The world’s next generation of coffee producers face the growing challenges of climate change, global financial markets and urbanization. Often located in remote regions, many feel overwhelmed by the instability, frustrated by a lack of options and tempted to break from generations of family and community tradition.
Coffee Kids, a program of Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung, a nonprofit, coffee-focused foundation, offers Rural Business Workshops that provide young producers with access to instruction in agronomy, business advice and financing options — all to inspire them to imagine new options for themselves and devise new paths forward.
For every pound of Coffee Kids coffee we buy, we pay a 10¢/pound premium back to the young producers. And through Oct. 1, for every pound of Coffee Kids coffee you buy, we're donating 20¢/pound to Coffee Kids, to help expand the program and reach more young people.
For more insight into the program, below is an excerpt from an interview (translated from Spanish) with 21-year-old Joaquin Adonay Mejia, a young farmer in the Coffee Kids program in Honduras and a member of the Youth Committee within the UNIOCAFE producer association.
—
Coffee Kids: Are your parents involved in coffee?
Joaquin Adonay Mejia: My mom works on a coffee farm, and my dad has his own company.
CK: Since joining Coffee Kids, what opportunities do you have that you didn’t have before?
JAM: I work at a cooperative and don’t waste my time partying or spending money. I’m more focused on organizing with my partners and friends. Now I’m self-employed, and I can also employ my friends.
CK: What has been the hardest part of this process?
JAM: Getting to places away from home or the farm is hard, and I don’t have the money or ability to get it all done.
CK: What has been the best part?
JAM: Working and becoming an entrepreneur.
CK: What have your mentors been like, and how have they supported you?
JAM: They’ve given me a lot of opportunities and exposed me to a lot of other kids who are doing really good work in coffee. It’s driven me to believe that I can do it, too.
CK: What have you learned about yourself during this process?
JAM: I’ve learned I have the power to make a difference and be innovative in coffee, in my region. Compared to what my parents have done, I can make a difference and offer new ideas for the future.
CK: What’s something you’ve personally achieved this year?
JAM: My achievement is that I’m a coffee farmer and someone who has learned a lot—and still continues to learn every day! I also want to learn English soon.
CK: What do you like most about being part of the Youth Committee at UNIOCAFE?
JAM: The shared experiences and learnings. We’re always working on something together and encouraging each other.
CK: What’s your dream for your future, or for your family’s future?
JAM: My dream is to be able to make a difference and show other people that they can make a difference, too. I want to help other farmers to make more money by showing them how to produce high-quality coffee.
CK: You went into the Coffee Kids program with expectations. Have those expectations changed or were they met?
JAM: My expectations have changed dramatically. I’ve learned that I can expect much more out of my life and achieve more. Coffee Kids gave me the self confidence to think I can start my own business.
CK: What do you think might make coffee and agriculture more attractive to more young people?
JAM: I think it’s helpful to continue to share different processes that we’ve learned. What can motivate them to stay is more people sharing their knowledge about how to make better-quality coffee.
CK: Have you ever thought about leaving your farm?
JAM: I haven’t thought about leaving because there’s so much potential with coffee. •
