Colombia – USAID Specialty Coffee Program
Helping Colombian Farmers Grow Better Coffee, Use Greener Methods & Earn More Money
Continuing its record of achievement for Colombian coffee farmers, ACDI/VOCA implements the 3-year, $5.8 million USAID Specialty Coffee Program. It is designed to develop networks of Colombian and international partners to enhance collaboration and leverage resources from public-private partnerships to strengthen the specialty coffee value chain and increase smallholder farmer incomes.
ACDI/VOCA also will continue to strengthen the competitiveness of Colombian specialty coffees in the international market.
This project builds on ACDI/VOCA’s 2002-2007 Specialty Coffee Program, which was remarkably successful in providing smallholder Colombian coffee farmers with the skills and capacities needed to improve coffee quality, increase incomes and connect to high-value markets.
The current project represents the final stage in USAID’s contribution to improving all aspects of the Colombian specialty coffee sector. The term specialty coffee designates high-quality coffee that has a distinctive flavor profile. Such coffee is a valuable crop that merits special cultivation, processing and handling.
The Specialty Coffee Program provides assistance at key points along the specialty coffee value chain, focusing in particular on strengthening institutions that participate in market activities and supporting coffee growers through their local organizations.
ACDI/VOCA helps institutions upgrade capacity, carry out structural improvements and introduce sustainability in their routine activities. The program helps producers improve their income and sustainability through training in product quality maximization, productivity enhancement and commercialization techniques.
The program’s main objectives
- increase competitiveness of Colombian specialty coffee
- develop sustainability as defined in environmental, social and economic terms
- assist and strengthen Colombian institutions
As of December 2009, the program had strengthened 115 buying points through technical assistance and upgraded equipment and/or personnel. Cupping training and contests, involving international coffee roasters and buyers, have been an effective feature of the program.
Over 1.6 million additional bags of specialty coffee over the 2006 level were exported. Producer incomes have increased on average 19.5 percent, and 17,167 families have benefitted from the assistance provided through this program
For more information, contact Nicole Chao-Villegas at nchao-villegas@acdivoca.org.
Updated: 2/10
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