Coffee for the future
A new generation of coffee entrepreneurs is now emerging in Colombia. These young people have a mission: to guarantee the sustainable continuation of coffee production, to ensure a prosperous future, for themselves and for their community.
“My grandmother is my biggest supporter”
Jorge (14 years old) is not a novice; he has been taking classes at the Technical Agricultural Institute in Guadalupe for 10 years. “My grandmother is my biggest supporter”, he tells us proudly. “My first 1,500 coffee plants were grown on a piece of land she gave me. My aim is to increase that number to 4,500. I’m very grateful for the training I’m getting. Everything I learn and all the advice I get, I try to put into practice immediately on my plantation. Soil analysis, sustainability, etc. I want to work hard, succeed and make my grandmother proud."
Coffee grower with a love for animals
Mariana (16 years old) too, can count on the support of a strong woman. "I feel happiest when I’m in nature and in the countryside. Horse riding is my great passion. Alongside growing coffee, I also want to become a vet. If I succeed in building a plantation with 4,500 coffee plants, this will really improve my family's quality of life and I’ll be able to support my mother. Even though we lost my father in 2003, my mother has always given my siblings and myself her unconditional support. She’s a really strong woman and my best friend.”
Reading, learning and rolling up your sleeves
Helping 80 young people on the road to a promising future is a great mission. However, the project 'A new generation of coffee entrepreneurs' wants to go even further and turn the 80 young people into real leaders who can pass on their knowledge and skills to their communities. The charismatic Emerson (16 years old) absolutely has these qualities. This year he was elected as a student representative at the Technical Agricultural Institute.
Emerson: "I read a lot about economics, managing and investing money. But reading alone won't get you very far, you also have to roll up your sleeves. Together with my parents, I set up my first small coffee plantation. It's hard work out in the field, but I'm convinced that we can earn enough to have a better future with coffee cultivation."
Read more about the project ‘A new generation of coffee entrepreneurs’ in Colombia.
