The coffee industry said it expects to benefit from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement, standing apart from the rest of the agriculture sector, which has raised the loudest objections against the trade deal.

The ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA) already allows all Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) coffees to come in and out freely, Pacita U. Juan, vice-president of the non-profit ASEAN Coffee Federation, said.

“RCEP for coffee adds Japan, Korea, and China (to the mix),” she said in a Feb. 3 Zoom call.

AFTA was a stress test for the coffee industry, Ms. Juan added: “If it were to shake up the coffee industry, it should have shaken it up already.”

RCEP will help farmers if the Philippine coffee industry avoids commodification and works out a way to promote its beans as products with distinctive origins, according to Ariestelo A. Asilo, a social entrepreneur and co-founder of Varacco, Inc., a food and beverage company.

“This free trade agreement will benefit farmers — as long as we strengthen our geographical markers of coffee and rice,” he said, referring to geographical indications (GI) system. “In other countries they have chocolates, ours will be coffee.”

A GI is “an indication that identifies a product as originating in a territory, area, or location, and where a given quality, reputation, or other characteristics of the good are primarily related to its geographical origin and human factors,” according to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines.

The opportunities lie in crop resilience research, Mr. Asilo told BusinessWorld. More can also be done to improve production and post-harvest facilities, he added.

In a February 3 phone call, he said the Philippines produces 60,000 metric tons (MT) of coffee a year, yet demand for the product is 160,000 MT.

Revenue generated by the Philippine coffee industry is projected at $6.70 billion in 2023, according to Statista.

The average volume per person for 2023 is expected to amount to 1.36 kilograms.

Mr. Asilo cited the potential of liberica — known in the Philippines as barako coffee — which is one of the major commercially grown varieties apart from excelsa, robusta, and arabica.

“We have really good coffee. Our (flavor) profile is really good, and we are also one of the few countries that grow all four coffee bean types,” he said.

Opportunities also lie in specialization, Ms. Juan said.

The Philippine Coffee Board, of which Ms. Juan is president and co-chair, has been teaching farmers to process robusta beans into specialty robusta.

“We call it fine robusta. It’s almost like arabica. If you produce 7,000 metric tons and make it fine robusta, you can double the price without doubling production,” she said.

“We try to make small-production specialty coffee, meaning if we produce only 30,000 metric tons, then it might as well be well-priced, (not treated like a) commodity,” Ms. Juan added.

RCEP can help in this department, she said. South Korea, for one, tends to buy low-volume but high-value coffee.

“We’ve managed to create a specialty coffee image for the country. RCEP will allow us to export this to high-end buyers such as Korea and Japan,” Ms. Juan said.

Ms. Juan acknowledged that the rest of the farm industry is in a different situation in the RCEP debate.

“Coffee is a different product. We’re blessed that we’re not as perishable as onions and pechay (bok choy),” she said, “but for the ordinary farmer, (it will really be a deluge) of vegetable imports.”

Photo by Freepik

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages globally, sought for its aroma and caffeine content. It is the most widely traded tropical product, and a growing market due to increasing consumption and stronger interest in specialty coffee innovations, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

To cap off their celebration of Coffee Month, The Philippine Coffee Board, Inc., in cooperation with the International Women’s Coffee Alliance Philippines, conducted a webinar entitled “Coffee Farming: We Believe, a testimonial from real coffee farmers who are making change” last October 29, 2022. The speakers in the webinar were all women, and Pacita “Chit” Juan, President and Co-Chair of Philippine Board, Inc. shared, “I don’t know if it’s by conscious choice or just the trend in the Philippines, but when we were getting farmers in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, the names that came up were all women.”

In the thick forests of Mankayan, Benguet, Noemi Dado made use of her great-grandmother’s land to establish Agnep Heritage Farm and grow coffee in 2018. She shared her advocacy of sustainable coffee farming, which her family has thoroughly applied on their farm by growing coffee without cutting trees, producing their own organic fertilizers, and collaborating with indigenous farmers in the area. After four years, in 2020, they successfully harvested their first batch of arabica coffee beans.

Juliet Morales, a coffee farmer from Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya, shared that she started trading coffee in the 1980s, but stopped in 2002 because of low coffee prices. However, in 2015, she realized that she needed to go back to coffee farming and established Bumolo’s Integrated Farm, planting catimor, arabica, and robusta coffee varieties. She shared that she successfully expanded her farm and now has an association of 128 farmers. At the present, the farming cooperative now covers all stages of coffee production, from nursery to post-harvest processing, and even a coffee shop.

