18 May 2009
“The trip was organized from the UK by the London School of Coffee and Mercanta for one week during the coffee harvest in Nicaragua. This was a great opportunity to see the work that farmers, co-operatives and local communities are having in improving the quality of life. The weeklong event was hoasted by Jinotega Coffee Project which support small and medium sized coffee farms in the Jinotega region. Formed in 2006 as a joint venture between the AECID ( Spanish Agency for International Support & Development) and The Nicaraguan Agricultural Ministry, it promotes the development of the specialty coffee sector in the local area and improve the living conditions of the local community.
One of the main purposes of the Jinotega Coffee Project is to improve access for women to enter management and encourage the younger generation to remain in education and help to improve social mobility. During the trip we visited a number of growers, co-operatives, wet mills and dry mills throughout the local area. It has allowed me to gain a better insight into how paying that little bit more for coffee can have a dramatic impact not only upon the growers but also on the local community.
It was a great experience that has made me appreciate the hard work that goes into producing the coffee beans that many of us take for granted.”
Terry Osborn
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