Any market development strategy for the increasing of domestic consumption in coffee producing territories, must integrate the producers of the coffee as the strategy seeks to delineate steps from farm to cup. The strategy must examine how the market as developed will be supported by the farmers and in turn, how it is ensured that the farmers are sustained by the market. At the baseline of the strategy, is the need to promote an enabling environment for the farmers to produce efficiently while ensuring prosperity. The considerations here are many and varied and will be dictated by the details of the strategy employed. Considerations here include
Any undertaking to look at land availability, should be done within a framework of preserving existing ecosystems. Deforestation has been a major consequence of coffee production, contributing to global warming effects. The framework must seek to ensure proper land management for sustainable coffee production. It is worthwhile to consider land tenure for farmers within the framework of land ownership rules in the producing country. Land tenure provides assets to farmers which can be leveraged for investment in their farms.
An important element of ensuring heightened productivity is conformity to best practices for coffee production among farmers. A framework should include elements of training, monitoring, and interventions. Provisions should be included for an intricate link between the technical support program and research and development aimed at providing solutions to issues and improvements to programs and practices. This is particularly important when backdropped against climate change issues, requiring new ways of thinking and new paradigms for sustainability.
Financing support to small farmers has been a difficultly in many producing countries. Small holder farmers in many jurisdictions operate outside of formal banking systems. A program for providing financing should seek to find ways to encourage the inclusion of small holder farmers in formal financial sector where the financing exists for their support, rather than creating special financing schemes. The program should assess the gaps to inclusion and work to bridge those gaps.
As climate change threatens coffee production globally, there is need for research and development of solutions for the sustaining of the coffee industry in the developing country. Research into new, more productive and pest resistant varietals, eco-friendly approaches to the control of pests and diseases and improved farming practices to combat the effects of climate change are just a few of the considerations for a research and development program.
The creating of an enabling environment for promoting heightened production requires the provision of infrastructure including roads, irrigation, and in-country channels for access to required inputs and tools. The list is by no means exhaustive and careful examination of in-country infrastructural support must done to identify and close gaps.