In Iloilo, Bibay Bionat, another coffee farmer, shared that her late father was originally into sugar cane farming, but shifted to coffee in 2012 in preparation for the possibility of sugar cane prices going down. They developed their robusta coffee farm, La Granja Cerza Roja, in Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo. She shared that women farmers on their farm are the ones usually tasked with sorting beans because their attention to detail makes them better at doing the job. In a bid to have a more sustainable water source and additional income, her family built a rain catchment facility, where they also cultivate tilapia.

Another coffee farmer, Jocelyn Mamar, shared that she was originally a vendor in a public market before venturing into the coffee business. After selling in a public market for 17 years, Mamar shared that she eventually got interested in planting vegetables and fruits and started off by buying small lots, some of which already had coffee planted on them. Even if she didn’t have a background in coffee farming, her determination to learn through training and seminars, paved the way for her successful John and Marga Nursery Farm, which currently has farms in Luzon (Cavite), Visayas (Bacolod), and Mindanao (Davao del Sur). Though she has a variety of fruits and vegetables, coffee remains her main crop, specifically robusta and liberica.

Maria Teofannie Tutanes, a coffee farmer in Sultan Kudarat, shared that coffee farming was her family’s livelihood ever since she was born and through it, she and her three siblings were able to finish school. “Coffee is profitable,” she emphasized, just find the right skills related to coffee production, processing, and marketing. Currently, she is the owner of PMTZ Care Marketing and producer of Mnemo Coffee, a popular household coffee brand in Mindanao. In her talk, she also advocated for proper financial management to help coffee farmers and traders to prioritize their spending and save money.

“First, you could start with a small property, or you could have a big property, that doesn’t really matter too much, as long as you can grow coffee. You can grow a lot of varieties, and of course in different elevations, just match the soil and elevation with the variety, that’s possible. And the Philippines, by the way, grows all the major varieties, so that’s not the problem. The third is that[,] it’s never too late to get into coffee…..and there is a network of people willing to train you, to teach you, [and] to share their experiences as we’ve seen here people have learned from each other,” shared Guillermo “Bill” Luz, Trustee in the Philippine Coffee Board, Inc., and co-moderator of the webinar, in his concluding takeaway from the discussions.

The kismet meeting of Pacita Juan, President of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA) in the Philippines, with then IWCA President Phyllis Johnson started the cause of IWCA Philippines “to get more women to access markets and to let women get the full value of their work in coffee.” Juan said, “It has been a good seven years.”

Chapter heads of IWCA

Another fateful meeting right after was with Princess Kumala Sug-Elardo, the chair of a women-led multipurpose cooperative in Panamao, Sulu. Then there was a gathering of several women leaders passionate about coffee—including café owners Lot Manalo-Tan and Reena Francisco, research professional Josephine Ramos, and coffee processor Christine Abellon—that united and formed the IWCA Philippines chapter.

As beautiful as the coffee process is—from sourcing beans to planting to harvesting to roasting—the IWCA story unfolded beautifully to reveal how a single coffee bean can bring women to work together towards one purpose. Women are at their best when they come together. As a team, like clockwork, exhibited their coffee expertise, the “Women in Coffee” (WIC) brand came into fruition. Imagine each woman as a color in an exquisite tapestry, weaving across one another, either supporting or taking the lead. What a vivid and creative picture it brings!

IWCA-Philippines founders

Juan recalled how each one beautifully wove in together: “We met Ross Alonso, a Robusta farmer from Batangas; Noemi Dado and her daughter Marielle, who wanted to plant coffee in Benguet; Imelda Ahalul-Dagus, who started Dennis Coffee Garden in Zamboanga; Gold Quetulio, who would take care of our membership campaign; and many others who signed up because they believed in our advocacy.”

Imelda Ahalul-Dagus

Every year since 2012, Sug-Elardo has promoted during the harvest season the “Pick Red” campaign in Sulu as Juan and Nicky Matti would do the same in Benguet. The years 2014 to 2016 saw the purchase and transport of jute sacks to the Cordilleras. The coffee beans, in all forms such as parchment, green or roasted, were also purchased for the WIC brand. The brands Sulu Royal Coffee of Sug-Elardo and the Commune of Ros Juan were also launched.

