Philippines coffee farmers learn about sustainability
SOME 280 individuals in the Philippines from Benguet’s coffee farming trade and coffee farming communities attended the recently concluded Kape Kabuhayan Kinabuk a s a n Su mmit 2 0 1 8 , a conference on sustainable agricultural practices organised by Foundation for Sustainable Coffee Excellence (FSCE) and Henry and Sons in partnership with the local government of La Trinidad.
T h e Ka p e Ka b u h a y a n Kinabukasan Summit, or KKK Summit 2018, is a biannual seminar designed by FSCE to unite, educate and inspire coffee growers to pursue a more sustainable future for the industry of local coffee.
FSCE Director Emil Cuares- ma shared that the foundation, as well as the platforms and programs under it, served as avenues for establishing shared prosper ity among the local coffee growers of Benguet.
Held at the Lednicky Hall of the La Trinidad Municipal Building, the summit featured a segment on sustainable coffee farming by Professor Valentino Macanes, associate professor, Arabica coffee scientist, and consultant and resource person of the Department of Agroforestry of Benguet State University.
He stressed the importance of a multisectoral approach where every stakeholder within the coffee value chain must do its part to maintain the quality production of Arabica coffee.
A highlight was a talk by the FSCE director and Henry and Sons President Michael Harris Conlin on how to earn more from planting coffee.
Cuaresma also gave the audience a peek into the foundation’s 2018 calendar filled with programs to help reach the goal of a more sustainable coffee farming landscape.
This month marks the second run of vaccination programs i n partnership with l u x u r y b u f f e t re s t a u r a nt Vikings Philippines under the Beans for the Little Ones program for coffee farming kids of a new barangay in La Trinidad.