
The
Colombian Coffee Federation is not owned by the government
or in the hands of a few wealthy landowners. It isn’t an “international”
organization. It isn’t a political organization, either, but a
commercial organization. The Colombian Coffee Federation
is a cooperative, owned by over 500,000 cafeteros, or coffee farmers
from Colombia.
The Colombian Coffee
Federations serves various purposes.
It inspects and insures that all coffee exported with the Juan Valdez ®
label is 100% Colombian coffee and not a mixed bag of beans from various
coffee trees. This has, then, given Colombian coffee farmers a better
market value and bottom line price. The high quality coffee and reputation
help insure the well being of the Colombian cafeteros. Colombian coffee
is in demand.
The
Federation insures that all profits will go back to the cafeteros in
Colombia – the coffee farmers themselves. Some of these farmers
work on less than 5 acres of land of coffee, so it’s important
that the smallest farm is treated just as fairly as the biggest farm.
The
Federation is also a kind of insurance for the coffee farmer. In times
of surplus, the Federation will always purchase the farmer’s coffee.
For instance, in the early 1990s when the market price of coffee plummeted,
the Federation saved thousands of coffee farms and covered a $1.5 billion
dollar deficit. The farmer doesn’t have to sell to the Federation,
though, and is under no legal obligation to do so. There are many other
coffee traders working within Colombia. The Federation, by no means,
has created a monopoly on coffee exports from Colombia. The open market
works to inspire and motivate the Federation to work its best. The Federation
is a great backup and insurance for cafeteros.
The
Federation is involved in education on all levels from building schools
in small communities to training agricultural advisors. The Federation
runs agricultural colleges and leads the world in R & D for coffee
where over 100 scientists and chemists work. These scientists work to
find more ecologically safe products, better beans, and ways to improve
both growth and production of the coffee trees.
The
Federation has started to educate cafeteros so they diversify their
crops, encouraging cafeteros to not count exclusively on revenue from
their coffee plantations.
The
Federation promotes Colombian coffee around the world – through
television, print, and radio ads. The Federation even had a spot in
the 2002 Jim Carey movie, Bruce Almighty. The latest Federation promotion
is opening a chain of Juan Valdez ® coffee houses throughout the world.
Again, all coffee sold with the Juan Valdez ® label comes exclusively
from 100% Colombian coffee, from Colombian cafeteros. The money made
is pumped back into the Colombian economy, bettering Colombian communities,
schools, and lives.
