INDUSTRY PROFILE
Adapt to thrive Fairtrade is helping producers adapt to the challenges and restrictions of coronavirus so they can continue to farm coffee now and into the future.
W
hile COVID-19 has been less widespread at origin than in consuming countries at this stage, producers are feeling the blowback. Peter Kettler, Senior Coffee Manager at Fairtrade International, tells BeanScene coffee farmers have felt disruptions on multiple levels. “It really all depends on how regional and national governments have responded. Colombia, for example, has limited internal travel, which has affected the movement of temporary labour for harvest,” Peter says. “It also depends on where the country is in its harvest schedule. Fortunately, a lot of production has gone on as normal. Ethiopia is pretty much finished with its harvest, so all the coffee is either at port or already exported… But we’re starting to see bottlenecks in the transport of coffee from milling sites to export facilities, which have limited capacity.” This makes delivery of samples
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harder for both exporters and importers, who have closed their physical offices or labs and have traders working from home. Peter says a mounting concern is a global shortage of shipping containers. The virus originated in China – the world’s largest manufacturer and exporter of goods – shutting down production, leaving many unused shipping containers stuck in the country’s ports. With the extent of the pandemic on farmers hard to predict, Fairtrade has acted to help producers and cooperatives adapt to the situation. On top of the US$1.40 per pound minimum price paid to producers, coffee buyers pay a Fairtrade Premium of 20 US cents per pound, part of which is typically dedicated to yield and quality improvement. Fairtrade has broadened producers’ ability to use the premium to best provide COVID-19 mitigation and other services to the community. “This is supporting farmers with direct cash payments to help them
through this time. A lot of expenses are being incurred, especially in countries that are about to or have already begun their harvest, such as Colombia and Peru,” Peter says. “In both of these countries, producers hired labour to help in their harvest and are now unable to get that product to export. We’re providing them with funds to absorb some of these additional costs while also providing for their families with basic needs like food and shelter.” Many Fairtrade-certified producer groups have also applied the premium to help their local communities. The Amazonas Alto Mayo Producers Association and Cooperativa de Servicios Múltiples Adisa Naranjos in Peru, for instance, have set up food banks and distribution for the most vulnerable members of their communities. Others are doing what they can to help farmers and their families financially and logistically. “A lot of larger cooperatives prefinance their farmers during pre-harvest times and are increasing those payments.
