Page 16 - APPD_SB_Mar_April'24(10Apr24)_Lucid
P. 16
Sustainability
ICAFE Cafeology
The Coffee Institute of Costa Rica
There are 26,000 producers, 290 Farmers are taught the
mills, and 90 exporters (some do just importance of cupping, so they
one, others two or all three) with 5 or know how their coffee tastes, to
6 exporters exporting 75% of the help improve the quality of their
coffee produced nationwide. Around product. Farms must be agroforest
92% of producers are small-scale (<2 ecosystems that are majority
hectares) so they deliver their coffee shade-grown to reduce the need
in fruit to a mill. for herbicides etc..
The miller will process the coffee Millers must abide by laws
and sell it to an exporter at the best governing usage, treatment and
possible price. These transactions are purification of water. All coffee
set out in a contract which must be must be produced with respects to
approved by ICAFE. At the end of the human rights (including child
harvest, ICAFE informs the mill of labour laws).
their final average sale price. By law, Exporters are required to put
the exporter and miller have a right various safety measures in place
to keep a percentage of the profit when moving coffee in containers.
and an amount to cover expenses – All coffee exported must also be
the rest must go back to the checked that it is indeed 100%
producer (aka the final liquidation).
genetically Costa Rican.
Thus, a producer, with no knowledge
of the global commodity market, can The list goes on but the result is
rest assured that they are receiving quality coffee without exploitation,
the best price for their hard work. produced in harmony with nature,
Exporters can earn a maximum of 2- and sold at a relatively higher
5% whereas millers earn 9% of the price because it is worth that
total value. On the other hand, price.
producers earn 80% which is the
largest percentage that a coffee
producer earns anywhere in the
world.
Sustainable coffee must balance
environmental, social, and economic
issues. ICAFE ensures that research
and development carried out by one MARCH/APRIL. 2024 | ISSUE 35
farmer, miller, or exporter is shared
with all. Therefore, everyone has
access to cutting-edge research.
www.beveragestandardsassociation.co.uk
