Expanding Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee in the EU

7. Getting Serious About Supply

Expanding Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee in the EU Windward Commodities 30th June 2022

So far so good, but varietal and process innovation, quality management, Geographical Indicators, and EU expansion is futile without a motivated and growing farmer base. The perception from most buyers is that the JBM supply chain is relatively opaque, and that more information is needed to meet buying criteria and present JBM in a more detailed way to customers. This must include transparency on Farm Gate Pricing that delivers a living wage to farmers, traceability in terms of when the crop was harvested, how it was processed, when it was shipped and how it has been stored, a demonstration that gender issues are being addressed and that sustainability, rather than formal certification except for the very largest buyers, is measured. 7.1. An Industry in Decline The challenges facing the supply of coffee in Jamaica are well documented. The largest concern is the decline in smallholder farmers, yields and production volumes due to unprofitable farms and climate change pressures. Smallholders produce 85% Jamaica’s coffee crop, yet smallholder numbers have decreased from 15,000 to approximately 4,518 registered coffee farmers across the island, including 1,215 women in the last 20 years. There’s also no succession plan. The average age of smallholder farmers is over 55 (60 for women surveyed), and there is little incentive for youth to enter the business of farming. Inequalities for women are well known, and over 52% would discourage their children from entering coffee farming. Market strategies are irrelevant if smallholder pricing, yields and motivation are not addressed. This overall picture is illustrated in the FAO graph below, showing that, average real cost of production has remained reasonably flat over the last 17 years but that farmers only made a profit in one of these:

Time to Wake Up and ‘Cup’ the Coffee | 39