It’s been dubbed the quiet revolution led by the so-called millennials (pdf), those born between 1981 and 1996. Millenials are demanding that companies are more ethically responsible, transparent and responsive. An accompanying trend, is growing consumer interest in responsible sourcing and the producer story behind products on our supermarket shelves.
An innovative new initiative linking these two groups has just been launched by the Co-operative Food. It is a unique and first of its kind opportunity: an interactive online platform linking consumer and producer communities and encouraging direct conversations with the aim of building an online community over the next 12months.
We met with coffee producer Basilio Chales Pablo - the first producer to be featured in the campaign, from the Cooperative Todosanterita in Guatemala - to ask him about the many challenges (and successes) in the coffee industry. Basilio represents one of the 17 Fairtrade producer organisations from nine different countries joining the online conversation as part of the new Co-operative Community campaign.
Basilio, how did you become interested in coffee?
I think it was part of my destiny. My parents were proud producers of coffee, which ultimately inspired me to follow the same path three years ago.
At a young age, I told my parents that I wanted to go to university to get a degree in engineering. This seemed like a far-fetched dream, since we didn’t even have a high school in the small village where I grew up.
However, my parents always believed in my dream and encouraged me to pursue it. I am very proud of the fact that I managed to obtain a degree and it really helps me in my work with coffee, but that does not make me any better than other people. What I always say to others living in my community, is that if you have a dream and you really want to achieve it, you can find a way.
What are some of the things you have learned through coffee farming?
I am incredibly passionate about coffee – I am where I am today because of it! Working in coffee is challenging, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. Since I started working in the industry, I’ve travelled all over the world – including Japan and the UK. I’ve worked with the entire coffee production process, including the picking of coffee cherries and processing to parchment.
Because of Fairtrade, I’ve also learned about the certification process. We work with a number of different certifications in the region, each of which has different requirements and standards that have to be met. Because of the number of standards, my typical working day is mostly based around assisting producers in improving their standards. I also assist engineers and agronomists from different parts of Guatemala when they have questions around certification.
Coffee is known to be a boom and bust economy – how are you experiencing it?
All the coffee farmers here will tell you how turbulent the market is, and how the price of coffee on the New York stock exchange affects producers’ pockets. Producers are often struggling to cover the cost of production. But, despite challenges, we continue to work really hard on our coffee farms, all the time hoping that the price will go up.
But threats to our livelihoods are also closer to home, not just in New York. Leaf rust is an ever-present challenge to farmers here. It’s a fungal disease which completely destroys coffee trees. But we’ve been combating it and I think we’re close to eliminating it. Certification schemes like Fairtrade have helped coffee farmers to combat it by offering a number of mitigation strategies and training programmes.
We’re also no stranger to the challenges presented by climate change. This year the climate has been quite stable though, so we’re hoping to have a good yield when harvest time comes. Another factor contributing to a good harvest is the fact that farmers here are very involved in managing their soil properly. They also ensure that their coffee trees are shaded properly. Most people might not realise this, but shade-grown coffee cherries ripen more slowly which enhances the flavour.
It sounds like coffee is ingrained in everyday life in Guatemala. What does a typical day for a coffee farmer look like?
It’s true that our community life revolves around coffee. Not only do we produce coffee, we also drink a lot of it! Our day here starts very early – most coffee producers wake up at about 4am when it’s still very cold outside. And, of course, they start their day drinking coffee!
It’s a long working day, but we always have cups of coffee throughout the day to look forward to. We have coffee with every meal – breakfast, lunch and dinner and maybe another one before bed. You also see things here that you might find strange if you’re not familiar with Guatemalan traditions – a favourite local treat is dipping bread in coffee!
The Co-operative Food has recently launched an online platform which allows coffee drinkers to communicate directly with you. How important do you think this newly established connection is?
I think it’s a great initiative. It allows us as coffee producers to tell people from other countries how we produce the coffee they drink every day, and also to thank the Co-operative customers who buy Fairtrade-certified coffee. We want them to know that there’s a future for coffee and that we are passionate about our product!
It would also be interesting for me to know and understand what UK coffee drinkers think about our coffee. And also to find out what they know about coffee and the production process.
Finally, would you like to share something about the importance of coffee with coffee drinkers in the UK?
Coffee has improved the lives of our families and our communities. If coffee didn’t exist, I’m not sure we would be where we are today as a community. Thanks to the Fairtrade premium, we’ve been able to really invest in our community and the future of our families. It’s brought so much stability and certainty to our lives.
You should continue drinking coffee – have one every morning after your shower! It will keep you strong through the day and you can know that if it’s Fairtrade you are helping farmers and their families in Guatemala.
Content on this page is paid for and provided by Fairtrade Foundation, sponsor of the spotlight on commodities series
