The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by MAP IT FORWARD

Advertising SponsorMIF Coffee Business Plan Review Service: AI can write a business plan. We'll help you determine whether it will work in the real world. Email [email protected] or DM @mapitforward.coffee to get started.Episode DescriptionThis is episode 2 of a five-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro podcast by Map It Forward with Rodolfo Peñalba, General Manager of COMSA, and Cristian Dubón, a board member and coffee producer from the cooperative in Marcala, Honduras.In Part 1, we explored how COMSA built a commercial relationship with Benecke Coffee spanning more than two decades.In this episode, we begin looking at how that relationship expanded during the 2024/25 coffee season, and at the financial structure beneath international coffee trading that left COMSA exposed when Benecke later entered insolvency.According to COMSA, J.J. Darboven developed an initiative connected to its Café Intención business in which trees would be planted in coffee-producing communities in connection with coffee sold. COMSA says the project initially involved three Honduran cooperatives supplying a combined 105 containers.When two of the cooperatives reduced the volume they could commit, COMSA says it agreed to take on a much larger share of the program.That opportunity created the potential for significant growth for COMSA and its producers.But it also required significant financing.Rodolfo and Cristian explain that when COMSA signs a coffee contract, it must obtain the money needed to buy coffee from farmers, collect it, process it, prepare it for export, meet quality requirements, pay associated costs and deliver the coffee to port.The importer does not necessarily finance that process.COMSA does.The cooperative therefore relies on loans from banks and other financial institutions to fulfil its contracts, with the expectation that once the coffee is shipped and the required documents are provided, the importer will pay and COMSA can repay those loans.That system depends heavily on trust and contractual performance.According to COMSA, that is where the relationship with Benecke ultimately broke down.Rodolfo says the cooperative fulfilled its obligations and shipped the coffee, but payment did not arrive as expected. He describes the consequences as one of the most serious challenges COMSA has experienced in its history.COMSA says the unpaid exposure ultimately involved 12 containers and that the financial consequences now threaten a substantial portion of the cooperative’s accumulated capital. Rodolfo also discusses the impact this has had on COMSA’s relationships with its banks and its producers.The episode raises a much broader question for the global coffee industry: If producers and cooperatives are required to borrow money to fulfil contracts before importers pay them, who is actually carrying the financial risk in the coffee supply chain?In Part 3, we examine when COMSA says it first began seeing signs that something was wrong with Benecke’s payments, and what happened when COMSA was asked to continue shipping coffee.You can connect with COMSA here:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1c5tTT89Rw/?mibextid=wwXIfrInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/comsa_oficial/Website: https://www.comsa.hnLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/comsa-oficialEditorial Note:This episode forms part of Map It Forward’s ongoing examination of the Benecke Coffee controversy. The statements made by Rodolfo Peñalba and Cristian Dubón represent COMSA’s account of events. 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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]

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 five-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward with Rodolfo Peñalba, General Manager of COMSA, and Cristian Dubón, a board member and coffee producer from the cooperative in Marcala, Honduras.Following our previous series with Peruvian coffee cooperatives involved in the Benecke Coffee controversy, this series examines COMSA’s account of its own long-standing commercial relationship with Benecke, its connections with J.J. Darboven, and what happened when that relationship eventually broke down.Before we can understand the dispute, however, we need to understand what was built.COMSA was founded in 2001 by a small group of coffee producers looking for a better way to sell their coffee and improve conditions for farming families. Rodolfo explains that the cooperative began with 61 small producers and very little capital, but with the ambition to create stronger access to international markets through organic production, quality coffee and collective action.In this episode, Rodolfo and Cristian explain why cooperatives play such an important role for small coffee farmers in Honduras, where they say approximately 90% of producers operate farms smaller than 10 hectares and many individual producers have limited direct access to international importers and roasters.They also discuss COMSA’s emphasis on organic agriculture, environmental responsibility, education and long-term community development, and how the cooperative grew from its beginnings into an organisation with significant infrastructure, technical support programs and almost $4 million in accumulated capital belonging to its members.Most importantly for this series, we begin tracing COMSA’s relationship with Benecke Coffee.According to Rodolfo, COMSA first connected with Benecke through Oxy Café in Honduras and began doing business with Benecke around 2002. That relationship would continue for more than two decades.COMSA also describes how coffee sold through Benecke became connected with J.J. Darboven, including coffee used for the Café Intención brand, and how becoming Fairtrade certified in 2007 helped COMSA increase its access to international markets.This first episode is the foundation for everything that follows.The later dispute cannot be understood simply as a customer failing to pay an invoice. COMSA says this was a commercial relationship built over more than twenty years, a relationship around which producers, financing arrangements, infrastructure and expectations of mutual performance developed.In the next episode, we go deeper into how that relationship expanded and the financial structure required for a cooperative like COMSA to fulfil large international coffee contracts.You can connect with COMSA here:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1c5tTT89Rw/?mibextid=wwXIfrInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/comsa_oficial/Website: https://www.comsa.hnLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/comsa-oficialEditorial Note:This episode forms part of Map It Forward’s ongoing examination of the Benecke Coffee controversy. The statements made by Rodolfo Peñalba and Cristian Dubón represent COMSA’s account of events. 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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]

Advertising SponsorMIF Coffee Business Plan Review Service: AI can write a business plan. We'll help you determine whether it will work in the real world. Email [email protected] or DM @mapitforward.coffee to get started.Episode DescriptionThis is Part 5 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.Across the first four episodes, the series followed the relationships between the cooperatives and Benecke, the movement of the coffee from Peru to Germany, the growing payment delays, the transition into insolvency, and the challenge of recovering money through an international creditor process.In this final episode, the focus changes.The question is no longer simply what happened?It is: What should the global coffee industry learn from this?Podcast host Lee Safar is joined 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 Donneys continues translating for the series and is a contributor to the discussion.Emerson says that if Sanchirio had known Benecke was experiencing serious financial problems, the cooperative could have chosen not to ship and instead sold the coffee to buyers with stronger financial capacity.Anabel says one of the clearest lessons is that years of trading history cannot replace proper due diligence. She argues that cooperatives need to assess the financial position, debt, payment capacity and history of buyers before renewing contracts.Óscar broadens the discussion to the rest of the supply chain, arguing that risk and accountability need to be reconsidered across producers, cooperatives, buyers, certifiers and financiers.At the same time, he says he still believes in Fairtrade and sees this case as an opportunity for the system to improve rather than something that invalidates it.Ana Maria Donneys also joins the conversation as a producer, reminding us that behind every contract and container are people who may have invested months or years of work before receiving payment.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, J.J. Darboven, the insolvency administration, Fairtrade and other organisations reflect the accounts, interpretations 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]

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 Part 4 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 3, the cooperatives explained how delayed payments became an insolvency issue and how they entered the German creditor process.Now the question becomes: what happens when an international coffee trader becomes insolvent, and the businesses waiting to be paid are cooperatives thousands of kilometres away?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.Óscar Inocente discusses the cooperatives’ attempts to obtain clearer information from the insolvency administration and pursue retention-of-title claims over coffee they say remained unpaid.The episode also clarifies that Sucafina did not purchase Benecke Coffee. According to information provided directly to Map It Forward, Sucafina acquired Rehm-related assets from the insolvency estate.Anabel then explains how the unpaid amounts have affected Ubiriki Valley Cooperative. She says planned producer payments, training, inputs and other activities were disrupted, while available financing was reduced by roughly half.She says this reduced the cooperative’s ability to contract coffee from around 90 containers to roughly 45.Emerson also raises a key unresolved question around one Sanchirio shipment. He says the administration stated that the coffee had been sold on 26 September 2025, while the cooperative’s shipping trace shows the container arriving in Hamburg on 10 October.The cooperative is seeking documentation to understand when the coffee was actually sold and how it is being treated inside the insolvency.In Part 5, we ask what the wider coffee industry should learn from the case.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, the insolvency administration, professional fees, asset sales 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]

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]

Advertising SponsorGet “The Coffee Report by Map It Forward” directly to your inbox every Friday by signing up for either our Green Coffee or Roasted Coffee Patreon tiers in our Patreon community. Head to https://www.patreon.com/collection/2275485 to read our first report for free. Sign up for as little as $5 per month.Episode DescriptionThis is Part 2 of our five-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro examining the dispute between Benecke Coffee and coffee cooperatives in Peru pursuing unpaid claims.In Part 1, we established who the cooperatives are and the financial and commercial risks they carry. In this episode, we follow the coffee.Lee Safar, Emerson Carrasco, Anabel Barrientos, and Óscar Inocente, together with Ana Donneys as translator, explain how coffee moves from the farm to the cooperative, through processing and financing, and onto the vessel at Callao.Óscar describes the investment cooperatives make in certification, production support, transport and finance before payment is received. He says financing can carry annual interest rates of approximately 14–18%.The conversation then examines the commercial terms. Emerson explains the export documentation process and says payment from a German importer would normally be expected within approximately 15–30 days.The episode also introduces the retention-of-title issue raised by the cooperatives, which becomes increasingly important later in the series.Anabel then describes the point at which Ubiriki began to realise that Benecke’s payment delays were no longer normal. She says the cooperative continued shipping after receiving reassurances that payment would be made.The final section introduces questions about Fairtrade’s role after Lee says Fairtrade International confirmed awareness of payment arrears involving Benecke from June 2025.In Part 3, the series moves from delayed payments into insolvency.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, Fairtrade, FLOCERT, the insolvency proceedings and other organisations 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]

