updates

INTER-TRIBAL EXCHANGE OF ARABICA GROWING TECHNOLOGY BEGINS

2010.  Kriz Cruzado (CFP Research & Development Coordinator) facilitated the meeting of various tribal representatives in Mindanao who are involved in fair coffee production and trading.  They come from three different First Nations in Mindanao--the Dulangan Manobo from Lebak, Sultan Kudarat, the Talaandig from Mount Kitanglad in Bukidnon, and the B'laan from Mount Matutum in South Cotabato.

They shared their respective spiritual worldviews that determine their values and behaviour, especially as applied to farming practices.  They have agreed to adhere to fair trade practices as they connect with each other as they all grow, process, and sell Arabica coffee beans.  They also talked about their long-term plans of owning their own roasting machines, roasting their own coffee beans, packaging their own brands, supplying coffee in the local markets around their respective Ancestral Domains, and becoming an equal player in the coffee industry.

For now, they wanted to master the fundamentals of local Arabica farming using global quality standards.

CFP INITIATED TALKS WITH TWO MORE LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS RE ARABICA PARTNERSHIP

2009.  Joji Pantoja (CFP Chief Operating Officer) and her staff started a dialogue with Maragusan town Mayor Cesar Colina (first photo, seated behind his desk).  The two initial meetings led to an agreement to explore an Arabica planting program to help the Indigenous Peoples in the Compostela Valley (ComVal) Province in Southeastern Mindanao.  ComVal is so rich in natural resources and its geographical terrain is perfect for Arabica growing and processing.

CFP started reaching out to the ComVal farmers to introduce Arabica coffee farming as an economically- and ecologically-viable business.  We are introducing Fair Trade principles and practices in their language.  Kriz Cruzado (CFP R&D Coordinator) is in-charge of teaching the 10 Fair Trade Principles.  She also provides hands-on Coffee Classification and Quality Production training.  Joji Pantoja teaches the Supply Chain Analysis and Marketing through story-telling.

Meanwhile, in Northeastern Luzon, Dann Pantoja (CFP President & CEO) have formally presented the CFP Arabica Planting Program to the Hon. Jerry P. Pasigian (second photo, in blue shirt), Mayor of Castaneda, Nueva Viscaya.  In response, Mayor Pasigian has verbally invited, in front of his senior staff and top officials, Coffee for Peace to train the farmers here. This town is tri-bordering Nueva Viscaya, Nueva Ecija and Aurora provinces.

Training teams from both Peacebuilders Community and Coffee for Peace are set to travel to Luzon in the next few months to start the training programs in Castaneda and surrounding areas.

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COFFEE FOR PEACE WORKS WITH CORDILLERA'S COFFEE COUNCILS

2008.  Coffee For Peace (CFP) has been working with the office of the Hon. Thomas A. Killip, the Presidential Assistant in the Cordillera Administrative Region (PA-CAR), in advancing Fair Trade Principles among the coffee industry players in his region.  Dann Pantoja, CFP's Fair Trade Advocacy Director, met with Mr. Killip last January 28, 2008 in his La Trinidad, Benguet office.

Responding to a February 11, 2008 letter of invitation by Mr. Killip, CFP conducted a training seminar on "Coffee Fair Trade and Classification" for the members of the coffee councils in Benguet and Mountain Province last February 18-22, 2008.  The training seminars were held in La Trinidad, Benguet and Sagada, Mountain Province.

Richard Abellon, Jr., Chief of Staff of the PA-CAR, organized the seminars and coordinated with various government and non-government organizations that resulted in a well-attended series of seminars.  At various times, he also accompanied and introduced CFP representatives to the coffee farmers and stakeholders in the Cordillera Region.

Under the directive of the Hon. Thomas Killip, Richard Abellon and his staff facilitated the organization of the Cordillera Regional Arabica Coffee Council (CRACC).  His wife, Christine Abellon, President of the New Benguet Chamber of Commerce, took care of the many details in this budding regional coffee industry movement.  She and her group of volunteers are actively supporting the PA-CAR's initiative in organizing the CRACC.

For a year, Dann Pantoja has been visiting the Cordillera coffee councils on a quarterly basis to compare notes with them regarding the advancement and practice of Fair Trade in their industry.  He hopes that these endeavors would help build a foundation towards a mutually beneficial partnership between the CFP and the newly-organized CRACC.  Joji Pantoja, CFP's Business Director, have started coordinating with Christine Abellon about a move to upgrade the quality of Cordillera's coffee production processes in accordance with global standards.

Along with the coffee growers in Mindanao, CFP will journey the road to peace and justice with the coffee farmers of the Cordilleras.  We hope to see the coffee farmers in this beautiful archipelago become self-determining partners for a better world.

SIBULAN COFFEE FARMERS WELCOME COFFEE FOR PEACE



2007.  Coffee For Peace is feeling the need to increase our supply of coffee beans.  Because we're committed to serve fair-traded coffee only, we have to explore direct growers in Mindanao.

Through the introduction of a local spiritual leader, we met a group of farmers in Barangay Sibulan, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.  These coffee farmers belong to the Bagobo Tribe, one of the Indigenous Peoples of Mindanao or Lumad.

According to their leaders, their hard work is not compensated well by the local merchants who currently buy their coffee at a very low price.  This group of coffee growers has been looking for bulk buyers who would pay them justly.

When their spiritual leaders told their stories to us, we requested to set-up a meeting with them.  We drove through rugged terrains.  We hiked some trails.

The gathering in front of a humble home on a mountain plateau was very memorable and meaningful.  We listened to each family's journey.  We heard their struggles.  We learned a lot!

That's when we decided to propose a partnership.

We left the Bagobos of Sibulan with so much faith in their sincerity and capability to supply us with fair-traded coffee.