EP1618 Part 3 of 5 | De-Risking Coffee Through Relationships (Freddy Rivard) | Map It Forward

Advertising SponsorThis episode is brought to you by Map It Forward Podcast Advertising. Interested in advertising on this podcast? Email [email protected] to learn more.Episode DescriptionThis is episode 3 of a 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar. Our guest in this series is Freddy Rivard, Co-Founder of Honduran Coffee Alliance and Insula Coffee. Throughout this series, we explore how financing works in coffee and why understanding liquidity, risk, and value chain relationships is critical to building a more resilient coffee industry.One of the biggest challenges facing the coffee industry is that risk is often poorly understood. Producers, exporters, importers, roasters, and financial institutions all see different parts of the supply chain, but very few people see the entire picture. As a result, decisions are often made with incomplete information.In this episode, Freddy Rivard explains why de-risking coffee finance starts with reducing information asymmetry throughout the supply chain. Drawing on his experience in agriculture, finance, importing, and roasting, Freddy explores how climate risk, production risk, market volatility, labor shortages, pests, disease pressure, and financing challenges all combine to create uncertainty for coffee producers.The conversation examines why traditional financial institutions often hesitate to finance small coffee producers and how relationship-based business models can help overcome some of these barriers. Freddy discusses the importance of long-term partnerships between producers, importers, and roasters, and explains why trust and transparency can become powerful financial tools.Lee and Freddy also explore how businesses like Honduran Coffee Alliance are working to build supply chains that prioritize long-term sustainability, resilience, and shared success rather than short-term transactional thinking.Why this mattersEvery participant in the coffee supply chain carries risk. The question is not whether risk exists, but how it is shared and managed. Businesses that invest in relationships, transparency, and long-term partnerships are often better positioned to navigate uncertainty and build more resilient supply chains.Connect with Freddy Rivard and his businesses here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredericrivard/https://www.instagram.com/hondurancoffeealliance/https://www.hondurancoffeealliance.com/https://www.linkedin.com/company/insulacafe/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. In the next episode, we explore how global geopolitics is impacting food supply chains.***************************************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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]