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 five-part investigative 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.Across this series, we are asking a larger question: What happens when trust, trade and accountability break down in the global coffee supply chain?In this first episode, podcast host Lee Safar is joined by Emerson Carrasco, General Manager of Sanchirio Palomar Cooperative; Anabel Barrientos, General Manager of Ubiriki Valley Cooperative; and Óscar Inocente, a lawyer working with four of the affected Peruvian cooperatives. Ana Maria Donneys from Café Primitivo joins the series as translator.Before getting into the Benecke dispute itself, this episode establishes who these cooperatives are and the role they play in the lives and businesses of hundreds of smallholder coffee producers.**Correction: In this episode, Arthur E. Darboven was described in a way that could suggest he remained part of Benecke Coffee’s executive management during the 2025 payment crisis. Subsequent verification of corporate-register information indicates that he ceased serving as Managing Director of Benecke on 25 April 2024. His ownership position after that date, and any continuing involvement in Benecke’s affairs, remain under investigation. We are updating the record accordingly.Emerson explains that Sanchirio Palomar represents 633 small coffee producers, including 220 women, while Anabel describes Ubiriki Valley as a cooperative with 845 members. The conversation explores the work cooperatives carry out across production support, certification, quality control, processing, financing, transportation and access to international coffee markets.That context matters because when an international coffee transaction fails, the unpaid invoice is only one part of the risk.The cooperatives have already financed coffee purchases, supported production, processed and prepared the coffee for export, managed certifications and logistics, and assumed significant commercial and financial exposure before receiving payment from an overseas buyer.The conversation then turns to how the cooperatives began working with Benecke Coffee.Anabel says Ubiriki had worked with Benecke for more than five years and historically had a good commercial relationship with the company, with approximately 25–30% of the cooperative’s sales going through Benecke.Emerson says Sanchirio Palomar began trading with Benecke in 2025 and sold seven containers of organic Fairtrade coffee. According to Emerson, five containers were paid for while two remained unpaid at the time of recording.Óscar says the four Peruvian cooperatives he is working with are pursuing claims connected to approximately 18 containers with an estimated value of around US$3 million. He also says there may be additional cooperatives that were affected but did not become formally registered creditors in the insolvency proceedings.Episode 1 lays the foundation for the rest of the investigation: who the cooperatives represent, how much risk they carry, how the relationships with Benecke developed, and the scale of the claims now being pursued.In Episode 2, we follow the coffee from Peru to Germany to understand how these transactions were structured, when payment was expected, and where the commercial process began to break down.Connect with our guests here:Anabel Barrientoshttps://www.linkedin.com/company/cooperativa-cafetalera-valle-ubiriki‍ ‍[email protected] Carrascohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/emerson-carrasco-791b9871/https://www.linkedin.com/company/[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, the insolvency proceedings and other organisations reflect the accounts of the 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]

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 Part 5 of a five-part series with Matthew Thornton from Arkena Coffee Market on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward hosted by Lee Safar, exploring where technology is genuinely changing the coffee industry, and where it still isn't.Throughout this series, Lee Safar and Matthew Thornton have examined where technology is appearing across the coffee supply chain, why some innovations succeed, where important gaps remain, and how technology often looks very different from the perspective of producers.The series concludes with one final question: Why do so many coffee technology products fail to gain adoption?Building software has never been easier. Artificial intelligence has dramatically reduced the barriers to creating new digital products, and coffee is seeing more technology startups than ever before. But creating technology is only the beginning. Convincing people to trust it, change their behaviour, and continue using it is a far more difficult challenge.Lee and Matthew explore why adoption depends on much more than features. They discuss the importance of trust, relevance, convenience and incentives, and why many technology companies struggle because they build products before fully understanding the people they hope to serve.Matthew also shares practical advice from his own experience building Arkena Coffee Market, offering lessons for entrepreneurs, software developers and anyone creating products for the coffee industry. From identifying genuine customer needs to embracing minimum viable products and remaining flexible as markets evolve, the conversation becomes as much about building sustainable businesses as it is about building technology.The series closes with a reminder that technology alone cannot solve coffee's structural challenges. Lasting innovation begins by listening carefully, understanding incentives, and creating solutions that make life meaningfully better for the people using them.Connect with Matthew Thornton and Arkena Coffee Market here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkenacoffee/Website: https://arkenacoffee.com/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]

Advertising SponsorGet “The Coffee Report by Map It Forward” directly to your inbox every Friday by signing up for either our Green Coffee or Roasted Coffee Patreon tiers in our Patreon community. Head to https://www.patreon.com/collection/2275485 to read our first report for free. Sign up for as little as $5 per month.Episode DescriptionThis is Part 4 of a five-part series with Matthew Thornton from Arkena Coffee Market on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward hosted by Lee Safar, exploring where technology is genuinely changing the coffee industry, and where it still isn't.Across the first three episodes, Lee Safar and Matthew Thornton examined where technology exists, why some solutions succeed, and where the industry's biggest gaps remain. This conversation shifts the focus to perhaps the most important question of the entire series: What does technology look like from the producer's perspective?Many of the digital tools being introduced into coffee are promoted as solutions for origin, but are they actually designed to solve producers' problems, or are they primarily helping buyers meet their own commercial, sustainability or compliance requirements?Lee and Matthew explore the growing disconnect between technology built for coffee-producing countries and the people expected to use it. They discuss the important distinction between farmers and producers, why those differences matter when designing technology, and how many existing platforms prioritise reporting and compliance over improving everyday decision-making at origin.The conversation also examines one of coffee's longest-standing structural challenges: information and pricing rarely flow equally across the supply chain. If producers are expected to adopt new technology, they must receive genuine value in return—not simply become better providers of data for someone further downstream.Rather than criticising technology itself, this episode challenges the assumptions behind its design. It argues that meaningful innovation begins by understanding the realities of coffee production and recognising that lasting adoption only happens when technology creates measurable benefits for the people using it.This is a conversation about incentives, trust, and why the future of coffee technology may depend less on writing better software than on asking better questions.Connect with Matthew Thornton and Arkena Coffee Market here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkenacoffee/Website: https://arkenacoffee.com/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]

Advertising SponsorMIF Coffee Business Plan Review Service: AI can write a business plan. We'll help you determine whether it will work in the real world. Email [email protected] or DM @mapitforward.coffee to get started.Episode DescriptionThis is Part 3 of a five-part series with Matthew Thornton from Arkena Coffee Market on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward hosted by Lee Safar, exploring where technology is genuinely changing the coffee industry, and where it still isn't.In the first two episodes, Lee Safar and Matthew Thornton explored where technology exists across the coffee supply chain and why some technologies succeed while others struggle to gain traction.Now they ask an even bigger question: What are the industry's biggest technology gaps?Rather than focusing on building more sophisticated software, Matthew argues that coffee's greatest opportunities lie in solving much more fundamental problems. Information remains fragmented across the supply chain. Pricing lacks transparency. Communication often breaks down between origin and consuming countries. Valuable data exists, but rarely reaches the people who need it most.Throughout the conversation, Lee and Matthew examine why these disconnects continue despite rapid advances in artificial intelligence and digital tools. They explore the difference between creating technology that impresses investors and creating technology that genuinely improves the way coffee businesses operate.One of the recurring themes throughout this series becomes increasingly clear in this episode: technology cannot fix broken incentives on its own. Before the industry can build better tools, it must first understand whose problems deserve solving and why many of today's systems continue to leave critical gaps unaddressed.As more technology companies enter coffee, this conversation challenges founders, business owners and industry leaders to think beyond features and ask whether they are addressing the issues that matter most across the supply chain.Connect with Matthew Thornton and Arkena Coffee Market here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkenacoffee/Website: https://arkenacoffee.com/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]

