Coffee Innovation Network for the Implementation of Regenerative Agriculture Practices in the Mocotíes River Basin, Mérida

TRIANGULAR CO-OPERATION 2024

The Mocotíes river basin has traditionally been characterised by agricultural development centred on coffee cultivation, involving 700 coffee farmers. However, over the past few decades, certain policies have altered production patterns, leading to the abandonment of traditional shade-grown coffee farming practices. This has triggered socio-environmental disasters, such as the events of 2005 and 2021, resulting in the loss of human lives, damage to infrastructure, reduced productivity and diminished commercial development in high-quality markets.

The adoption of regenerative agriculture practices will strengthen the technical and co-creative capacities of coffee farmers and technicians, with a focus on the sustainable production of shade-grown coffee, drawing on the experiences of organisations associated with the network underpinning this proposal. The dissemination and application of these best practices will optimise crops and value chains.

To this end, the proposal is to establish a coffee innovation network comprising TECNiCAFÉ (Colombia), CIDIAT-ULA, the Phynatura Civil Association, Aprocandes and the FINNOVA Foundation, which will develop a training programme and models for regenerative agriculture, as well as tools, protocols and models for production and traceability, establishing standards for the conservation of soil, water and biodiversity.

Project objectives

Knowledge management

Focusing on high-quality coffees through the use of best practices in regenerative agriculture.

Ibero-American Network

To design and establish the Ibero-American network for regenerative coffee farming.

Coffee traceability

To develop a traceability model for speciality coffee, starting with a geographical information system and leading to an app connecting producers with the end consumer.