EP1658 Part 3 of 5 | Benecke Coffee: When the Payment Promises Failed (Benecke Coffee) | Map It Forward

Advertising SponsorWant to join our Map It Forward Monthly Community Discussion Group? Head to https://patreon.com/mapitforward to join the community by signing up for the "Roasted Coffee" tier for 20 USD per month. Find other like-minded people in the coffee industry. This community is open to all stakeholders in the coffee industryEpisode DescriptionThis is Part 3 of a five-part series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward examining what happened between Benecke Coffee in Germany and coffee cooperatives in Peru pursuing claims for coffee they say remains unpaid.In Part 1, we met the cooperatives and learned about the financial and commercial risks they carry on behalf of hundreds of smallholder coffee producers.In Part 2, we followed the coffee from Peru to the export vessel and examined how the contracts, documentation and payment process were supposed to work.Now the series reaches the point where delayed payments became something much more serious.Podcast host Lee Safar is joined again by Emerson Carrasco, General Manager of Sanchirio Palomar Cooperative; Anabel Barrientos, General Manager of Ubiriki Valley Cooperative; and Óscar Inocente, a lawyer working with the affected Peruvian cooperatives. Ana Maria Donneys from Café Primitivo joins as translator.This is Part 3 of our five-part series examining what happened between Benecke Coffee and coffee cooperatives in Peru.In Part 2, we followed the coffee and examined how payment was expected to work. In this episode, delayed payments become an insolvency problem.Emerson Carrasco says Sanchirio began recognising warning signs when Benecke’s payments during 2025 were taking more than 40 days, compared with the roughly 15–20 days he says was typical with other buyers.He says the cooperative repeatedly sought information and received reassurances from Clemens von Storch that payment would be made and that existing contracts should continue to be shipped.Then, on 24 October 2025, Emerson says Sanchirio received a letter stating that Benecke was entering insolvency under self-administration.The episode follows the cooperatives into the creditor process: uploading contracts, invoices, bills of lading and other evidence, registering their claims, and travelling to Hamburg for a creditors’ meeting in April 2026.Óscar also discusses concerns about how creditor information was communicated and why some other cooperatives may not have registered in time.The final section introduces the retention-of-title issue. Emerson says the cooperatives raised contractual provisions they believe may affect how some of the unpaid coffee is treated inside the insolvency.In Part 4, we look at what the insolvency has meant in practice for the cooperatives.Correction: Arthur E. Darboven ceased serving as Managing Director of the Benecke management company on 25 April 2024. His ownership position and any continuing involvement after that date remain under investigation.Connect with our guests here:Anabel Barrientos https://www.linkedin.com/company/cooperativa-cafetalera-valle-ubiriki‍ ‍[email protected] Carrascohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/emerson-carrasco-791b9871/https://www.linkedin.com/company/sanchirio-pe [email protected] [email protected] +51 995 147 869https://www.linkedin.com/in/oinocente/ For media, contact Nataly Fabrikantovahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/nataly-fabrikantova-82609219a/Editorial Note:This series concerns an active insolvency and ongoing creditor claims. Statements concerning Benecke Coffee, Clemens von Storch, Tobias Brinkmann, the insolvency proceedings and other parties reflect the accounts and perspectives of participants unless otherwise identified. Allegations should not be understood as findings of 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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]