Since 2006, CGN has been teaching the cultivation of Arabica coffee using agroforestry methods and providing seedlings to many communities in the Cordillera region. These projects are designed to simultaneously improve the environment and the livelihoods of the indigenous people of the Cordillera Administrative Region.

In addition, we have taught farmers how to process, dry, sort, and store coffee beans after harvest. This has improved the quality of the harvested coffee, and the profits from its sale can be used to increase the income of the indigenous people steadily.

 

Local and international coffee experts help improve the quality of coffee produced in CGN's project areas, including Hirofumi Yamamoto, a Japanese coffee expert who studied at Benguet State University (BSU) from 2013 to 2015.

In the Cordillera region, many coffee farmers do not have post-harvest processing equipment. It takes a lot of labor and time to extract the coffee beans (seeds) from the coffee berries.

CGN is calling for crowd-funding and donations and, through grants and other means, is providing coffee farmer organizations with equipment for the post-harvest processing of coffee. We are also working on a human resource development project for coffee quality management in coffee-producing regions.

Establishment and Dissemination of Standards to Improve the Quality of Arabica Coffee in the Northern Mountainous Region of the Philippines 

 

Project duration: April 2015 - March 2018

Partner Organization: Peace and Environment Moyai Net, Japan

Grant: Japan International Cooperation Foundation

In charge: Renato Guilingen / Lily Jamias

 

Coffee has been grown in the Philippines for centuries, but in the Cordillera region, coffee has only been grown as a backyard tree. CGN partnered with the nonprofit Peace and Environment Moyai Net to implement a coffee quality improvement project to improve the quality and volume of Arabica coffee production in the mountainous region. CGN believed that coffee farmers in the Cordillera could benefit from the organization's experience in Timor-Leste.

 

The aim of the project was to provide coffee farmers in the Cordillera with an understanding of the quality of coffee that is considered to be of world standard and to teach them processing techniques to achieve this standard. To achieve this, CGN also partnered with the Benguet Coffee Council (BCC) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-CAR to provide training on how to evaluate coffee quality standards.

The project targeted coffee farmers. The activities included

 

- Hands-on training for coffee farmers in remote areas

- Post-harvest processing, grading methods, disease and pest control, and the maintenance of old-growth trees 

- Providing training to farmers on all aspects of the quality of their coffee

- Published and distributed three farmers' manuals on processing and maintenance.

- Mutual learning through the exchange of ideas with other farmers in the Cordillera.

 

In 2016, CGN took three coffee farmers to Timor-Leste to learn from coffee farmers how to make a machine called a pulper. This machine is used to peel coffee beans after harvesting.

In December 2017, we also invited staff from an NGO that ran a coffee project from Timor-Leste to the Cordillera region and visited Kapangan and Kibungan in Benguet province to conduct training for coffee farmers. Seminars were also conducted in Baguio for coffee farmers in different areas in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture-CAR. 

 

The duration of this project was for three years. In the following municipalities, we introduced world coffee quality standards, provided training on processing techniques to improve quality, and supplied peeling machines(pulper) for processing.

 

Benguet Province

 - Itogon (Ampucao, Gumattan)

- Kibungan (Sagpat)

- Bokod (Kalao)

- Kapangan (Sagubo, Poblacion, Lubueg)

- Tublay (Daclan, Ambasador)

- Buguias (Baculongan Sur) 

- Mankayan (Cabiten, Tabio)

 

Mountain Province

 - Bauko (Bila)

 - Sabangan

 - Bontoc

  

Kalinga Province

- Lubuagan (Mabilong)

- Pasil

 

In this project, Mr. Hirofumi Yamamoto, a Japanese national, supervised the farmers in planting and post-harvesting. Lily Jamias, a certified forester, assisted Mr. Yamamoto. Yamamoto also taught Lily Jamias and other community leaders in the coffee-growing areas how to evaluate green coffee bean flavor.

Organizational strengthening project to improve coffee quality for coffee growers in Tublay municipality, Benguet Province, Philippines

 

Project site: Daclan, Ba-ayan, Tublay, Benguet Province

Project duration: July 2016 - March 2019

Partner organization:WE21 Japan

Grant: JICA Yokohama

In charge: Renato Guiligen

 

The municipality of Tublay in the province of Benguet is known for pioneering the production of Arabica coffee in the Cordillera region. To promote reforestation and establish coffee as a major industry in the municipality, the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) has distributed a large number of coffee seedlings. This is because coffee agroforestry production can alleviate poverty in communities where farmers are the majority. At the same time, it protects the environment.

 

Women in the 21st Century (WE21) is a non-profit organization (NPO/NGO) in Japan whose main activity is the operation of thrift stores for clothing and household items, which are sold in more than 50 stores throughout Kanagawa Prefecture.

 

WE21 shared its organizing experience with the coffee farmers' organizations in the Tublay. WE21 trainers taught the organizations how to properly plan and implement the project, enabling them to become more self-sufficient. WE21 leaders emphasized the importance of individual skills in the growth of an organization.

 

As part of the project's activities, the coffee farmers also visited advanced coffee producer organizations in Sumatra, Indonesia, and other parts of the Philippines. WE21 and CGN provided post-harvest processing equipment, including pulpers to peel harvested coffee cherries and drying equipment to improve the quality of their produce. 

 

In addition, personnel from the organization were selected as quality inspectors to ensure that the green coffee beans were in good condition as part of the project's activities. Organizational links among the farmers were strengthened by having the farmers exchange ideas.

Training of post-harvest coffee processing and Cooperative management for small scale farmers

 

Project Duration: October 2019 - March 2020

Partner organization: Manalabo Environmental and Peace Learning Design

Grant: JICA Foundation for the People of the World 

In Charge: Virginia Awidan

 

Recently, the Dayukon Farmers Agricultural Cooperative (DFAC) in Barangay Sagbo, Kapangan, Benguet experienced an increase in coffee production. Therefore, the project provided training on coffee processing techniques and post-harvest processing equipment to the farmers. In order for the organizations to obtain Fair Trade certification, the project also conducted organizational strengthening seminars.

 

1. Establishment of a small processing station and provision of processing equipment

 The project provided three small manual pulping machines, and containers for use at each stage of coffee post-harvest processing. Simple drying facilities and drying trays were also provided.

 

 2. post-harvest technical training

 We invited Mr. Hirofumi Yamamoto, who provides production guidance from the farmer's perspective in emerging coffee producing countries in Asia, as a lecturer and conducted training for farmers.

 

 3. Cooperative Management Strengthening Seminar

An organizational strengthening program was conducted for DFAC members, and a workshop was held to provide them with the knowledge necessary to apply for International Fairtrade certification. Ms. Erika Siaron from the Asia Pacific Producers Network (NAPP) and an official from the Cooperative Development Agency (CDA) were invited as trainers.