EP 1086 Part 1 of 5 | The Benecke Coffee Timeline: What We Know So Far (Lee Safar) | Map It Forward

Advertising SponsorThis episode is brought to you by Arcadia Green Coffee, Colombian coffee exporters taking fresh green coffee from Colombia to the world, farm to roastery, direct. New office now open in the UK.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arcadiagreencoffee/WhatsApp: https://wa.me/353877871523Episode DescriptionThis is episode 1 of a new five-part solo series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward examining what we currently know about the Benecke Coffee controversy following our previous series with producer cooperatives in Peru and Honduras.Lee Safar reconstructs the timeline, corrects several points from earlier coverage, and separates what is established from what remains alleged, disputed or unknown.Benecke Coffee and J.J. Darboven are separate legal companies, although J.J. Darboven has confirmed Benecke was one of its suppliers. Café Intención is a J.J. Darboven brand, and Arthur Darboven ceased serving in Benecke's formal management role in April 2024.The episode then follows the timeline from COMSA's payment problems in early 2025, Fairtrade raising concerns in June, FLOCERT's August audit, continued shipments from Peru, Benecke's financing problems and eventual insolvency.The central questions remain:What happened to the coffee and the money?What did Benecke know about its ability to pay, and when?What did Fairtrade, commercial intermediaries and J.J. Darboven know?And what did the insolvency administrator inherit?In Part 2, we follow the coffee, and then follow the money.Connect with Lee Safar here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/leesafar/https://www.instagram.com/leesafar Editorial Note: This episode forms part of Map It Forward’s ongoing examination of the Benecke Coffee controversy. Some claims discussed in this series remain disputed or have not yet been independently verified. Map It Forward has sought comment from relevant parties and will continue to update its coverage if additional information or evidence becomes available. Where allegations, interpretations or claims are discussed, they should not be understood as findings of legal liability or wrongdoing.If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. ***************************************About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain.Website: https://mapitforward.coffeeMailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglistPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward‍ ‍Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]