Belco Sourcing 2017 - Work hand in hand with our producers

It has been one year since we first launched our quality consulting/auditing project in Ethiopia and Cameroon.  We have now assisted over 700 people in more than 10 coffee producing countries among coffee growers, cooperatives, mills and exporters, who are now more skilled to produced better coffees. For many of them, receiving technical remarks and feedback, as well as attending a personalized coffee training course in quality, have been new experiences; some others have expressed having only a basic idea of some issues, yet not as specific and easily assimilated knowledge as the one shared by us. This 2017 was not the exceptionto this knowledge sharing. Our schedule was full of visits to several of our coffee suppliers in Africa, Latin America and The Caribbean, all urious and attracted by this new concept, which has allowed us to:

• Let them know our parameters by adapting them to current production systems and processes to guarantee consistent high quality and traceability
• Know their efforts made and difficulties they face to supply us their coffees year to year
• Track problems down by identifying their origin and causes

Belco team was on Tatmara plantation, Jacque, Shambé and Marjorie met several coffee producers and pickers.

• Give our suppliers technical recommendations to prevent and help solve such problems, if found, and follow up their improvements
• Improve coffee facilities
• Share coffee expertise

  In Panama at Jurutungo, during coffee harvest, Marjorie has been working closely with farmers in improving coffee quality

Coffee is a constant learning cycle. Although we have focused our attention on the implementation of good agricultural practices, post-harvest management, better-controlled processes and drying, our efforts have been also addressed to promote the responsible use of resources such as water and wood, as well as enhancing the importance of biodiversity to guarantee high quality and yields, particularly in Ethiopia, with Jacques and his work team. Furthermore, we have encouraged some growers to look for organic alternatives to reduce and/or manage agrochemical products responsibly.

Marjorie teach to coffee farmers how to improve quality in their farms with in the fields and with the washing and drying process.

Why invest our efforts and time in the field?

Belco aims to create close long-term relationships with growers and yourselves, our clients; We demand, therefore, excellent coffees. We are pioneers in developing such an educational concept and there is no better way than discovering what happens to our beans from their production to their distribution by Belco, especially when quality starts to be inconsistent.

Work on traceability and improvment of drying process on African beds

"I personally believe that achieving small changes may take a long time and is always challenging; yet we have already started by making a huge difference." Marjorie Canjura

Working together places us in their priority line to take special care of and pay attention of our cherries in the beginning, and our beans in the end. In this way, traceability and quality increase.