An intergenerational skills gap is emerging in Latin America’s coffee sector due to underinvestment in training and education for the next generation of farmers. Talented young people, unable to gain the skills needed to progress within the sector, are abandoning coffee to find work in the cities. Such migration is contributing to high unemployment, poverty and poor living conditions in urban centres. The ageing rural workforce also represents a serious brewing problem for cooperatives and the coffee industry as a whole.

Value chain partnership

The Cenfrocafe coffee cooperative in northern Peru has 2,567 members, but only 7% are young farmers. To meet the demand for qualified workers, Twin forged a value chain partnership with Cenfrocafe, the roasters Lincoln and York, and Pret A Manger to offer an alternative educational route for young farmers. This ‘bean to cup’ partnership pools the talents, expertise and resources from along the value chain to support local job creation, add value at origin through skills-building and enterprise development, and ensure the future sustainability of the local coffee sector.

Developing the education programme

The partnership joined forces with local vocational colleges and a university to develop a new educational programme that combines business and agricultural theory with practical training. The course kicks off with a technical apprenticeship and is followed by a second semester on business planning and entrepreneurial skills. Lessons are taught both in lecture halls and on local farms by Cenfrocafe staff to foster intergenerational learning and exchange. Successful students gain a recognised qualification and the cooperative builds links with the next generation of coffee leaders and entrepreneurs.

Seed funding competition

At the end of the course, students have the opportunity to compete for seed funding from Pret, matched by Cenfrocafe, to develop their business ideas. Five business grants will be awarded for the most promising business plan proposals, with support, mentoring and shadowing provided by Cenfrocafe during the first phase of business development.

Programme outline:

  • Cooperative Management: introduces the cooperative model, as well as covering computer skills and business and financial management.

  • Sustainable Practices and Adding Value: ranges from organic farming and pests and diseases to costs analyses and machinery maintenance.

  • Coffee Quality: takes students through physical analysis, roasting, grinding and coffee cupping, including an introduction to Barista training.

  • Entrepreneurship and inclusive business: covers sales and marketing, logistics, import/export and international trade. Students also learn how to develop, write and evaluate a fully-costed business plan.

Reach: 85 young farmers (aged 16-34) enrolled on the course