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 Part 2 of a five-part series with Matthew Thornton from Arkena Coffee Market on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward hosted by Lee Safar, exploring where technology is genuinely changing the coffee industry, and where it still isn't.After examining where technology exists across the coffee supply chain in Part 1, this conversation shifts to a more practical question: Where is technology actually delivering meaningful value?Not every digital tool improves the way coffee businesses operate. Some technologies become indispensable because they remove friction, improve decision-making, or solve problems people experience every day. Others generate excitement but struggle to produce lasting impact.In this conversation, Lee Safar and Matthew Thornton explore the characteristics shared by successful coffee technologies and why adoption often has less to do with innovation than with usefulness. They discuss examples of technology that has become embedded into daily workflows, the role convenience plays in encouraging adoption, and why the most effective tools are often those users barely notice because they fit naturally into existing business processes.The discussion also challenges the assumption that more advanced technology automatically creates greater value. Instead, Matthew argues that successful innovation begins by understanding the people who will ultimately use the product and the problems they are genuinely trying to solve.As AI continues lowering the barriers to building new software, this episode offers an important reminder that creating technology is becoming easier every day, but creating technology that people continue using remains much harder.Understanding why certain tools succeed provides an important foundation for the next conversations in this series, where Lee and Matthew begin exploring the industry's biggest technology gaps and why many opportunities remain largely untouched.Connect with Matthew Thornton and Arkena Coffee Market here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkenacoffee/Website: https://arkenacoffee.com/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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]

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 1 of a five-part series with Matthew Thornton from Arkena Coffee Market on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward hosted by Lee Safar, exploring where technology is genuinely changing the coffee industry, and where it still isn't.Artificial intelligence, automation, traceability, digital marketplaces, and data are dominating conversations across coffee. Yet despite all the excitement surrounding technology, many parts of the global coffee supply chain remain surprisingly disconnected from the tools that promise to transform them.In this opening conversation, Lee Safar and Matthew Thornton step back to ask a deceptively simple question: Where is technology actually showing up today?Rather than focusing on future predictions, they examine the current reality across the supply chain, discussing where technology has become embedded into everyday coffee businesses, where adoption remains slow, and why the experience of technology often looks completely different depending on whether you're a roaster, importer, exporter, producer or farmer.Throughout the discussion, they begin laying the foundation for one of the central themes of this series: technology is not inherently valuable simply because it exists. Its value depends entirely on whose problems it solves, who benefits from it, and whether it creates meaningful improvements for the people expected to use it.As AI lowers the barriers to building software and new coffee technology companies emerge at an unprecedented pace, this conversation offers an important framework for thinking beyond innovation itself and towards practical usefulness.If the coffee industry hopes to build a more resilient future, understanding where technology is already succeeding, and where significant gaps remain, may be one of the most important conversations we can have.Connect with Matthew Thornton and Arkena Coffee Market here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkenacoffee/Website: https://arkenacoffee.com/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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]

Advertising SponsorMIF Coffee Business Plan Review Service: AI can write a business plan. We'll help you determine whether it will work in the real world. Email [email protected] or DM @mapitforward.coffee to get started.Episode DescriptionThis is Part 5 of a five-part series with Ian Fretheim, Director of Sensory Analysis at Cafe Imports.Throughout this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, Lee Safar and Ian Fretheim have explored one of the coffee industry's most fundamental questions: What is quality coffee?The series concludes with perhaps its most challenging discussion.Can coffee quality ever be objective?For decades, the specialty coffee industry has presented quality as though it can be measured, scored and compared objectively. But is that really what's happening? Or are we confusing objective measurement with subjective judgement?Lee and Ian unpack the philosophical foundations behind sensory evaluation, discussing the difference between describing a coffee and evaluating it. They explore whether quality exists within the coffee itself or whether quality only exists once people decide what they value.The conversation examines why standards are essential for consistency, while also recognising that every standard begins as a human decision. Ian explains how Cafe Imports approaches sensory analysis by separating the subjective process of creating standards from the objective process of assessing whether coffees meet those standards.Together they explore why this distinction matters, not only for cupping, but for education, buying, communication and the future of coffee quality assessment.As the series concludes, listeners are left with a deeper appreciation that coffee quality isn't becoming more confusing because the industry is failing. It's becoming more nuanced because coffee itself, and the people who produce, buy, roast and drink it, continue to evolve.Whether you're a producer, importer, roaster, educator or café owner, this conversation offers a thoughtful framework for thinking differently about quality, standards and the future of specialty coffee.Connect with Ian Fretheim here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-fretheim-31628323/ 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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]

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 Part 4 of a five-part series with Ian Fretheim, Director of Sensory Analysis at Cafe Imports.Throughout this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, Lee Safar and Ian Fretheim are exploring one of coffee's most challenging questions: What is quality coffee?After examining quality, specialty coffee and sensory education, this conversation turns to something many people overlook:The language we use to describe coffee.Coffee travels through multiple stages before reaching a consumer. At every step of that journey, producers, exporters, importers, roasters, cafés and consumers are all describing the same coffee, but often using completely different language because they have different goals, different customers and different commercial realities.Lee and Ian explore why technical accuracy isn't always effective communication, why language must match its audience, and how descriptors that work in one part of the supply chain can become meaningless somewhere else.The discussion also examines how rising coffee prices and changing market conditions are influencing the way businesses talk about coffee today. Rather than simply describing flavour, language has become a commercial tool that shapes purchasing decisions, customer expectations and ultimately the kinds of coffees producers choose to grow and process.As the conversation develops, Lee and Ian discuss the evolution of flavour descriptors, the growing popularity of highly processed coffees, and why coffee assessment systems must continue evolving if they are to keep pace with what is actually happening throughout the industry.This episode demonstrates that language doesn't just communicate quality, it actively shapes it.Connect with Ian Fretheim here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-fretheim-31628323/ 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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]

Advertising SponsorGet “The Coffee Report by Map It Forward” directly to your inbox every Friday by signing up for either our Green Coffee or Roasted Coffee Patreon tiers in our Patreon community. Head to https://www.patreon.com/collection/2275485 to read our first report for free. Sign up for as little as $5 per month.Episode DescriptionThis is Part 3 of a five-part series with Ian Fretheim, Director of Sensory Analysis at Cafe Imports.Throughout this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, Lee Safar and Ian Fretheim are exploring one of coffee's most important questions: What is quality coffee?After examining how the industry defines quality and whether "specialty coffee" still means what it once did, this episode turns to another question that has become increasingly important:What has happened to coffee quality education?Following the transition from the long-established Q Grader system to the Coffee Value Assessment (CVA), many coffee professionals expected a new era of sensory education. Instead, Lee and Ian discuss why the industry appears more uncertain than ever about how quality should be taught, assessed and applied in commercial environments.The conversation explores the strengths of the legacy Q system, why a shared baseline still matters, and whether the industry missed an opportunity to create a more practical framework that could be adopted across the global coffee supply chain. Rather than debating politics, they focus on what businesses, educators and coffee professionals actually need from quality education today.Lee and Ian also discuss whether certificates alone have become overvalued, why employers ultimately look for critical thinking rather than credentials, and what meaningful sensory education should prepare people to do once they enter the workplace.This is a thoughtful discussion about education, standards, commercial reality and the future of developing coffee professionals.Connect with Ian Fretheim here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-fretheim-31628323/ 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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]

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 2 of a five-part series with Ian Fretheim, Director of Sensory Analysis at Cafe Imports.Across this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, Lee Safar and Ian Fretheim explore one of the coffee industry's most important questions: What is quality coffee?After questioning how the industry defines quality in Part 1, this conversation turns to another term that has become increasingly difficult to define: specialty coffee.For decades, "specialty coffee" has served as the industry's shorthand for quality. But as processing methods evolve, market expectations shift, and businesses throughout the supply chain pursue different goals, the meaning of the term has become less clear.Lee and Ian explore whether specialty coffee still represents a useful category or whether it has gradually become a label that different people interpret in completely different ways.The discussion examines how quality, value and purpose intersect, and why trying to force every coffee into a single definition may no longer reflect the reality of today's industry. They also consider how producers, importers, roasters and cafés often use the same words while meaning very different things.Rather than arguing for abandoning specialty coffee as a concept, this episode asks whether the industry would benefit from being more precise about the language it uses and the assumptions that language creates.If quality coffee is becoming more contextual, perhaps the industry's most recognisable label needs to evolve alongside it.Connect with Ian Fretheim here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-fretheim-31628323/ 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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]

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 Part 1 of a five-part series with Ian Fretheim, Director of Sensory Analysis at Cafe Imports.Across this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, Lee Safar and Ian explore one of the coffee industry's biggest, and increasingly difficult, questions, "What is Quality Coffee?"For decades, specialty coffee has spoken confidently about quality, but in 2026 that confidence is being tested. New processing methods, changing consumer expectations, evolving education systems, shifting economics and growing disagreement around sensory evaluation are forcing the industry to reconsider what quality actually means.In this opening conversation, Lee and Ian begin by asking a deceptively simple question: How is the coffee industry defining quality today?What quickly becomes clear is that there isn't one answer.The discussion explores why different parts of the coffee supply chain often require different definitions of quality, why producers, exporters, importers, roasters and cafés may all evaluate coffee differently, and whether the industry has become too reliant on inherited assumptions that no longer reflect today's realities.Lee and Ian also examine whether quality should be viewed as an absolute standard or something that changes according to purpose, audience and context. Along the way they begin unpacking ideas that will shape the remainder of this series, including sensory evaluation, language, education, specialty coffee and the growing tension between objectivity and subjectivity.Rather than attempting to provide a single definition of quality coffee, this episode challenges listeners to reconsider whether such a definition has ever truly existed.If you work anywhere in the coffee supply chain, this conversation offers an opportunity to question many of the assumptions that underpin how we buy, sell, evaluate and communicate coffee today.Connect with Ian Fretheim here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-fretheim-31628323/ 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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]

