“Our job is connecting coffee farmers with coffee consumers and if we are not doing a good job of connecting farmers with consumers in a way that creates an incentive for farmers to produce and an incentive for consumers to consume, then we are failing”

This was one of Ric Rhinehart’s key messages to coffee professionals attending the Re:co Symposium in Seattle earlier this year. He explained that the most organised coffee producers are employing destination marketing. In other words, they are deciding a year in advance who their destination customers are, identifying their needs and marketing their coffee accordingly. Producers employing this kind of strategy which connects them with buyers and end users around the globe, can consolidate their market share, emphasise the intangibles that separate their Arabica from that grown on the other side of the border and help develop their origin as an internationally recognisable brand.

Working together on the global stage

The internet age means that individual farmers often now have the means and the opportunity to reach their end consumers in a way that was never before possible. For the most well-resourced producers, the days of carting coffee to the roadside for whichever buyer might happen to pass through are long gone. Farmers, in unison with their co-operatives, national organisations and other advocates, must use their growing voice to make their needs heard at the consumer level.

Intangibles are key to differentiation

It is often the intangibles that separate one coffee from another. What cannot be seen or tasted by the average consumer must be clearly communicated. The human story behind the coffee is as important as the coffee varietal, the altitude of the farm, and the processing technique. By telling the human story in an engaging but accurate way, producers can offer consumers the opportunity to learn about not only the effort behind a quality coffee but also how they are addressing issues of sustainability such as gender equity, biodiversity preservation and business best-practices.

Consumer purchasing power

This consumer demand will eventually feed through the supply chain. When consumers vote with their wallets, coffee shops, roasters and traders will follow. This sort of forward thinking demand-led strategy safeguards producers against market vagaries, the inherent fungibility of coffee as a commodity, and fluctuating roaster-driven demand (which is often price driven rather than demand-led).

Consumers are far less price conscious than farmers may suspect. Communicating directly with them through websites, brochures, legal protection and other measures is the key to growing market share on the international stage.

Effective communication

To do that requires a solid core value proposition effectively communicated, more often than not in the world’s lingua franca: English. If you’re a French or Spanish speaking producer that means hiring a qualified translator who has industry-specific knowledge.

After four years of involvement in coffee, two of which were spent at the International Coffee Organization, and seven years of language services experience, I may just be that person. My translation services focus on the areas of coffee, sustainability and international development.

Don’t hesitate to send me an email or this week only grab me for face to face meeting at the World of Coffee, 21-23 June 2018 in Amsterdam.