Rock Bottom?
In February 2019, Alliance for Coffee Excellence announced the cancellation of the Cup of Excellence 2019 in Nicaragua. The Cup of Excellence encourages producers to focus on quality and helps them earn more money through an international digital auction. In addition, it helps the international market have access to the best coffees from Nicaragua. The friendly competition leaves producers continuously innovating and seeking ways to improve the quality of their coffee. Some producers use the Cup of Excellence auction to gauge and set their price, but this year there was no place to start the conversation. The political instability within Nicaragua has scared many buyers away from the country and they are hesitant to do business. This is leaving 40,000 coffee farming families at risk of a surplus of coffee, with no market to sell it to. A surplus will drive the coffee price down creating a more unsustainable market. In many cases, it is more feasible to have the coffee cherries rot on the plant, rather than pick, process and sell. Nicaraguan coffee producers need access to capital or the country will suffer a greater economic setback.
Excerpt from: Roaster's Edition Vol. 1, page 6
Written by: Ryan Sull, La Finca Distribution Corp.