Advertising SponsorMIF Coffee Business Plan Review Service: AI can write a business plan. We'll help you determine whether it will work in the real world. Email [email protected] or DM @mapitforward.coffee to get started.Episode DescriptionThis is episode 5 of a five-part solo series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward titled Saying the Quiet Parts Out Loud.In the final episode, Lee Safar challenges the coffee industry’s repeated claim that coffee is all about community.Trade shows, competitions and public cuppings can create meaningful relationships, but they do not necessarily create communities capable of solving the industry’s biggest problems.Lee argues that real community requires coffee professionals to meet regularly, discuss difficult issues openly and work together on practical solutions around pricing, legislation, staffing, financing and business survival.She also challenges the idea that similar businesses must always treat each other as competitors. Cafés, roasters and other coffee businesses can remain in their own lanes while still supporting the health of their local industry.This episode explores what it means to conspire to each other’s success and why smaller, problem-solving communities may become essential as more independent coffee businesses close, consolidate or struggle to survive.Connect with Lee Safar here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/leesafar/ https://www.instagram.com/leesafar 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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]

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 4 of a five-part solo series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward titled Saying the Quiet Parts Out Loud.In this episode, Lee Safar examines why coffee pricing models so often fail to reflect the real cost of operating a business.Across the supply chain, producers, importers, roasters and cafés frequently set prices based on what the market will accept or what competitors are charging, rather than what is required to cover operating costs and generate sustainable profit.Lee explains the difference between gross profit and net profit, and why failing to account for rent, labour, debt, utilities and other expenses leaves many coffee businesses underpriced from the start.She also explores how every part of the coffee supply chain becomes a price taker. Producers are influenced by the futures market, importers and exporters carry risk, roasters compete against market pricing, and cafés face resistance from consumers.This episode argues that responsible pricing begins with better financial understanding, greater supply-chain awareness and more open conversations about what each participant actually needs to be paid.Connect with Lee Safar here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/leesafar/ https://www.instagram.com/leesafar 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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]

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 episode 3 of a five-part solo series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward titled Saying the Quiet Parts Out Loud.In this episode, Lee Safar examines why so many coffee businesses appear successful while their owners remain unpaid and their margins remain dangerously thin.Many cafés, roasteries and farms generate significant revenue without producing sustainable profit. Owners often work long hours without paying themselves properly, while mistaking money moving through the business for financial success.Lee explores coffee’s low barrier to entry, the difference between revenue and profit, and what she calls the success fallacy—the belief that a busy café, polished brand or high sales figure automatically represents a healthy business.She also distinguishes between the custodians of coffee—the producers, exporters, importers, roasters and cafés responsible for moving coffee through the supply chain—and the businesses built around them, including landlords, banks, equipment manufacturers, software providers and industry associations.While the custodians often operate on razor-thin margins, many of the surrounding businesses continue to profit from them.This episode challenges the industry to stop valuing appearances, branding and revenue over sound financial fundamentals. A responsible coffee business must understand its numbers, pay its owner and employees properly, price its products responsibly and generate enough profit to survive.Connect with Lee Safar here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/leesafar/ https://www.instagram.com/leesafar 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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]

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 2 of a five-part solo series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward titled Saying the Quiet Parts Out Loud.In this episode, podcast host Lee Safar addresses one of the coffee industry’s most persistent open secrets: businesses routinely fail to pay their suppliers on time.Payment terms are not suggestions. When a supplier gives a café, roaster, importer or buyer seven, fourteen or thirty days to pay an invoice, that deadline forms part of the commercial agreement. But throughout the coffee supply chain, businesses frequently delay payment because they do not have enough cash available when the bill becomes due.Lee explains how this behaviour moves through the industry. Cafés delay paying roasters, milk suppliers, bakers and produce distributors. Roasters delay paying importers or producers. Importers carrying unpaid invoices may then struggle to pay exporters and farmers. One business’s cash-flow problem quickly becomes somebody else’s financial risk.The episode examines why this keeps happening. Many coffee businesses use most of their available capital on fit-outs, equipment, design, branding and opening expenses, then begin trading with little money left to cover ongoing operations. They expect revenue to arrive quickly, but when opening hype disappears and sales settle into reality, there may not be enough cash to pay every supplier.Some businesses then begin moving between suppliers. Once one supplier restricts their account or demands cash on delivery, the business opens an account elsewhere while leaving the original debt unpaid. This is not always driven by deliberate dishonesty, but the impact on suppliers can be severe regardless of the intention.Lee argues that the problem is rooted in fragile business models, razor-thin margins and a culture of competing through price. Businesses undercut competitors, give away equipment, chase volume and rely on future growth to compensate for work that is already unprofitable.The result is an industry built like a city of houses of cards. Rising coffee prices, labour costs, rent, logistics, foreign exchange pressure and declining consumer purchasing power are now shaking those businesses at the same time.When a café eventually closes, the consequences do not end with the owner. Employees may lose their jobs and wages without warning. Suppliers may never recover what they are owed. Roasters lose customers, importers lose volume and producers lose future demand.This episode is not about shaming business owners who are struggling. It is a warning about what happens when businesses open without enough operating capital, price irresponsibly and treat suppliers as an involuntary source of finance.Lee encourages struggling owners to confront the situation early, seek a responsible recovery plan and, where recovery is no longer possible, close with dignity rather than transferring the cost of failure to employees and suppliers.Connect with Lee Safar here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/leesafar/ https://www.instagram.com/leesafar 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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]

Advertising SponsorGet “The Coffee Report by Map It Forward” directly to your inbox every Friday by signing up for either our Green Coffee or Roasted Coffee Patreon tiers in our Patreon community. Head to https://www.patreon.com/collection/2275485 to read the first report free. Sign up for as little as $5 per month.Episode DescriptionThis is episode 1 of a five-part solo series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward titled Saying the Quiet Parts Out Loud.This series was not originally scheduled to be a solo series. A guest who had recorded a five-part discussion about the rise of branded coffee producers asked for the episodes to be withdrawn shortly before publication.Rather than abandon the subject, podcast host Lee Safar uses this episode to examine the argument herself: has building a recognisable personal or farm brand become more important than building a responsible coffee business?Lee explores how producers, roasters, baristas and other coffee professionals have increasingly used visibility, competitions, public relations and social media to differentiate themselves. She traces part of this evolution through Panama’s most prominent producer estates, whose global recognition helped create demand for highly exclusive coffees while giving select roasters a powerful point of differentiation.The success of estates including Hacienda La Esmeralda and the Lamastus family estates demonstrated that strong producer brands can create considerable value. But their success also established a model that many producers are now encouraged to emulate without necessarily having the capital, access, infrastructure or customer base required to make it work.Building an internationally recognised producer brand requires far more than producing excellent coffee. It can involve extensive travel, marketing, media exposure, relationship building and significant long-term investment. That makes the model inaccessible to most of the millions of coffee producers operating around the world.Lee also questions what happens when the same attention-based model is adopted by roasters and coffee professionals. A large audience may generate recognition, invitations and free products, but it does not automatically produce profitability or a commercially sustainable business.The episode examines whether the coffee industry has begun confusing visibility with value, revenue with success, and brand recognition with sound business fundamentals.The conclusion is not that producers or roasters should avoid building brands. A strong brand can be an important business asset. The problem begins when branding becomes the primary strategy rather than one component of a responsible business with a responsible pricing model.This episode asks the coffee industry to consider whether its obsession with exclusivity, recognition and high-profile coffees is building a sustainable future—or simply creating another business model that only works for a very small group at the top.Connect with Lee Safar here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/leesafar/ https://www.instagram.com/leesafar 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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]

Advertising SponsorMIF Coffee Business Plan Review Service: AI can write a business plan. We'll help you determine whether it will work in the real world. Email [email protected] or DM @mapitforward.coffee to get started.Episode DescriptionThis is Part 5 of a 5-part series with Brazilian coffee agronomist Jonas Leme Ferraresso and Map It Forward Founder Lee Safar, examining the realities behind Brazil's coffee harvest and the growing uncertainty shaping the global coffee industry.Coffee businesses often focus on weather forecasts, crop estimates, and C Market prices. But what if one of the biggest risks to coffee has nothing to do with rainfall or production?In this final episode, Jonas explains why geopolitics, fertilizer availability, global logistics, and international trade have become just as important as climate when trying to understand the future of coffee.Brazil depends heavily on imported fertilizers to sustain one of the world's largest agricultural industries. Much of that supply originates in regions experiencing political instability or relies on shipping routes that have become increasingly vulnerable to conflict. As governments compete for critical minerals and global supply chains become more fragile, coffee producers are facing a new layer of uncertainty that extends well beyond the farm.We explore why fertilizer availability matters long before coffee is harvested, how rising geopolitical tensions can influence agricultural costs around the world, and why simple assumptions about expanding coffee production overlook the practical realities farmers face every season.Perhaps the biggest lesson from this conversation is that uncertainty is no longer the exception it has become the operating environment for the global coffee industry. Rather than making bold predictions, coffee businesses need to become better at managing risk, adapting to change, and making decisions with incomplete information.Jonas also shares a thoughtful reflection on empathy, leadership, and what he hopes the future of the coffee industry can become a fitting conclusion to one of our most important conversations this year.Connect with Jonas Leme Ferraresso here:https://www.instagram.com/jonascoffeeagronomist https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonas-leme-ferraresso 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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]

