The Philippine Coffee Board, Inc. (PCBI) and ECHOsi Foundation, with Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), is part of the Great Women Project 2. The groups have been conducting training sessions for women in the coffee value chain since October 2017.

Training in Davao (October 2017)

Training in Butuan (November 2017)

The call is for quality coffee production by gathering women coffee producers and training them to know what it takes to make good coffee even better.

PARTNERS IN TRAINING
There are a lot of partners who have been involved in making these trainings a reality. The Department of Agriculture (DA) Gender and Development (GAD) central office, headed by Jojo Badiola and Lorna Villegas, rounded up women farmers in every region and around the areas where the trainings were held.

The third of a series conducted in Sagada, Mountain Province, had around 40 attendees who participated in cupping or tasting coffee along with Coffee Q grader Jennifer Rimando who hails from the area. Rimando also did the first two sessions in Davao City and Butuan City late last year.

Training in Sagada (January 2018)

Rimando reminded the farmers that “after harvesting is when the tedious work starts.” In English and native Ilocano, the women shared their experiences with the time it takes to make good coffee. A group from Tuba, Benguet chimmed in, “That’s how we won the Kape Pilipino, or at least placed in the top ten.” Shirley Palao-Ay proudly showed off a copy of The Ultimate Coffee Guide produced by PCBI, where winners’ names were published.

The other few gentlemen in the group were from another cooperator, Peace and Equity Foundation Inc. (PEF). Their work in coffee has been largely in the Cordillera region, by encouraging social enterprises to borrow or co-invest in PEF in developing their coffee businesses.

THE POWER OF CONVERGENCE
“It’s about convergence,” Juan exclaimed. “ECHOsi cannot do it alone. We have experts and experienced operators who are members of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA-Ph), PCBI, PEF, DA-GAD, Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), and sometimes the local government also pitches in,” she continued.

Through PCBI, Great Women Project 2 found a good product in coffee. It is something that women can relate to and where they can play important roles in the industry. “Women make better tasters as biologically they have more sensory glands than males,” Juan said.

Meanwhile, Ros Juan, owner of Commune Café in Makati and IWCA-Ph member also told the farmers what roasters look for in coffee. “We need to see the green beans with the right moisture and almost zero defects,” she stated. The younger Juan has been buying local coffee for five years, when she started her café.

“Through these sessions I am able to meet the farmer directly and I am able to tell them what I need,” Ros continued. The quality of the meager amount she has been getting from Benguet has improved after the visits she and PCBI made to the community. “They even put their names on the coffee bags because they are proud of the sorting they did,” she added.

THE IMPORTANCE OF COFFEE TRAINING
What is the significance of coffee training? The country imports most of what the country consumes. There is a lack in production and with the little amount produced, quality has to be improved so farmers can get better prices. Palao-ay can now sell her ranked coffee from P400 per kilo, up from P250 pero kilo a few years ago. “The KP winning made my coffee more premium,” Palao-ay recalled.

As the Philippines only produces 35,000 metric tons and consumption or demand is 135,000 metric tons, there’s a lot of room for women to sort their coffees, taste them, and sell them at a premium. PCBI and ECHOsi, through Great Women 2, are helping these women find their specialty markets.

The next session happening in early March will be in Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat in cooperation again with DA-GAD, PEF, IWCA-Ph, and PCBI’s staunch partners, ACDI/VOCA and USDA.

What about Regions 1 and 2? “We’re going there and this time, not only with women but with men as well,” Chit Juan smiled as she gathered her coffee kits for the next event.

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

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Robert Francisco joined PCBI as its technical consultant in February 2017, to help set up the Coffee Quality Center at Cavite State University for the first Kape Pilipino Green Coffee Quality Competition. Since then he has been busy as its executive director, implementing programs to improve the coffee industry. He received his Q-grader certification in 2015 and has been using his cupping expertise to further improve coffee quality in the country.

COFFEE CUPPING FOR COFFEE PRODUCTIVITY
“Cupping the coffee is evaluating the product in a brew. Knowing the product and the brew will will tell you if the right notes will come out. Cupping will tell how processing was done. Cupping will tell how processing was done. Cupping is very important for both post-processing and post-harvest, to improve quality by changing processing or identifying where the bean is best for.”

“Learn how to cup to understand coffee.” (Robert Francisco, Executive Director, PCBI)

COFFEE QUALITY
“As a philosophy, coffee stakeholders have to know their product. Whether they are certified or not, farmers, cooperative owners and traders should learn to cup and evaluate the coffee they are buying. When standards are elevated, they will no longer buy low-grade coffee. If farmers want to sell, they need to elevate standards.”

OPPORTUNITIES
“The potential quality of coffee in our farms can be competitive with the global standards for quality coffee. Two things can happen: quality improves or quantity increases. If both come about, we can satisfy local consumption and exceed quality standards. If the demand is there, production will continue.”

WHAT’S BREWING?
“I currently see an aggressive trend that has been slowly brewing. And this was seen in Kape Pilipino competition, where the farmers were processing their beans to meet third wave standards. This is a high level of quality, with more scientific techniques being used to come up with beautiful coffee. More local cafés are buying local coffee because of the quality.”

