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Building a domestic coffee market creates an opportunity for producers to increase market demand and incomes. Several countries in Latin America and East Africa have experienced rapid growth in the local specialty coffee scene. Progress in these countries has been enhanced through partnerships with government, philanthropy and the SCA. The presentations will include an overview from several countries in Latin America and East Africa as well as a case study of Rwanda.

The presentations will focus on many of the key challenges to build a coffee culture in countries that historically produced, but did not consume specialty coffee. These include the lack of equipment, skilled baristas, local tastes, and lack of awareness within the tourism industry.

The presentations will share how some producing countries are overcoming these challenges. They will inspire the audience members from producing countries to seize the opportunities a domestic market in a producing country could offer as a countermeasure to the historically depressed C market price.

Presented By:
Kelly Stein
Journalist, COFFEA and COFFEA Trips

Adam McLean
Director, Social Enterprise - Sustainable Growers

Vera Espíndola Rafael
Development Economist, CHIHUA Consulting
Presenters
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Kelly Stein
Journalist, COFFEA and COFFEA Trips
Kelly is a freelance journalist who believes that coffee is just an excuse to make revolution. Writing about this market for Brazilian and international magazines for more than a decade, she launched the first coffee focused podcast in Brazil – called COFFEA – and the first bilingual in the world (different content for different audiences in Portuguese and English).

Based in Brazil, she recently launched COFFEA Trips to offer immersive experiences in urban and rural areas. With this new business, small producers will have an extra income and not depend financially on harvest.
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Adam McLean
Director, Social Enterprise - Sustainable Growers
Having worked in the coffee industry across 4 continents, Adam brings a wide perspective on specialty coffee consumption. In is current position he works to create sustainable growth for the coffee sector in the tourism and hospitality industry through the innovative brand Question Coffee, and hopes it can serve as a model to be used globally.
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Vera Espíndola Rafael
Development Economist, CHIHUA Consulting
In 2016, Vera started to work for the Mexican Secretary of Agriculture in the Plan for the Care of Coffee. She focused on harmonizing the elements of sustainable coffee production in the national coffee program. During this time, she formed part of the Mexican delegation for the ICO and the Mesoamerican program PROMECAFE.
Currently she continues to focus on creating strategies to improve the resilience of coffee farmers as a consultant for different sector actors as well as government.

Vera has a master’s degree in Development Economics and a bachelor’s in international business. Previously worked in the research arm at ANACAFE and subsequently as Regional Manager for Latin America at UTZ, now called Rainforest Alliance.

She is part of the Board of Directors of the SCA and currently is also Board member of the Coffee Science Foundation.
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Jean Aime Niyonkuru
Director, Sustainable Growers
Jean Aime joined Sustainable Growers in 2014, he is Currently Director at Sustainable growers Rwanda, overseeing the implementation of all program activities; he is based in Kigali/Rwanda.
Prior to his employment with Sustainable Growers, Jean Aime served six years as a zone coffee extensionist with the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) working closely with farmers in the Western Province of Rwanda. he has a strong experience of 12 years working in Coffee sector and closely to farmers.
He holds a Master’s Degree in Development studies, bachelor’s degree in Agri-Business & Rural Development and a diploma in Crop Production, he has participated in many cupping and roasting trainings.
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