The best part was providing jobs for women and encouraging them to participate in the advocacy with their coffee skills and talents. To continue building the women and the coffee culture, IWCA partnered with other agencies and NGOs; ACDI/VOCA, ECHOsi Foundation, and the DA’s Gender and Development (GAD) Office. Together, IWCA and its partners developed trainings under the “Women in Coffee” banner.

IWCA traveled to Davao, Butuan City, Sagada, Sultan Kudarat, Ilocos Sur, Nueva Vizcaya, Cavite, Ifugao, and Kalinga to communicate coffee about, with and through women. There were quality coffee talks from all sectors, from women farmer groups to women cuppers to women tasters.

With the involvement of USAID’s Green Invest in 2018, IWCA has now gained momentum after a decade’s work. IWCA conducted studies for women in the coffee sector in the country and internationally through the International Institute for Environment and Development’s (IIED) commissioning to research and write case studies for journals. IWCA Philippines has grown and extended its reach with esteemed international partners such as the ASEAN Coffee Federation, who opened its conference and exhibition doors for IWCA in Cafe Asia in Singapore (March) and in the THAIFEX in Bankok (May).

Truly, the role that women and coffee continue to play together is this: “The mission is not just to upgrade the quality of coffee, but to use it to uplift the lives of the people in the community.”

written by Ann Kuy

Perfect for the coffee month of October, The Coffee Dinner will be held at Dusit Hotel Manila on October 26, 2018, at 7:00 p.m. It will definitely be a special event, coupled with the awarding of five individuals recognized for their great contributions to the Philippine coffee industry as well as the launching of the PCBI-designed coffee courses to be offered by Dusit Hospitality Management College.

Pegged as the home of International Coffee Organization, London is where coffee ideas continue to brew. The famous London Coffee Dinner has been hosted annually by British Coffee Association (BCA) since its conception in 1955. It is a venue for putting one’s feet up and sipping one’s coffee slowly, so to speak. Dubbed “the voice of United Kingdom coffee,” BCA aims to “foster a favorable environment for all the aspects of the coffee industry and its culture to thrive.” This same objective holds true for PCBI.

Here in Asia, with the Philippines set to be a future coffee hub, PCBI follows suit. Imagine one night of laying aside all agenda to simply get together and enjoy one another’s company with good food and the best local coffee while celebrating the achievements in the Philippine coffee sector.

“Coffee will not just be a commodity to be traded but a drink to be respected as a fuel for growth and progress because of the icons who have brought the industry closer to the coffee drinkers through their brands and through research and continuous innovations.” —Pacita Juan

This is PCBI’s vision for The Coffee Dinner. As host, PCBI, with the mission of unifying the fragmented Philippine coffee industry and transforming it into an engine of economic growth, encourages the next generation of coffee players to pursue unity in and through coffee. This is the goal of The Coffee Dinner: that of enjoining the consumers, buyers, and institutions to unite in the interest of keeping Philippine coffee in everyone’s consciousness, beyond summits and conferences. An awarding ceremony will also be held during the dinner, acknowledging the commitment and diligent work of veteran Philippine coffee players. All Philippine coffee aficionados are very much welcome!

It is hoped that with the active participation of more people—from farmers to investors, processors, and others—in The Coffee Dinner, it will eventually become an avenue for the improvement of coffee production in the country, and will boost the industry’s sustainability. As more coffee-centric stakeholders and players join hands for Philippine coffee, the future will indeed look a lot brighter. Philippine coffee will progress and will continue to make its mark as a sought-after world-class brew.

As perfectly put into words by Juan, “Coffee will not just be a commodity to be traded but a drink to be respected as a fuel for growth and progress because of the icons who have brought the industry closer to the coffee drinkers through their brands and through research and continuous innovations.”

It will be a dream come true to see all Philippine coffee lovers in unity, with one passion and vision: seeing Philippine coffee top the charts.

This article was first published in The Ultimate Coffee Guide Volume XI, Issue 2, 2018. 

“There is value in being part of IWCA PH,” Juan continued. “This is for women, not just in the coffee farms but for women throughout the supply chain. So we also engage processors, roasters and cafe owners who are all women.”

Imelda Dagus of Dennis Coffee Garden―an IWCA PH member since 2013―wholeheartedly agrees with Juan’s vision for IWCA PH. She said, “It has given me inspiration, having met different women who have been successful in the coffee business, be it in retail or roasting. You can easily network with women in the same industry who can help you build your business.”