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 Part 4 of a 5-part series with Brazilian coffee agronomist Jonas Leme Ferraresso and Map It Forward Founder Lee Safar, exploring the realities behind Brazil's 2026 harvest and why the coffee market continues to struggle with uncertainty.Every year, long before coffee is harvested, predictions begin to circulate about how large the next crop will be. Markets react. Businesses make purchasing decisions. Expectations are formed.But how reliable are those predictions?In this episode, Jonas explains why forecasting Brazil's 2027 coffee crop is far more complicated than many market participants appreciate. While current growing conditions suggest the potential for a very large crop, coffee is an agricultural system—not a manufacturing process—and potential means very little until weather, disease, flowering, and fruit development have all played out.We explore how El Niño influences rainfall and temperature patterns across Brazil, why excessive rain during harvest can create unexpected problems, and how fungal diseases, leaf loss, and delayed harvesting can affect not only this year's production but also the crop that follows.Perhaps most importantly, Jonas explains why the health of the coffee tree after harvest is just as important as the harvest itself. Leaves damaged by disease, stress from excessive heat, and interruptions to photosynthesis all reduce the plant's ability to support the next flowering cycle.This conversation is an important reminder that coffee production doesn't operate on certainty. It operates on biology, climate, and time.If you've heard confident predictions about Brazil's 2027 crop, this episode provides essential context for understanding why those forecasts should always be treated with caution.Connect with Jonas Leme Ferraresso here:https://www.instagram.com/jonascoffeeagronomist https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonas-leme-ferraresso 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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]

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 5-part series with Brazilian coffee agronomist Jonas Leme Ferraresso and Map It Forward Founder Lee Safar, exploring the realities behind Brazil's 2026 coffee harvest and the forces reshaping the global coffee industry.Coffee doesn't move around the world in isolation. It moves through relationships, trade agreements, logistics, and geopolitics.In recent years, few political decisions have had a greater impact on international trade than the tariff policies introduced during Donald Trump's presidency. While much of the public discussion focused on manufacturing and technology, the ripple effects extended into agriculture, including coffee.In this episode, Jonas explains how tariffs and political tensions changed the pace of Brazilian coffee exports to the United States, why American roasters began sourcing coffee differently, and how Brazil responded by strengthening relationships with other trading partners around the world.More importantly, this conversation explores why coffee businesses can no longer afford to ignore geopolitics. Trade relationships that once seemed stable are evolving rapidly, forcing producers, exporters, importers, and roasters to rethink how they manage risk.Rather than viewing these events through a political lens, Jonas encourages us to see them as examples of how governments, trade policy, and international partnerships directly influence the movement of coffee across the global supply chain.Whether you work in coffee sourcing, importing, roasting, green coffee trading, or simply want to understand why coffee markets have become so unpredictable, this episode offers valuable insight into one of the biggest structural shifts happening in the industry today.Connect with Jonas Leme Ferraresso here:https://www.instagram.com/jonascoffeeagronomist https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonas-leme-ferraresso 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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]

Advertising SponsorMIF Coffee Business Plan Review Service: AI can write a business plan. We'll help you determine whether it will work in the real world. Email [email protected] or DM @mapitforward.coffee to get started.Episode DescriptionThis is Part 2 of a 5-part series with Brazilian coffee agronomist Jonas Leme Ferraresso and Map It Forward Founder Lee Safar, exploring what every coffee professional should understand about Brazil's 2026 harvest and what it means for the global coffee market.One of the biggest misunderstandings in today's coffee market isn't how much coffee Brazil is producing, it's how much coffee is actually available.When people hear that Brazil has coffee stored in warehouses, many assume those inventories provide a comfortable safety buffer. The reality is far more complicated.In this episode, Jonas explains the difference between coffee that physically exists and coffee that is commercially available. We discuss why warehouse inventories have become so important after the volatility of recent years, what remains from previous harvests, and why declining stock levels can amplify market uncertainty even when a new crop is arriving.This conversation also explores how producers, exporters, and traders think about inventory management after several years of weather disruptions, supply chain instability, and historically volatile coffee prices. Understanding coffee stocks isn't simply about counting bags—it's about understanding risk, liquidity, logistics, and timing.If you're trying to understand why the coffee market continues to react so strongly to seemingly small changes in supply, this episode provides critical context that goes well beyond production estimates.Whether you're a producer, importer, exporter, roaster, trader, café owner, or anyone working across the coffee value chain, this discussion will help you better understand one of the least appreciated drivers of today's coffee market.Connect with Jonas Leme Ferraresso here:https://www.instagram.com/jonascoffeeagronomist https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonas-leme-ferraresso 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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]

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 Part 1 of a 5-part series with Brazilian coffee agronomist Jonas Leme Ferraresso and Map It Forward Founder Lee Safar, exploring the realities of Brazil's 2026 coffee harvest, why expectations have shifted so dramatically, and what coffee professionals should actually be paying attention to.At the start of 2026, many analysts expected Brazil to produce a massive crop that would drive coffee prices significantly lower. But the reality on the ground has been very different.In this episode, Jonas explains what he's seeing across Brazil's producing regions, why early production estimates are changing, and how weather, harvest conditions, and farm-level realities are creating a much more complicated picture than market headlines suggest.This conversation lays the foundation for the rest of the series, where we explore market volatility, global trade, El Niño, fertilizer availability, and what these factors could mean for coffee businesses over the next two years.Whether you're a producer, exporter, importer, roaster, trader, or simply trying to understand what's happening in coffee right now, this series provides valuable context from someone working directly with coffee producers across Brazil.Connect with Jonas Leme Ferraresso here:https://www.instagram.com/jonascoffeeagronomist https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonas-leme-ferraresso 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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]

Advertising SponsorMIF Coffee Business Plan Review Service: AI can write a business plan. We'll help you determine whether it will work in the real world. Email [email protected] or DM @mapitforward.coffee to get started.Episode DescriptionThis is Part 5 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 Ana Maria Donneys, a fifth-generation Colombian coffee producer, founder of Café Primitivo in Quindío, Colombia, and President and Co-Founder of IWCA Colombia.Across this series, Lee and Ana have explored how Colombian coffee farmers are navigating one of the most volatile periods the coffee industry has experienced in decades. Together they've discussed climate, politics, financing, pricing, and what producers are experiencing as El Niño begins reshaping coffee production.In this final episode, Lee asks Ana a simple but important question:What advice would you give coffee roasters over the next 6–18 months?Ana's answer centres on relationships.She encourages roasters to speak directly with producers or importers, understand how farms are being affected by El Niño, and ask important questions about financing and payment terms before signing contracts. She explains why flexible payment structures, honest communication, and planning ahead could make the difference between producers surviving this period of volatility—or being forced to step away from specialty coffee altogether.The conversation also explores how expectations around coffee quality may need to change over the coming harvests. Ana believes dependable, repeatable coffees that create sustainable businesses for both producers and roasters may become more important than chasing increasingly scarce ultra-high-scoring lots.Lee closes the series with a direct challenge to the industry: after everything producers risk to grow coffee, the very least buyers should do is pay them on time.If you buy, roast, import, or sell coffee, this episode provides practical advice that could help strengthen your business and your relationships throughout the supply chain.Connect with Ana and Café Primitivo here:https://www.instagram.com/cafeprimitivo/ https://www.instagram.com/anadonneys/https://www.cafeprimitivocolombia.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/anadonneys/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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]

