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USAID, GRF and PCBI Assist IP Coffee Farmers in Bukidnon

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Gerry Roxas Foundation (GRF), together with the Philippine Coffee Board, Inc. (PBCI), recently conducted a training of trainers program on coffee production, from farming to post-harvest processing, intended to standardize local practices among Indigenous Peoples organizations (IPOs) in Mt. Kalatungan, Bukidnon.

The 3-day capacity-building activity deepened the participants’ knowledge and appreciation of locally grown coffee, and is expected to ease their shift into organic coffee production. Participants of the training belong to IPOs who are conservation partners of Xavier Science Foundation, Inc. (XSF), under USAID and GRF’s Investing in Sustainability and Partnerships for Inclusive Growth and Regenerative Ecosystems (INSPIRE) Project, namely: Nagkahiusang Manobong Manununod sa Yutang Kabilin (NAMAMAYUK) Inc., Catal Lumad Development Association (CALUDA), and Manggayahay Talaandig Tribal Association (MANTALA), Inc. Enterprising members of each IPO, including the datus,
elders and young coffee farmers, traveled to Valencia City and Pangantucan, Bukidnon, visiting the coffee farms and their respective tribal halls, to learn about coffee farming and sustainable agriculture.

The participants benefited from lectures and hands-on demonstrations by directors and members of the Philippine Coffee Board, the private sector-led non-profit organization formed in 2002 to champion the growth and sustainability of the Philippine coffee industry. Dr. Alejandro Mojica, an agriculturist and researcher by profession, taught the participants the basics of coffee farming, coffee farm maintenance, and nursery establishment. He listened to the stories of the participants and gave expert technical advice based on his decades of experience. The participants also attended workshops that helped them assess how they can improve their farms and apply their newfound knowledge. Farm owners and entrepreneurs Mr. Jose Mamar and Ms. Olive Puentespina introduced organic farming, the rationale behind the farming practice, and how the participants can easily adopt organic methods. The two practitioners demonstrated how to make compost, utilize biofertilizer, and prune trees to encourage growth and increase coffee yield. During the farm visits, the experts also took the opportunity to check the processing areas, and assess samples of green coffee beans, suggesting improvements to the IPO farms.

Certified Q grader and cafe owner Anatista Perez, skilled in the sensory evaluation of green coffee, explained the benefits of bean sorting and coffee cupping. For many of the participants, it was the first time they learned that green coffee beans could be evaluated based on different types of defects, and how to identify mutations such as a “peaberry.” As part of the demonstration, the participants were also asked to assess the taste of brewed coffee from so-called “reject beans” in comparison with coffee from well-sorted beans. To increase their appreciation, the participants also learned the harmful effects associated with unsorted coffee beans, and the healthful benefits of sorted and properly prepared
coffee.

To add further value, PCBI President and social entrepreneur Ms. Chit Juan spoke about maximizing the appeal of coffee through marketing, underscoring the Indigenous peoples’ pride of place and stewardship of the environment, among other distinguishing characteristics that they can leverage to truthfully and compellingly market their brand to discerning coffee consumers. She explained how traceability can be a mark of quality, while also familiarizing the consumer with the coffee’s origins in Mt. Kalatungan so they’re able to connect with the brand story and the farmers behind it.

The activity became a learning exchange for the participants and the lecturers. The lecturers learned about the cultural traditions of the Indigenous communities, and gave gifts such as coffee sorting guides and samples of their own green coffee beans. Each sharing session and practical demo, meanwhile, inspired the participants to continue what they are doing right in their farms and implement what they can improve from seed to shelf.

Together, USAID, GRF, XSF, and PCBI will continue to support and monitor the progress of the participants in further developing coffee from Mt. Kalatungan. With the projected added value brought by organic coffee production, the IPOs can continue their stewardship of the environment within their ancestral domains while sustaining their indigenous knowledge, skills and practices, and―at least from an economic standpoint―adding to their quality of life.

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