Imelda Dagus (Photo by Keith Dador)

Apart from the seminars that IWCA PH provides, Dagus is thankful for the connections she has made with the suppliers. Finding suppliers for the many things you need in a big cafe is a challenge as well,” she said. Through the networking opportunities IWCA PH has presented to her, Dagus continues with her mission of “preserving the coffee culture of the Tausug people, and sharing it with the rest of the world.”

For Commune‘s Ros Juan, IWCA PH made her coffee world bigger when she learned about women in big producing countries and meeting women from different parts of the coffee supply chain.

Coffee at Commune (Photo by Ricky Ladia)

She also found inspiration with fellow IWCA-PH member Princess Kumalah Sug Elardo and what she has achieved in her community by “not just uplifting lives of people in her community, but bringing peace.

” The mission is not just to upgrade the quality of coffee, but to use it to uplift the lives of the people in the community.

Sulu Royal Coffee of Princess Kumala (Photo by Keith Dador)

IWCA PH has been actively conducting seminars to support farmers, women leaders, and organizations to access new technologies in coffee and new ways of marketing coffee.

Princess Kumala (Photo by Keith Dador)

IWCA PH’s “Women in Coffee” seminar held in Davao last year tackled a variety of topics such as “Quality Coffee, Empowering Women Through Quality” under Princess Kumala, Programs on Gender discussed by ACDI/VOCA, “An Introduction to Markets” with Ros Juan, as well as “Technical Sessions on Processing and Cupping” with Jennifer Rimando.

“IWCA PH invites women in the coffee sector to become members, so their coffee can not only be sold here, but exported also,” Pacita Juan stated. “That’s why there is something we call women in coffee. Having women in coffee spells the difference in harvesting, sorting, and processing coffee.”

For more information about IWCA PH activities and membership, follow IWCA Philippines Women in Coffee on Facebook.
Email: iwcaphils@gmail.com
Mobile: (0917) 800-1899
www.womenincoffee.org

(article by Marilen Fontanilla)

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
The Department of Agriculture (DA) worked with PCBI on the Pilipinas Gising at Magkape (PGAM) Program from 2008 to 2010. That resulted in over 1,300 farmer groups getting organic fertilizers and rehabilitating their farms for better yields. Today, we see the program come full circle with our partners harvesting higher yields per tree than before.

DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) also supported the promotions program even beyond PGAM. They invited PCBI directors Emmanuel Torrejon and Pacita Juan to Kalinga in 2011, to conduct an introductory course in cupping coffee. Torrejon and Juan alsochecked the local facilities available, such as roasters and pulpers.

DTI under the helm of cluster head Myrna Pablo invited Juan and Chair Nicholas Matti to their Strategic Planning sessions in 2014 and 2015. The aim was to replicate PCBI’s Pick Red Campaign, allowing DTI to use it as a general campaign to encourage better quality harvests of coffee, whether the farmers roasted them or not. DTI also sent representatives to the Coffee Origins exhibits in Makati and Davao regularly until 2016.

LAND BANK OF THE PHILIPPINES
The Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) also supported PCBI by allowing the 6th National Coffee Summit to be held at the LBP Headquarters, to accommodate a bigger crowd. LBP also created a bank product called Coffee 100, to encourage cooperatives and use LBP facilities for loans and other credit instruments. LBP also supported PCBI through promotions in media such as radio programs and magazine articles.

PEACE AND EQUITY FOUNDATION
The partnership between PCBI and Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF) started sometime in 2013, coinciding with PEF’s decision to support coffee as one of the C-5 agricultural commodity crops nationwide. PCBI’s strong advocacy for coffee was a perfect fit for PEF’s thrust to help benefit farmers.

According to PEF senior portfolio officer Bong Soto, “Coffee is a prime commodity crop which brings good profit to the farmers as long as the role of the traders in marketing is controlled, that is, they are not the only ones profiting from the trade. PCBI is a group of business people who believe in this principle, as well as promoters of our homegrown coffee as one of the best worldwide.” Soto affirms that PEF will continue to be a major supporter of PCBI’s annual National Coffee Summit, with the valuable experience that can be shared by its members.

“There are a lot of marketing experts within PCBI, and we hope that PCBI people will share this with the coffee growers as they develop their enterprise for the benefit of the coffee farmers.”

The Ultimate Coffee Guide raises a cup to salute these women and their achievements.