Part of Bohol Coffee and Cacao Growers Association’s mission and vision is support for the children of poor coffee and cacao farmers with a full scholarship in Agriculture Technology. Ed Luardo explains, “We harness the youth by training them as coffee and cacao technicians and agri-entrepreneurs”.

After retiring in 2009, John Edgar Luardo took over the agricultural property left by his parents in Bohol. His quest for a crop that would fit into the non-irrigated farm areas led to coffee. Further collaborations with fellow coffee farmers resulted in the construction of the Coffee and Cacao Training School with its own nursery in Carmen, Bohol. His involvement eventually led to the creation of the Bohol Coffee and Cacao Growers Marketing (BCCGMC), with the help of PCBI and Agricultural Training Institute.

COOPERATIVES FOR COFFEE PRODUCTIVITY
“The first coffee farmers to establish their farms were Dr. Fe Miñoza and Atty. Dionisio Balite. From then our group multiplied exponentially. Currently we have coffee farms in Carmen, Batuan, Bilar, Catigbian, Danao, San Miguel, Dagohoy, Mabini, Ubay, Anda, Talibon, Sierra Bulliones, Guindulman, Pilar and Duero. Coffee production in Bohol has multiplied despite the warthquakes. At least five to seven municipalities in the different districts of Bohol can claim that they have coffee farms already.”

COFFEE EQUALITY
“Through the Pick Red campaign of PCBI, the quality of coffee has improved tremendously. Imposing penalties made on green coffee cherries given to farmers was a bitter pill to swallow. Traders and buyers have to teach the farmers basic quality control, so they can obtain optimum prices for their coffee cherries. Buying fresh berries makes the farmers aware of what the buyer and trader want when they sell their coffee.”

CHALLENGES
“There is a need to create coffee quality technicians. Intensive training of a corps of coffee technicians should be emphasized by related government agencies. Creativity and innovation are needed to identify lucrative markets for the coffee farmers. Processing techniques, packaging, and marketing up the value chain must understood by the coffee farmer organization.

WHAT’S BREWING?
“Much of the varieties planted in Bohol is Robusta. With the help of PCBI, we were able to obtain planting materials of Arabica from Cordillera, Liberica from Joel Lumagbas and Dr. Mojica, and Excelsa from a Batangueño friend. Now we have our four coffee varieties and eventually will be making our very own Bohol Blend coffee, with a highland blend and a coastal blend soon.

“We have our own stories to share. Although these might not attract much attention, we take pride in the improvements that we have accomplished in our Bohol coffee industry.” (John Edgar Luardo, farmer and entrepreneur, Bohol Coffee and Cacao Growers Marketing Cooperative)

Commune started in 2013 as one of the first few independent, third-wave cafés in Manila. Commune still remains proudly Filipino, from its coffee to its menu. Commune serves only 100% Philippine coffee from various farms in the country.

CAFÉS FOR COFFEE PRODUCTIVITY
“When Commune started in 2013, people were asking me why I served only Philippine coffee. I was on a quest to prove that if you knew where to look and if you worked with the farmers to improve the quality of their coffee, you will be amazed by Philippine coffee.”

COFFEE QUALITY
“I see a lot of work ahead of us but I see a lot of hope. Now that the demand for quality coffee is increasing, farmers are also more interested to know what coffee quality is all about. Now, it’s time to level up and work on the quality of the coffee they grow. The demand for quality coffee will definitely serve as an inspiration and motivation for our farmers.”

WHAT’S BREWING?
“We started with retail and focused on the quality of he beverages we produce. We’ve begun roasting our own beans, and we look forward to working closely with the farmers to further improve the quality of the coffee that we source.”

“Enhancing productivity ultimately benefits the farmers because they reap the economic benefits of a superior product.” (Rosario Juan, Chief Extractor of Coffee, Commune Café)

Bea Belardo of Belardo Coffee Enterprises takes pride in the family-owned business that was established when the Philippines became one of the top coffee exporters in the ’80s.

COFFEE TRADING FOR COFFEE PRODUCTIVITY
“The demand for local coffee is still high. Traders help roasters with their supply. As a roaster ourselves, we’ve felt that in the lean season, it will be really hard to source coffee, especially if we haven’t forcasted the demand properly. There are a lot of initiatives now in reviving the coffee industry within the country, and it’s good to know that farmers are working together with these organizations, to up their harvest and quality as well.”

COFFEE QUALITY
“I think productivity and quality should go hand in hand. If we want coffee that has good quality, we should make it known that it’s labor intensive to reach a certain point or grade.”

“Coffee will have premium quality for a premium price.” (Bea Belardo, coffee trader, Belardo Coffee Enterprises and Café Belardo)

OPPORTUNITIES
“I think with extensive education that focuses on producing a potential player for the specialty market, Robusta will not be seen as the inferior variety and a low-cost crop.”

WHAT’S BREWING?
“In 2016, we experimented with producing honey-processed Robusta, which ended up as our entry in the first Kape Pilipino Green Coffee Quality Grading Competition. We were surprised that it gained a score of above 80. It was labor-intensive and took a lot of care for the post-harvest. It’s a good sign that they are making a lot of effort in producing good quality coffee.”

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