AFCA and Pre-harvest Report

What do farmers have to say? 

When you think of JNP Coffee, you probably don't think of Tanzania, but that’s where founder Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian spoke recently to discuss the work JNP Coffee is undertaking directly with farmers. 

Held in Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania, the African Fine Coffees Association (AFCA) conference hosted a Spirit of Coffee African Farmer Day on February 26, when Niyonzima-Aroian presented as a Buyer Archetype to a room filled with coffee producers. On February 28, she served as a panelist for the Committee on Sustainability Assessment (COSA)’s Agile Data in Action conversation. 

What is a buyer archetype?

For Niyonzima-Aroian, her buyer archetype is the spirit of her company. JNP Coffee is a direct trade company with the belief that “We are here to make a difference and to experience joy in the process.” 

She told the farmers gathered in Ruaha Hall that JNP Coffee seeks to partner with farmers committed to the highest quality standards, transparency and sustainability in their cultivation and processing techniques, education, and gender equity to enable the empowerment of women farmers.

She then sat at tables with several farmers to discuss ideal supplier relationships, sourcing challenges and her perspective on the future of East African coffee. In a second round, farmers and representatives of cooperatives pitched their organizations to Niyonzima-Aroian and four other buyers.

"Spirit of Coffee African Farmer Day spoke directly to our values, because at the core of what we do are the coffee farmers and producers. I always find it so rewarding to speak with coffee producers face to face," Niyonzima-Aroian said. "It's important to listen to the farmers, learn what challenges they have and where their attention is focused.

“This helps me coach them on how they can better present what's distinctive about their coffee and to help them understand what coffee buyers are looking for,” she said, adding, “I was pleased to see how well prepared they were for their pitches."

Deep Data Dive Key to Sustainable Coffee Production

Two days later, the conference’s conversation shifted to the value of real-time data to coffee production, using a new agile approach with COSA to collect data directly from Burundi farmers and share those results for immediate impact.

After a brief demonstration of how the collection process worked through the Farmer App, the Agile Data in Action panel featured a discussion of what agile data is, how it differs from traditional data collection, and how it operates in the field. 

Niyonzima-Aroian spoke about why JNP Coffee chose to participate in this pilot project and what she has learned so far. "I chose to partner in this project because the information we receive can not only help us identify improvements for the farmers today but also develop best practices by region that can benefit all farmers in the future."

Some of the initial findings are fundamental to field research. Enabling on-demand information collection and reporting through the Farmer App required the distribution of cell phones, the power (solar) to charge them, access to the internet (through a satellite connection), training on how to use the app, and then visiting the farms for regular check-ins and to report back to farmers what COSA research staff are finding. 

A form of “data democracy,” the Agile Data in Action program will soon begin sharing new findings with the coffee producers, so they can tweak aspects of their cultivation to maximize healthy plants in the face of looming climate change. 

Ultimately, the pilot program’s results should offer a clearer picture of the true costs of production for coffee farmers and track their sales to determine whether they can generate a living income from coffee.

“This will be especially important information,” said Niyonzima-Aroian, “as we watch the C market prices fluctuate wildly at levels we haven’t seen before.”

The program got underway a few months later than anticipated, so the field survey project has been extended into the next harvest season.

The AFCA conference concluded with the “Sustainability Unplugged” program where experts discussed responses to achieve compliance with new EUDR regulations to combat deforestation.

Early harvest surprises some 

After the AFCA conference, Niyonzima-Aroian returned to Burundi, learning that this year's harvest has begun earlier than expected in certain micro-regions. Some wet mill owners were surprised when farmers arrived with their cherries in late March. 

JNP Coffee’s staff on site at coffee plantations tell Niyonzima-Aroian that quality looks good, and they are excited to see how the crop cups.

Volume is projected to be similar to last year’s smaller harvest levels, prompting many companies to lock in contracts early. If you haven’t placed an order with JNP Coffee yet, Niyonzima-Aroian advised, time is of the essence.

Soaring C market prices are driving changes in the coffee industry significantly, creating a gap with contracts set last year. All coffee traders are struggling to adapt to the shifting economic pressures, as roasters juggle to share price increases with consumers.

As coffee industry players gathered at the AFCA conference agreed, these challenging times require a combination of creativity and courage. Niyonzima-Aroian concluded with her own assessment: “Resilience is the word of the day.”