both get them recognition and establish them as high-quality.

hacienda la esmeralda

La Esmeralda’s booth at Cafe Show Korea. Credit: Hacienda La Esmeralda

2. Operational Strategy

In this route, you focus on reducing management and increasing efficiency. Companies invest their capital into new technology or other innovations that bring their operational costs down. They may sell at market prices, but they profit by operating at lower costs.

  • How to Use an Operational Strategy

If you want to cut costs, you need to understand where your cash is being spent. A good first step would be to keep the accounting of your operation. You can then analyze this and look at how innovations can reduce costs. You can take an agronomical perspective and also a labor perspective.

  • Examples of Operationally Strategic Producers

Many – but not all – producers in Brazil are operationally strategic. These are the ones who mechanize their farms, reducing their labor cost.

coffee farm

Café Salomão in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Credit: Café Salomão

3. Financial Strategy

Return on investment is the key theme here. You need to treat your farm as an asset. Then you create value by improving it or using it as a source of cash flow.

  • How to Use a Financial Strategy

It’s important that you understand the real estate aspect of coffee if you want to be financially strategic. And the first principle is that developed land is more valuable than undeveloped land.

So how does this work in practice? You may decide to create a coffee plantation and then sell it in the future for more. Or you could find underpriced real estate that’s ideal for growing coffee. When you then grow and sell coffee, it creates cash flow.

  • Examples of Financially Strategic Producers

This is a quiet operation; it’s hard to spot when producers are doing this. However, one example is International Coffee Farms in Colombia and Panama. They invite clients to invest in their land, focus on a return on investment, and take a 20% cut to invest in sustainability.

international coffee farm

Cuatro Caminos is one of International Coffee Farm’s farms. Credit: International Coffee Farms

4. Disruptive Strategy

In this strategy, you succeed by challenging the normal way of doing business. This is often the most innovative of the four strategies: you need to notice changing trends and quickly adapt to them. Doing so can help you enter new markets as well as offer your existing markets new products and services.

  • How to Use a Disruptive Strategy

There are few rules to follow when you’re disrupting an industry – in fact, you succeed by breaking the rules. But if you want to go down this route, it’s important to stay aware of trends both globally and locally. For example, many producers are now opening cafés near their farms – a trend you can take advantage of.

  • Examples of Producers Who Use a Disruptive Strategy

Any of the producers who have a café – such as Elida Estate in Panama and their Bajareque Coffee House – are an example of this. It changes their profit model, as well as how people perceive the farm’s role in the supply chain.

Similarly, La Palma y El Tucán in Colombia has a barista exchange program. They’ve focused on creating strong relationships with baristas, leading to those baristas emphasising the importance of the producer. What’s more, many of their coffees have been featured in competition – which goes back to their marketing strategy.

bajareque

Bajareque Coffee House in Panama. Credit: Bajareque Coffee House

How Can You Choose a Strategy?

As a producer, it’s important to know where you want to be in the next five, ten, and twenty years. It’s also important to evaluate your strengths. If you have a background in agriculture, it may be best to focus on operational strategy.  But don’t feel like you have to choose just route. You can use elements of each strategy to develop your business. In fact, this can make your company more resilient.

So list your strengths, decide where you want to be in the future, and work out the best strategies to get you there.

Written by Keith Pech. Feature photo credit: Herbert Peñalosa

Perfect Daily Grind is not affiliated with any of the individuals or bodies mentioned in this article, and cannot directly endorse them.

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