Redistributing wealth in the coffee value chain

25-11-2021

Written by Freek Braaksma, business advisor Peru

This year, Agriterra Latin America and the Caribbean is fully dedicated to the Agridigitalization project, in which we seek to link 86 producer organisations in 5 countries to digital tools and platforms on digital financial services, technical assistance and e-commerce to improve access to finance and markets, as a response to COVID. This project is implemented together with Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura (IICA), Agros International and The Foundation for Rural Business Development (FUNDER) and is funded by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Workshop

In the mark of this project, 18 and 19 November, Agriterra organised a workshop ECommerce for Cooperativa La Prosperidad de Chirinos. While this cooperative has an impressive commercial and institutional track record and provides great quality fresh beans to renown importers and roasters, in the (digital) markets for their own in-house roasted coffee, there is still room for growth.

The workshop not only provided valuable insights on E-Commerce like trends and statistics before and after COVID, the different platforms out there and the change in buying processes and preferences, but we also defined concrete steps to start marketing the cooperatives’ own coffee product line on digital (national and international) platforms, like warehousing and distribution with partners in Lima.

Collaboration with Moyee Coffee

As icing on the cake, during a session with representatives from the cooperative, Agriterra and the Dutch Embassy, the cooperatives’ first collaboration with Moyee Coffee was formalised. Moyee is on a mission to redistribute value in the coffee chain by outsourcing roasting and packing to its suppliers in origin. That’s how producers and cooperatives in origin can claim back their righteous position as equal business and supply chain partners. What’s more, Chirinos will be producing coffee for Moyee’s Microlot line for a quality premium to add even more value.

Through this collaboration, La Prosperidad de Chirinos can showcase the world the possibilities and unique flavors of its members coffee and get recognition of the hard work and passion that their producers bring in every day again. Aside from the direct positive impact, the exchange with the quality team of Moyee and having their product tested and validated by a demanding European market will open up many other possibilities with new clients!