Earlier this year we launched the Crecer Program coffees, coffees that are part of Racafe’s grass-roots sustainability program. All these coffees are sourced from our partners Racafe in Colombia. If this is your first time hearing about Crecer, read the article linked here first.
The program identifies areas of need and improvement for individual farmers to help them become more sustainable, socially, environmentally and economically. To do this, it supports them in coming up with a long-term plan to make sustainable changes on their farm. However, some of the needs identified require funding, which is where the DRW Crecer Fund comes in.
We created the Fund at the end of 2023, off the back of the excellent work that Racafe are doing, we felt passionately that the work they’re doing is invaluable and important and we wanted to do more.
Funding & Impact
To raise the money, we have added a 2c/lb premium onto all Crecer coffees which goes directly into the Crecer Fund (El Eden, Suarez, Viani, Excelso Crecer, SWD Crecer). This money is then used to fund projects that Crecer has identified that farmers are in need of. For example, individual composting pits were identified as an easy way to significantly improve the situation on farms. They allow a farmer to create their own compost using organic waste from the farm, this is great for the environment in that it lessens the amount of chemicals being used, and good for the farmer in that they don’t have to pay for fertilisers. Since the outbreak of war, with Russia invading Ukraine in February 2022, the cost of fertiliser has increased dramatically; in some instances, there has been a 300% increase in the price, making it difficult for many farmers to afford it, and so their yield and therefore income has suffered.
Through the Crecer Program, Racafe identifies areas where support is needed. We collaborate with Racafe and decide where to allocate the funds from the list of projects identified. When doing this we have followed Racafe’s lead. The intention of the Fund is to give the support that is needed, and no one knows what the farmers need better than the farmers themselves, information which is the passed on to us by our partners Racafe.
Racafe advised that for the first time we spend the Fund money that we fund the building of 10 composting pits. This was advised to have the most immediate and widespread impact that the initial sum of money could support. Another option was to spend the money on water treatment apparatus. Whilst this would certainly have a positive impact it was the most costly option, meaning we would only be able to support a couple of farmers. We chose instead to fund more composting pits over fewer water treatment facilities as the impact would be more widely felt, as simply put there would affors more pits, therefore more farms and farmers would benefit. This would spread the impact across more people and also in doing so spread the word about the Crecer program.
Crecer Composting Pits
Recent Visit
When we vistied Colombia in May we visited several farms that were part of the Crecer program. In Viani we met three farmers, Julio Alphonso, Jose Guillermo and Jamie Gererro, who were both neighbours and friends. They all grew their own coffee, but they also grew other produce which the three families shared between them. When one of them became part of the Crecer program it wasn’t long until all three were involved, as the benefits for them were clear. Previously, all three had been involved in a Nespresso project, but they felt the benefits of Crecer would be more long-lasting.
The pits we funded were built in Suarez in the west of Colombia. We originally planned to visit Suarez on the trip but had to change our plans as there is continued unrest in the region. The Racafe field team, however, who can visit more safely, are present in Suarez and monitoring the projects.
Future Projects
The next projects to be funded by the Crecer Fund are drying beds/tunnels. This was a need that had already been identified by the Crecer Program, but became very evident during our trip. Weather in Colombia for this crop has been less than ideal. With El Nino making the weather drier than usual whilst the cherries were developing, meaning the average bean size is lower this year (hence the lack of Supremo available), but then as the harvest began El Nino transitioned to La Nina, the phenomenon came in with a bang, and heavy erratic rains. Not only has this wreaked havoc in parts of the country with flash flooding, but it has meant that drying the just-harvested coffee has been very difficult. To ensure no defects are created and a coffee’s flavour profile holds up over time, drying must be done in a steady and controlled way. Most farmers in Colombia dry their coffee on tarps on a patio, so when rain comes it’s either quickly brought inside or covered, which means the drying happens erratically. Covered drying tunnels allow for greater control in drying, and help alleviate some of the difficulties when it’s raining. The tunnels that are in process of being funded are located in Viani and Suarez.
After a year and a half of supporting the Crecer Program, and half a year since the Crecer Fund has been set up, we are very pleased with the progress made, and we look forward to continuing to support Crecer and Racafe in their sustainability mission. More updates to follow!
