farmer support
If you’ve roasted or even sipped a cup of coffee today, you’ve taken part in a global chain that’s under serious pressure—and serious transformation. Climate change is hitting coffee hard, but the fight for sustainable coffee is underway and it’s gaining traction! From seed to cup, a diverse mix of actors including scientists, farmers, corporations, and NGOs are rewriting coffee’s…
Genuine Origin has been closely following Uganda’s progression as a specialty coffee producer for years. We've done this with the help of our sister company and sourcing partner in the region, Kyagalanyi Coffee Ltd. Uganda continues to astound everyone with improvements in cup quality. Moreover, they show determination to create impact on every scale. This includes small and large initiatives…
Peruvian Coffee does not always get the attention it deserves. The country tends to get overshadowed by its bigger neighbors, Colombia & Brazil. But Peru is a coffee powerhouse in its own right. Peru is the world's 5th largest producer of Arabica coffee and it is gaining in popularity. The thin air, soaring altitudes, and fertile soil throughout Peru come…
Big things come in small packages. In El Salvador’s case, this modest-sized country has made a name for itself regarding its green coffee. Despite its turbulent history, El Salvador coffee enjoys a reputation for quality over quantity. This may be the key to the country’s future as a celebrated coffee origin. Drying green coffee on raised beds in El Salvador…
Nicaragua pulses as the largest country in the heart of Central America. Here, coffee continues to surpass all expectations, despite the political unrest, natural disasters, and warfare that hinder progress. Geographical advantages, innovation, and the remarkable resilience of enterprising producers are putting Nicaragua back on the map for its potential as a specialty-coffee country. Genuine Origin is excited to be…
Coffee in Costa Rica is as advanced as it gets. Smallholders here are highly motivated to keep Costa Rican coffee on the map for innovation, diversification, and a reputation for premium quality. They pay extensive attention to technical advancement, particularly in agriculture and coffee processing, and farmers don’t hesitate to experiment with new varietals and fermentation techniques. With Costa Rica’s…
There are some pretty flexible definitions in coffee, and microlots and macrolots (or community lots, as we refer to them) are among the terms that differ, depending on whom you ask. It’s easier to start with microlot. Coffee Shrub has defined it as “a lot produced separately, discretely picked or processed to have special character.” Similarly, The Roasterie blog uses…
Riley Thomson is based in San Jose and, after years in the field as a farmer support technician, now oversees the Volcafe Way Farmer Support Organization (FSO) in Costa Rica—a country he moved to as a boy, from Canada. Riley attended Costa Rica’s prestigious Earth University, which focuses on providing its global student body with sustainable-agriculture expertise they can apply…
When women are involved — particularly, when women are board members or are in leadership roles, and especially when there are at least three of them — companies do better. They make more money, produce better products and they’re better places to work. A growing body of data has proven this out. In coffee communities in Tanzania and elsewhere, our farmer support teams have likewise…
Matthew Harrison has a background in agriculture. And while he’s spent extensive time in the coffee fields, he now lives in the coastal city of Dar es Salaam, focusing on field operations and the trading side of the business for GO sister organization Taylor Winch. Last week, he stepped away from the cupping table to chat about coffee, culture and why there’s…