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 Part 4 of a 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar.Our guest is Ana Maria Donneys, a fifth-generation Colombian coffee producer, founder of Café Primitivo in Quindío, Colombia, and President and Co-Founder of IWCA Colombia.Throughout this series, Lee and Ana explore how Colombian coffee farmers are navigating one of the most volatile periods the coffee industry has experienced in decades, discussing climate, politics, pricing, financing, and the future of the coffee supply chain.In this episode, they tackle one of the biggest misconceptions in coffee today: the belief that historically high coffee prices mean producers are finally making good money.Ana explains why that's simply not true.Using examples from her own farm, she shows how lower yields, climate impacts, labour shortages, rising wages, and increasing production costs mean that even coffee selling above US$3 per pound may only be covering the cost of production. For many producers, there is little or no profit left.The conversation also explores the important differences between industrial coffee farming and smallholder production. Lee and Ana discuss why comparing Brazilian industrial farms with Colombian smallholder farms creates unrealistic expectations and why the future of specialty coffee will depend on innovation, mechanisation, and finding new ways to support producers before labour shortages become an even bigger challenge.If you've ever wondered why higher coffee prices haven't solved the coffee industry's problems, this episode provides one of the clearest explanations you'll hear.Connect with Ana and Café Primitivo here:https://www.instagram.com/cafeprimitivo/ https://www.instagram.com/anadonneys/https://www.cafeprimitivocolombia.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/anadonneys/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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]

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 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar.Our guest is Ana Maria Donneys, a fifth-generation Colombian coffee producer, founder of Café Primitivo in Quindío, Colombia, and President and Co-Founder of IWCA Colombia.Throughout this series, Lee and Ana explore how Colombian coffee farmers are navigating one of the most volatile periods the coffee industry has experienced in decades, discussing climate, pricing, financing, politics, and what coffee businesses should be preparing for over the next 6–18 months.In this episode, the conversation turns to politics—not from an ideological perspective, but from the practical reality of running a coffee business.Ana explains how Colombia's changing political landscape is influencing security, business confidence, labour costs, logistics, fuel prices, exchange rates, and ultimately the viability of coffee production. She also shares her perspective on the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC), explaining why it remains one of the most important institutions supporting producers through research, extension services, guaranteed coffee purchasing, and infrastructure investment.Lee and Ana also explore how international events, including conflict in the Middle East, continue to affect producers through higher freight costs, rising fuel prices, and increasing input costs. The conversation highlights an important reality: coffee businesses don't operate separately from politics. Every decision made by governments, both locally and globally, eventually finds its way back to the farm.Whether you're producing coffee, roasting it, importing it, or serving it in a café, this episode offers valuable context for understanding the broader forces shaping today's coffee economy.Connect with Ana and Café Primitivo here:https://www.instagram.com/cafeprimitivo/https://www.instagram.com/anadonneys/https://www.cafeprimitivocolombia.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/anadonneys/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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]

Advertising SponsorMIF Coffee Business Plan Review Service: AI can write a business plan. We'll help you determine whether it will work in the real world. Email [email protected] or DM @mapitforward.coffee to get started.Episode DescriptionThis is part 2 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 Ana Maria Donneys, a fifth-generation Colombian coffee producer, founder of Café Primitivo in Quindío, Colombia, and president and co-founder of IWCA Colombia.In this series, Lee and Ana explore how Colombian coffee farmers are navigating 2026’s volatility across the C Market, climate, liquidity, politics, pricing, and producer-roaster relationships.In this episode, Lee and Ana focus on El Niño and how it is already impacting the coffee harvest in Colombia.Ana explains where Café Primitivo is in the harvest cycle, what happened during the Mitaca, and why the second semester harvest may be far more difficult. She describes the practical signs farmers are seeing on the ground: higher heat, less rain, dry soil, struggling young trees, disease pressure, and cherries that may not develop properly.This conversation also looks at why Colombia is not prepared for irrigation in the way some other producing countries may be, why a smaller harvest does not automatically mean better outcomes for farmers, and why many Colombian producers are entering the second half of the year exhausted and uncertain.For roasters, buyers, importers, and coffee business owners, this episode offers an important origin-side view of what El Niño could mean for supply, quality, pricing, and producer resilience over the next 6 to 18 months.Connect with Ana and Café Primitivo here:https://www.instagram.com/cafeprimitivo/ https://www.instagram.com/anadonneys/https://www.cafeprimitivocolombia.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/anadonneys/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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]

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 part 1 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 Ana Maria Donneys, a fifth-generation Colombian coffee producer, founder of Café Primitivo in Quindío, Colombia, and president and co-founder of IWCA Colombia.In this series, Lee and Ana explore how Colombian coffee farmers are navigating 2026’s volatility across the C Market, climate, liquidity, politics, pricing, and producer-roaster relationships.In this episode, Lee and Ana discuss whether 2026 is progressing the way coffee producers expected. After a year where many people believed the price of coffee would fall sharply, the C Market moved in the opposite direction, creating new pressure for producers, roasters, importers, and the wider coffee supply chain.Ana explains why she cannot build her business around the C Market, even though the C Market still affects her. She talks about the conversations she had with clients at the beginning of the year, the importance of knowing her cost of production, and why liquidity has become one of the biggest challenges of 2026.This episode is a clear look at why coffee volatility is not just about price. It is about cash flow, risk, trust, contracts, and the ability of coffee businesses to pay each other on time.Connect with Ana and Café Primitivo here:https://www.instagram.com/cafeprimitivo/https://www.instagram.com/anadonneys/https://www.cafeprimitivocolombia.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/anadonneys/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/mapitforwardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: [email protected]

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 Part 5 of a 5-part solo series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, with founder and host Lee Safar.Climate change is often discussed as a problem for coffee producers. But the reality is that every business in the coffee supply chain depends on the health, productivity and resilience of coffee farms. When climate changes production, it changes availability. When availability changes, the effects ripple through exporters, importers, roasters, cafés and, ultimately, consumers.In this final episode, Lee explores why understanding harvest cycles has become an essential business skill for anyone working in coffee. She explains how different coffee-producing countries move through the harvest calendar, why no two origins experience the same growing conditions, and why understanding what's happening at origin can help businesses make better purchasing and planning decisions.Lee also examines the potential impact of a forecast Super El Niño and why it deserves the attention of the entire coffee industry. From Brazil and Vietnam to Colombia, Central America and East Africa, different producing regions are likely to experience different challenges. Because coffee is a perennial crop, today's weather events don't simply affect this year's harvest. They can influence flowering, tree health, productivity and coffee quality for years to come.This episode concludes the series by bringing together everything discussed over the previous four episodes. Liquidity, changing consumer behaviour, technology and geopolitics all matter. But none of them can be separated from the realities of agricultural production. Building resilient coffee businesses begins with understanding the systems that make coffee possible in the first place.Connect with Lee Safar and Map It Forward here:- https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee- https://www.instagram.com/leesafar - https://www.linkedin.com/in/leesafar - https://mapitforward.coffee 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]

Advertising SponsorMIF Coffee Business Plan Review Service: AI can write a business plan. We'll help you determine whether it will work in the real world. Email [email protected] or DM @mapitforward.coffee to get started.Episode DescriptionThis is Part 4 of a 5-part solo series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, with founder and host, Lee Safar.For many years, the coffee industry has treated geopolitics as somebody else's problem. Wars, elections, shipping disruptions, sovereign debt and currency movements were seen as issues for governments, economists and financial markets. Today, they are becoming business issues for every participant in the coffee supply chain.In this episode, Lee explores why understanding geopolitics has become essential for coffee businesses. From the Strait of Hormuz and global energy markets to fertilizer prices, shipping costs, currencies and political uncertainty in producing countries, she explains how events taking place thousands of kilometres away can directly influence the cost of producing, moving and buying coffee.Rather than focusing on headlines, this episode examines the mechanisms that connect global events to everyday business decisions. Lee discusses why markets and economics are often telling very different stories, why rising production costs may not be reflected in coffee prices, and how uncertainty creates new risks for producers, exporters, importers, roasters and cafés alike.This episode encourages coffee professionals to broaden their perspective beyond the coffee industry itself. Because building a resilient coffee business today requires understanding not only what's happening in coffee, but what's happening in the world around it.Connect with Lee Safar and Map It Forward here:- https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee- https://www.instagram.com/leesafar - https://www.linkedin.com/in/leesafar - https://mapitforward.coffee 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]

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 5-part solo series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, with founder and host, Lee Safar.Artificial intelligence has dominated conversations about technology over the past year, but the biggest transformation taking place in coffee isn't AI itself. It's the way technology is changing access to information, lowering barriers to entry, and redistributing power across the coffee value chain.In this episode, Lee explores how producers are finding new ways to connect directly with customers, how language barriers are disappearing, and why traditional advantages built on access to information are becoming less valuable than they once were. She also examines how technology is changing the way coffee businesses build relationships, make decisions, and compete in an increasingly connected world.Rather than asking whether technology will replace jobs, this conversation asks a more important question: what happens when technology changes who holds the power? From independent producers and small businesses to multinational corporations, every participant in the coffee industry is being challenged to rethink where they create value.This episode builds on the discussions around liquidity and changing consumer behaviour by exploring one of the biggest accelerators of change in coffee today. Technology isn't simply creating new tools. It's changing the structure of the industry itself.Connect with Lee Safar and Map It Forward here:- https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee- https://www.instagram.com/leesafar - https://www.linkedin.com/in/leesafar - https://mapitforward.coffee 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]

