Young
Producers & More
There is clear indication that stakeholders along the
coffee value chain are aging. It is now more important than ever to rejuvenate
the industry through the involvement of the youth.
In Latin
America, 20 percent of the region’s total population is between ages 15 and 24,
the largest proportion of young people ever in the region’s history. Across
Africa, there are currently 420 million youth between the ages of 15 and 35 –
and the number is set to double by 2045. Despite this, the average age of a
coffee farmer is above 50 years old.
There is an alarming gap growing between
aging coffee farmers and the up-and-coming generation. These youth are not only
potential coffee farmers, they are also the next generation of rural community
leaders. With globalization and the information age, people and information are
able to cross borders more freely than ever before, a net-positive for
everyone, which unfortunately brings an allure and attraction of young talent
away from agriculture.
In
coffee-growing communities, youth are often involved as members of family
smallholder estates., their employment is therefore often informal. This leads
to economic uncertainty on a personal scale.
Economic viability is
essential for coffee production to be a legitimate career path. For there to be a future workforce in coffee
production our youth must be able to generate a living income and experience
economic stability. There needs to be a paradigm shift in the approach to
coffee production to attract young producers.
In this the information age, coffee farming practices need to
incorporate new technologies utilizing smart devices which are at the
fingertips of the young. Young farmers
require instruction at their developmental and skill level, which is distinct
from technical assistance for a farmer with years of experience. The
methodology is as equally important as the content, it should be tailored to a
more youthful audience, possibly being more experiential, intensive over a
short period, innovative and technology-oriented, cultivating individual as
well as collaborative capacity.
An essential
element for youth-specific training is the incorporation of life skills. A
holistic approach developing self-confidence, self-expression, and critical and
creative thinking is paramount to the successful application of agronomy and
business techniques. To attract and engage youth in coffee production, the
following is necessitated:
- Higher
price share to coffee producers in the value chain
- More
technological applications in coffee production
- Education
to show the possibility of coffee as a viable career path for gainful
employment
Coffee-producing
countries need to employ initiatives to increase youth involvement in coffee
production to ensure a smooth transition across the generations. A poor transition will lead to inconsistency
in production quality and yields. The stability of the industry demands youth
involvement.
There
are several ways youth can get involved in coffee production
- Apprenticeships
in coffee farming
- Availability
of loans and grants to allow younger people access to buy and operate a coffee
business (farm, processor, roaster, coffee shop/café)
- Subsidization
and promotion of professional training along the coffee value chain to engender
a love for coffee and to improve the quality of the coffee available to the
consumer.
Currently,
youth are mostly involved at the retail end of the coffee value chain, many as
baristas. The average age of a barista, globally, is 24 years old. Baristas are
pivotal to the expansion of the coffee shop culture which captivates young
consumers. Investing in barista training
and certification can go a far way in spurring the increase in domestic coffee
consumption. Training courses can be
accessed through links under the Sources Courses and Lessons link in this
toolkit through partner organisations like the specialty Coffee Association
(SCA).
All along the
value chain, stakeholders need to adopt youth inclusion initiatives to
guarantee the success and sustainability from source to sip.
