Phase 1: Diagnosis

Study the industry in the country, reading the existing reports. In most cases, there already exists a substantial body of information relating to the coffee industry in each country. As these reports can already contain recommendations for courses of action, they often constitute a useful source of information on which to base a strategic plan.

Foster the emergence of a dialogue between key industry stakeholders, from growers to processors, traders, financiers, exporters, government agricultural officials, coffee boards, research institutions, ministries, and civil society, in order to identify in a participatory manner the key constraints and challenges. This process allows then to start building a 5 – 10 year time-frame industry vision. These meetings also create the opportunity to identify what is working well, the optimum working conditions, and how they can be replicated.

We start from what is working well – rather than from what is not – as a more effective way of releasing people’s potential. We also seek to bring to the fore the tacit knowledge which exists within the industry, but which is not being accessed due to a lack of channels of communication.

Phase 2: Development of a coordinated strategic plan

Set up working groups to examine key opportunities and constraints which have been identified. This may include the areas of:

• research and multiplication of seedlings
• provision of extension services
• inputs supply
• availability of credit to farmers
• organisation of farmer groups for better representation and marketing
• efficiencies of the internal marketing system

At this stage, our objective is to access some of the tacit knowledge which exists within the industry but is not being applied for its benefit. The growers usually have clear ideas on how best they may resolve the challenges which they face; exporters usually have strong views on how things may be improved. By listening to the stakeholders, and having their direct input into the process, not only is their knowledge used to benefit the industry, but they also begin to take ownership of the process of change.

Set up a stakeholders’ meeting, bringing together the different sectors of the industry, to review and discuss the findings and recommendations of the groups under the different headings. The goal of such a meeting is to agree the outline of a strategic plan for the coffee sector, and how it can be implemented. It also highlights the priorities which need to be addressed first. This stakeholders’ meeting may then become an annual event for the national coffee sector. Its purpose is then to review the effectiveness of the agreed plan’s implementation, to shed light upon the successes and failures of the previous year, and to agree a work plan for the following year. The review covers what is going on in both the social and commercial environment.

Phase 3: Implementation of the agreed plan

The implementation of the agreed plan, based on a shared vision of where the coffee sector wants to go in the coming 5 – 7 years, constitutes a major challenge and a long-term commitment.

Within the first 12 – 18 months, we aim to establish a National Steering Committee, elected by a stakeholder meeting, with clear terms of reference. The terms of reference are for developing the agreed plan into a detailed annual work plan, and then taking this out into the coffee districts/regions. With the priorities identified in the stakeholder meeting, the committee will be tasked with setting up the detailed work programme. Following this, the committee will need to liaise with the various stakeholders who will be in charge of implementing specific tasks. These tasks mainly comprise activities related to accelerating the multiplication of improved coffee varieties. Typically, there will also be work with inputs suppliers to promote and coordinate their activities in the producing areas, so as to give farmers easier access to good quality, reliable inputs.

In the following 12 – 18 months, the formation of regional or district steering groups becomes the priority, with the aim of ensuring that farmers begin to receive better services at local level. This includes extension advice from district agricultural officers, inputs supply and possibly recommendations about savings and credit.

We find that it is pivotal to work at a national level, but there is also much to be done with the farmers in the production zones. Much depends on the ownership of the vision, and the cooperation and motivation of the different institutions and organisations, at local level.  These institutions and organisations need to interface with the growers themselves to bring about the change required.

It needs to be recognised that the newly-established national and local steering committees are “ad hoc” committees, and do not actually have the authority to direct or manage activities. This remains the responsibility of the organisations and institutions, both public and private sector. The committees can diagnose the state of the industry and the pending needs. By identifying the critical issues and proposing priority activities, they can influence the actions taken in the field. They constitute a forum for review and provide support for the institutions involved.

Regional groups will need to include representatives of production-level stakeholders, including farmers, traders, processors and regulators. Regular meetings can greatly contribute to better communication, cooperation and a shared vision among the sector at local level.

These groups also provide ownership among farmers of the national plans and objectives, and give coffee its proper place on the district agendas. In recent years coffee has often been subordinate to other crops perceived to be more important (such as foodstuffs), more “modern” (such as horticulture or floriculture) or more interesting (such as spices, vanilla or other exotic plants). Coffee continues to be one of the potentially most remunerative crops for smallholders. Coffee combined with certain food crops can enhance the productivity of both crops, and improve farmer incomes. However, in order to achieve reasonable rates of return, it is vital that productivity and quality receive the attention needed to reach consistent and remunerative levels.

In order to reach large numbers of smallholder farmers, the government institutions, which traditionally played that role, need to be motivated and mobilised into action. For change to be sustainable, we consider that it is not sufficient to adopt just a “project” approach. The time has come to up-scale. Since we aim to target long-term development, the strategy of change has to be endorsed at state level.