Advertising SponsorMIF Coffee Business Plan Review Service: AI can write a business plan. We'll help you determine whether it will work in the real world. Email [email protected] or DM @mapitforward.coffee to get started.Episode DescriptionThis is Part 2 of a 5-part solo series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, with founder and host Lee Safar.Consumer behaviour is changing. Not just because people have less disposable income, but because they're becoming more intentional about where they spend their money, who they buy from, and the values they expect businesses to represent. At the same time, producing countries are becoming consuming countries, technology is changing how people discover coffee, and traditional assumptions about demand are beginning to shift.In this episode, Lee explores why coffee businesses need to stop looking at consumer behaviour through yesterday's lens. The specialty coffee industry has spent years educating consumers about producers, transparency and value. Now those consumers are acting on that information in ways many businesses didn't anticipate.Drawing on observations from across the global coffee supply chain, Lee explains why growing coffee is no longer enough, why cafés are becoming beverage businesses, and why producers, exporters, roasters and cafés all need to rethink the value they create if they want to remain competitive over the coming years.This episode builds on the discussion around liquidity from Part 1 by examining another critical force shaping the future of coffee businesses: changing customer behaviour. Because understanding where demand is heading may prove just as important as understanding where coffee prices are heading.Connect with Lee Safar and Map It Forward here:- https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee- https://www.instagram.com/leesafar - https://www.linkedin.com/in/leesafar - https://mapitforward.coffee 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]

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 Part 1 of a 5-part solo series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, with founder and host Lee Safar.Every day, coffee professionals are bombarded with headlines about the C Market. Prices rise. Prices fall. Analysts speculate about Brazil, Colombia, Vietnam and the next weather event that could move the market. But while the industry is watching coffee prices, many businesses are overlooking the issue that is far more likely to determine whether they survive the next 12 months: liquidity.In this opening episode, Lee challenges one of the most common assumptions in coffee, that coffee prices are the biggest threat to your business. Instead, she argues that businesses rarely fail because the market moves. They fail because they run out of cash.Drawing on her experience working with coffee businesses around the world, Lee explores why markets and economics are not the same thing, why businesses that appear busy can still be financially vulnerable, and why understanding your working capital, cash flow and access to capital has become essential in today's coffee industry.This episode lays the foundation for the rest of the series by encouraging coffee business owners to stop reacting to headlines and start paying attention to the underlying financial health of their business. Because if you're making decisions based only on coffee prices, you may already be solving the wrong problem.Connect with Lee Safar and Map It Forward here:- https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee- https://www.instagram.com/leesafar - https://www.linkedin.com/in/leesafar - https://mapitforward.coffee 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]

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 5 of a 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar.Our guest is Augusto Amaya, Co-Founder of Arcadia Green Coffee, a company working directly with coffee producers throughout Colombia while building long-term relationships with coffee roasters across Europe.Few topics have dominated coffee industry conversations over the past several years more than price volatility. Producers, traders, exporters, importers, roasters, and consumers have all experienced the effects of dramatic shifts in the coffee market.In this final episode of the series, Augusto shares his perspective on the factors that may influence coffee prices over the next twelve months and why the industry should prepare for continued uncertainty rather than expecting stability.The discussion explores the relationship between market cycles, production forecasts, weather events, global demand, and producer economics. Lee and Augusto also examine what recent price movements may be signalling and why the challenges facing coffee producers extend far beyond the numbers displayed on a commodity exchange.One of the central themes of this conversation is the growing importance of relationships. As supply chains face increasing pressure from climate events, changing production patterns, and economic uncertainty, businesses that have invested in long-term partnerships may find themselves in a stronger position than those relying solely on market opportunities.Whether coffee prices rise, fall, or remain volatile, the questions explored in this episode reach beyond forecasting. They invite us to consider what kind of coffee industry we are building and who will be best positioned to navigate whatever comes next.Connect with Augusto Amaya & Arcadia Green CoffeeWebsite: https://arcadiacoffee.ie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/augusto-amaya-irecol/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arcadiagreencoffee/WhatsApp: https://wa.me/353877871523If 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]

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 episode 4 of a 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar.Our guest is Augusto Amaya, Co-Founder of Arcadia Green Coffee, a company working directly with coffee producers throughout Colombia while building long-term relationships with coffee roasters across Europe.Brazil plays an enormous role in global coffee production, and when developments occur there, markets tend to react quickly. Colombia, despite being one of the world's most important producers of Arabica coffee, rarely receives the same attention.In this episode, Lee and Augusto explore why that disconnect exists and whether the coffee industry may be overlooking important information as a result.The conversation examines how commodity markets respond to production news, why some origins carry greater influence than others, and what happens when market attention becomes concentrated on only a handful of indicators. Augusto draws on his experience working directly with producers and roasters to explain why conditions in Colombia deserve far more attention than they currently receive.Throughout the discussion, they explore the difference between market perception and physical supply realities, highlighting how information flows through the coffee industry and why waiting for market reactions may not always be the most effective way to understand risk.For coffee businesses looking to make better sourcing, purchasing, and planning decisions, understanding what is happening beyond the headlines may become an increasingly valuable advantage.Connect with Augusto Amaya & Arcadia Green CoffeeWebsite: https://arcadiacoffee.ie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/augusto-amaya-irecol/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arcadiagreencoffee/WhatsApp: https://wa.me/353877871523If 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]

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 is Augusto Amaya, Co-Founder of Arcadia Green Coffee, a company working directly with coffee producers throughout Colombia while building long-term relationships with coffee roasters across Europe.Climate has always influenced coffee production. What is changing is the scale, frequency, and severity of weather-related challenges facing coffee producers around the world.In this episode, Lee and Augusto explore growing concerns surrounding the recently declared Super El Niño and what it may mean for Colombia's coffee harvests in the months ahead. While weather forecasts can never predict outcomes with certainty, producers across several regions are already experiencing conditions that are raising questions about future yields and production volumes.The conversation examines how weather events influence coffee production at origin, why harvest forecasts matter throughout the supply chain, and how climate-related disruptions can create ripple effects for producers, exporters, importers, and roasters alike.Rather than focusing solely on worst-case scenarios, Augusto shares observations from conversations taking place throughout Colombia and explains how producers are preparing for increasing uncertainty. The discussion also highlights the importance of understanding risk before it appears in market reports or reaches consuming countries.As climate volatility continues to reshape agricultural systems around the world, coffee professionals may need to become more comfortable understanding weather events not simply as environmental issues, but as business realities with far-reaching consequences.Connect with Augusto Amaya & Arcadia Green CoffeeWebsite: https://arcadiacoffee.ie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/augusto-amaya-irecol/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arcadiagreencoffee/WhatsApp: https://wa.me/353877871523If 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]

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 2 of a 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar.Our guest is Augusto Amaya, Co-Founder of Arcadia Green Coffee, a company working directly with coffee producers throughout Colombia while building long-term relationships with coffee roasters across Europe.Coffee is often discussed through the lens of weather, quality, logistics, and price. What receives far less attention is the role politics plays in shaping the conditions under which coffee producers operate.In this episode, Augusto shares his perspective on the political realities currently affecting coffee-growing regions in Colombia. From government policy and institutional relationships to security concerns and confidence within rural communities, political decisions often have consequences that extend well beyond election cycles.For coffee producers, political uncertainty can influence investment decisions, access to resources, and long-term planning. For exporters, importers, and roasters, these same factors can affect supply, stability, and the future of coffee-producing communities.Throughout the conversation, Lee and Augusto explore how political developments are being experienced on the ground, what coffee professionals outside Colombia may be overlooking, and why understanding these realities is becoming increasingly important for anyone seeking to build stronger supply chain relationships.While market reports may focus on prices and production figures, the human realities behind those numbers are often shaped by political decisions made far from the farm. This episode offers valuable insight into how those decisions are affecting coffee today and what they may mean for the future.Connect with Augusto Amaya & Arcadia Green CoffeeWebsite: https://arcadiacoffee.ie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/augusto-amaya-irecol/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arcadiagreencoffee/WhatsApp: https://wa.me/353877871523If 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]

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 episode 1 of a 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward hosted by Lee Safar.Our guest is Augusto Amaya, Co-Founder of Arcadia Green Coffee, a company focused on building direct relationships between coffee producers in Colombia and coffee roasters throughout Ireland, the UK, and Europe.When people talk about Colombian coffee production, most of the attention is given to the main harvest. Much less attention is paid to the Mitaca crop, often referred to as the fly crop. Yet for producers, exporters, importers, and coffee buyers, this smaller harvest can provide important signals about what may be ahead.In this episode, Augusto explains why he believes more coffee professionals should be paying attention to Colombia right now and why the Mitaca harvest deserves far more attention than it typically receives. Drawing on conversations with producers throughout Colombia, he shares what farmers are currently experiencing, what early production data may be telling us, and how changing conditions are affecting coffee-growing communities.As climate volatility, production uncertainty, and supply chain pressures continue to increase, understanding what is happening at origin becomes increasingly important. This conversation explores why looking beyond headline market reports and paying attention to developments on the ground may help coffee businesses better prepare for what comes next.Whether you are a producer, green coffee buyer, roaster, trader, consultant, or simply someone interested in understanding how coffee moves through the supply chain, this episode offers valuable insight into one of the most overlooked parts of Colombia's coffee production cycle.Connect with Augusto Amaya & Arcadia Green CoffeeWebsite: https://arcadiacoffee.ie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/augusto-amaya-irecol/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arcadiagreencoffee/WhatsApp: https://wa.me/353877871523If 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]

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 5 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.The coffee industry faces enormous challenges, but it also presents opportunities for innovation. If producers, importers, exporters, roasters, financial institutions, and educators are willing to think differently, new financing models may help strengthen the entire value chain.In this final episode of the series, Freddy shares examples of innovative financing approaches that are already being tested. These include microfinance platforms such as Kiva, university-backed impact funds, relationship-based lending, producer prepayment programs, and alternative ways of improving liquidity throughout the coffee supply chain.Lee and Freddy discuss how access to capital remains one of the greatest barriers facing coffee producers and small coffee businesses. They explore why interest rates matter, how financing costs affect every participant in the supply chain, and why access to affordable capital is often unevenly distributed throughout the industry.The conversation also examines the role that universities, investors, entrepreneurs, and coffee businesses can play in creating new pathways for financing coffee. Freddy shares practical examples from his own work and discusses how curiosity, experimentation, and relationship-building can help unlock solutions that benefit everyone involved in coffee.In this episode, we referenced https://www.kiva.org/Why this mattersThe future of coffee will require more than higher prices and better quality. It will require new ways of thinking about risk, capital, and prosperity. Businesses that understand financing and actively participate in strengthening their supply chains will be better positioned to navigate the challenges ahead.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]

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 episode 4 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.When coffee professionals talk about improving the future of coffee, the conversation often focuses on sustainability, quality, or pricing. Much less attention is given to one of the most powerful tools available to strengthen coffee communities: prepayment financing.In this episode, Freddy shares a real-world example from Honduras that demonstrates how relatively small amounts of working capital can have a transformative impact on coffee producers and their communities. Through a conversation with producer Filander Nades, Freddy discovered that approximately USD $20,000 in pre-harvest financing could enable the hiring of dozens of workers, improve farm operations, reduce financial stress, and strengthen an entire local economy.Together, Lee and Freddy explore how prepayments can help producers secure labor, purchase inputs, avoid predatory lending, improve quality, and make better long-term decisions. They discuss the difference between investment and prepayment, why access to liquidity matters most when producers are under pressure, and how thoughtful financing structures can create prosperity rather than simply helping farmers survive.The conversation also examines how current financing systems often trap producers in cycles of debt and why many coffee businesses underestimate the positive impact that prepayment programs can have throughout the supply chain.Why this mattersCoffee producers face some of the highest levels of risk in the industry while often having the least access to affordable financing. Understanding how prepayments work, and how they can be implemented responsibly, may be one of the most practical ways for coffee businesses to contribute to a healthier and more resilient supply chain.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]

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]

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.Episode DescriptionThis is episode 2 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.If financing coffee were as simple as borrowing money and buying coffee, the industry would face far fewer challenges. The reality is that coffee financing sits at the intersection of agriculture, logistics, international trade, commodity markets, currencies, risk management, and business operations.In this episode, Lee and Freddy unpack why financing coffee is far more complicated than most people realize. They explore the multiple layers of risk that exist throughout the coffee value chain and discuss why producers, exporters, importers, and roasters all experience risk differently.The conversation examines how coffee moves through global markets, why financing decisions often involve navigating uncertainty months before coffee is delivered, and how changing market conditions can dramatically impact businesses throughout the supply chain. Freddy also explains how different financing structures evolve as coffee moves from producers to consumers and why understanding those structures is essential for making informed business decisions.Together, they challenge the assumption that coffee financing is simply a back-office function and instead present it as a critical part of building resilient coffee businesses.Why this mattersCoffee businesses are operating in an increasingly volatile environment. Rising costs, climate pressures, changing consumer behavior, and supply chain disruptions all increase the importance of understanding risk. The more coffee professionals understand the financial systems that support coffee trade, the better equipped they will be to make strategic decisions that protect their businesses and their 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]

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 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.Most coffee professionals understand coffee production, roasting, brewing, and sales. Far fewer understand the financial systems that make coffee trade possible. Yet every bag of coffee that moves from a farm to a roastery requires money to move before coffee can move.In this episode, Freddy Rivard breaks down the fundamentals of coffee financing and explains why financing is not simply about getting a loan from a bank. Together, Lee and Freddy explore how liquidity enables coffee to move across time, geography, and form, from coffee cherries on a farm to roasted coffee in a café.Freddy shares insights from his background in agriculture, microfinance, financial engineering, commodities trading, and coffee importing to explain the different actors involved in financing coffee. The conversation explores how producers, cooperatives, exporters, importers, financial institutions, and roasters all play a role in keeping coffee flowing through the supply chain.They also discuss why liquidity is often described as the lifeblood of commodity markets, how specialty coffee differs from commodity coffee in terms of liquidity, and why understanding the flow of money is becoming increasingly important during today's coffee crisis.Why this mattersMany coffee businesses focus exclusively on product, quality, and sales. However, the businesses that understand how money moves through the coffee supply chain are often better positioned to manage risk, build stronger partnerships, and navigate market volatility. This episode provides a practical foundation for understanding one of the most important, but least discussed, topics in coffee.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]

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 to the "Roasted Coffee" tier for 20 USD per month. Find other like-minded people in the coffee industry.Episode DescriptionThis is episode 5 of a 5-part series with agro-tech company cofounder and CEO, Ciro Gelvez from WSeeds and Map It Forward Founder, Lee Safar. In this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, we're discussing technology and the coffee supply chain, and what becomes possible when farm-level data is captured, managed, and used in ways that actually help coffee farmers make better business decisions.In this final episode of the series, Lee and Ciro discuss how technology can help farmers better forecast and prepare for changing climate conditions.Ciro explains why macro climate data is not enough. Coffee farms often operate across complex terrain, where microclimates can vary significantly even within a small area. WSeeds is developing IoT sensors to help measure farm-level conditions such as humidity and temperature so farmers can better understand risks related to berry borer, leaf rust, soil conditions, inputs, and yield.Lee and Ciro also discuss the role of AI. Forecasting is only useful if farmers know what to do with the information, and AI may help farmers connect their own farm data with possible decisions, lower-cost experiments, and more precise preparation.Connect with Ciro Gelvez and WSeeds here:https://wseeds.co/en/https://www.instagram.com/wseeds_col/https://www.linkedin.com/in/cirowseeds/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]

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 4 of a 5-part series with agro-tech company cofounder and CEO, Ciro Gelvez from WSeeds and Map It Forward Founder, Lee Safar. In this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, we're discussing technology and the coffee supply chain, and what becomes possible when farm-level data is captured, managed, and used in ways that actually help coffee farmers make better business decisions.In this episode, Lee and Ciro discuss the gap technology can fill in helping farmers assess and understand cost of production.Lee frames the issue through ongoing Map It Forward Patreon discussion group conversations about coffee pricing, the C market, and the industry's dependence on a futures price that is often shaped by actors far removed from coffee production. Ciro explains that many small farmers do not know their true cost of production per kilogram, per lot, per hectare, or per tree.The conversation gets into why this matters for price negotiation. A farmer who understands real-time cost of production can ask for a price based on current conditions rather than last year's assumptions.Connect with Ciro Gelvez and WSeeds here:https://wseeds.co/en/https://www.instagram.com/wseeds_col/https://www.linkedin.com/in/cirowseeds/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]

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 to the "Roasted Coffee" tier for 20 USD per month. Find other like-minded people in the coffee industry.Episode DescriptionThis is episode 3 of a 5-part series with agro-tech company cofounder and CEO, Ciro Gelvez from WSeeds and Map It Forward Founder, Lee Safar. In this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, we're discussing technology and the coffee supply chain, and what becomes possible when farm-level data is captured, managed, and used in ways that actually help coffee farmers make better business decisions.In this episode, Lee and Ciro examine how technology can help trace coffee quality as it moves through the supply chain, and where the limits of that traceability begin.Ciro explains that quality consistency starts long before coffee leaves the farm. Farm activities, fertilization, pest and disease pressure, post-harvest practices, milling, fermentation, drying, and logistics can all affect the final cup. When those steps are recorded and correlated, farmers can better understand what produced a strong result and how to repeat it.Lee pushes into the harder question: quality is not only objective. Moisture, defects, residue limits, and transport conditions can be tracked more clearly, but sensory quality depends on the person cupping the coffee and the standards they use.Connect with Ciro Gelvez and WSeeds here:https://wseeds.co/en/https://www.instagram.com/wseeds_col/https://www.linkedin.com/in/cirowseeds/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]