The Adoption of Bundled Sustainable Farm and Environmental Practices by Coffee Farmers in Southwest Ethiopia

Despite numerous efforts to introduce sustainable farm and environmental practices (SFEPs), such as pruning, soil erosion control, and water pollution abatement measures), their adoption by smallholder farmers is awfully low in Ethiopia. As a result, smallholder coffee farmers in the country remain in poverty traps even if there is room to enjoy coffee returns by doubling the yield by implementing sustainable practices. On the other hand, most previous coffee sustainability studies focus on the economic, livelihood, and poverty alleviation impact of private sustainability standard schemes. Despite the holistic advantages of the adoption of bundled SFEPs over individual adoption practices, it has been overlooked by earlier scholars in the country. In southwest Ethiopia, few farmers applied sustainable coffee farm practices (particularly pruning, stumping, the use of fertilizer, and mulching), and the yields gained by the farmers are quite low. Therefore, this study seeks to examine the factors affecting the adoption of bundled SFEPs and their intensity at the farm household level in southwest Ethiopia based on cross-sectional data obtained from 153 sampled coffee farm households for the 2019/2020 cropping season. The study results showed that the farmers’ adoption of different SFEPs depended on farm and management characteristics (total size of coffee holdings, multiple plots, remoteness of coffee farm, hired labor, and farming experience), socioeconomic variables (literacy, household size, and training), and Fairtrade coffee certification. Likewise, the intensity of SFEPs implementation is influenced by literacy and hired labor. Providing training and supplementing coffee farmers with farm equipment used for SFEPs, promoting small-scale mechanization options to address seasonal labor constraints, as well as strengthening Fairtrade organizations will facilitate the adoption of multiple SFEPs by coffee farmers in the country.

Influence of Environmental Microbiota on the Activity and Metabolism of Starter Cultures Used in Coffee Beans Fermentation

Microbial activity is an integral part of agricultural ecosystems and can influence the quality of food commodities. During on-farm processing, coffee growers use a traditional method of fermentation to remove the cherry pulp surrounding the beans. Here, we investigated the influence of the coffee farm microbiome and the resulting fermentation process conducted with selected starter cultures (Pichia fermentans YC5.2 and Pediococcus acidilactici LPBC161). The microbiota of the coffee farm (coffee fruits and leaves, over-ripe fruits, cherries before de-pulping, depulped beans, and water used for de-pulping beans) was dominated by Enterobacteriaceae and Saccharomycetales, as determined by llumina-based amplicon sequencing. In addition, 299 prokaryotes and 189 eukaryotes were identified. Following the fermentation process, Pichia and the family Lactobacillaceae (which includes P. acidilactici) represented more than 70% of the total microbial community. The positive interaction between the starters resulted in the formation of primary metabolites (such as ethanol and lactic acid) and important aroma-impacting compounds (ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, and ethyl isobutyrate). The success competitiveness of the starters towards the wild microbiota indicated that coffee farm microbiota has little influence on starter culture-added coffee fermentation. However, hygiene requirements in the fermentation process should be indicated to prevent the high microbial loads present in coffee farm soil, leaves, fruits collected on the ground, and over-ripe fruits from having access to the fermentation tank and transferring undesirable aromas to coffee beans.

A Study of Regenerative Farming Practices and Sustainable Coffee of Ethnic Minorities Farmers in the Central Highlands of Vietnam

Coffee is highly vulnerable to climate change, thus impacting coffee-dependent livelihoods and economies. As rising temperatures continue to reduce the suitability of many historical coffee-growing regions, some farmers are practicing regenerative, organic coffee farming as a means of climate change mitigation. In the Central Highlands, the primary coffee growing region of Vietnam, conventional sun-grown, monocrop coffee requires intensive inputs, including fertilizers, pesticides and water. However, some farmers are converting their conventional sun farms to organic shade farms utilizing regenerative farming techniques for both environmental and economic reasons. This study examined regenerative farming practices and sustainable coffee in a small ethnic minority village in Lâm Ðồng province. The comparative analysis between soil samples taken from a regenerative shade-grown coffee farm and two conventional sun-grown coffee farms revealed that the soil of the regenerative farm, enriched with organic manure, is comparable to, or healthier than, the soil on the conventional farms enriched with chemical fertilizers. The results indicate that regenerative farming practices promote biodiversity; however, they also maintain microclimates that promote the growth of Roya fungus, which can decrease coffee yields. The economic analysis of farm costs and net returns found that regenerative farming practices decrease external inputs through a system of crop diversification and integrated livestock production that improves productivity and economic performance while preserving the ecological and environmental integrity of the landscape. Regenerative agriculture is an important step toward climate change adaptation and mitigation; however, in order for the farm communities in the Central Highlands to make the transition to regenerative agriculture, the success factors and benefits of this method must be demonstrated to the coffee farmers.

Climate Change and Coffee Farm Relocation in Ethiopia: A Real-Options Approach

Climate change and emerging pests and diseases may negatively affect coffee yields and revenues in Ethiopian regions at low altitudes. Hence, the relocation of coffee farms to regions at higher altitudes has been suggested in order to assure sustainability and resilience for Ethiopian coffee production. In this paper, we study how sunk establishment costs, uncertain net returns and policy-induced incentives may affect the timing and value of a coffee farm relocation. This is done by developing a real-options model taking into account the relevant drivers of the farmer’s decision to relocate. We then present an empirical analysis examining a hypothetical relocation. We show that relocation is a rather attractive opportunity even though the presence of volatile net returns and relatively high establishment costs may induce its postponement. Thus, we determine the optimal amount of subsidy needed in order to foster the relocation process.

ANALYSIS OF TECHNIQUE FOR ORDER PREFERENCE BY SIMILARITY TO IDEAL SOLUTION IN DETECTING COFFEE BEAN QUALITY

Decision support system is a science that can be applied in various fields to be able to assistdecision makers in supporting not as absolute decision makers. As a decision has a reliablemethod in each case or data processed. Like TOPSIS is a very good method in helpingdecision making that is implemented well in a system. In this paper, detection is carried out tohelp support decisions on quality coffee beans. Coffee is a typical drink from variouscountries. Coffee produced from quality coffee beans and coffee farm fields. So that the finalresult of this paper is to get the best value for detecting quality coffee beans based on 3 coffeebean farming fields, in which the three fields are labeled with A1 and the optimal criterionvalue is 0.61.

A Better Brew: COVID-19 and Sustainable Outcomes for Coffee Tourism in Ali Mountain, Taiwan

COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the global economy in an unprecedented manner, which includes the coffee industry. This paper seeks to provide insights as to how coffee farmers on Ali Mountain, Taiwan transitioned to sustainable futures as an outcome of the pandemic. A case study approach is adopted to explore how COVID-19 influences the coffee business and corresponding tourism implications, along with crisis management strategies for a post-pandemic era. Through a case study approach, the study revealed that the current pandemic has conditioned the perception of risk towards all actors of the coffee estate and thereby causing a shift in consumer preference. Despite the adaptive strategies employed by the business to establish some form of normality, the coffee estate operation in Ali Mountain remains reactive to crises and disaster in the absence of a strategic and holistic plan to deal with situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Theoretical and practical suggestions are provided to inspire coffee farm owners in terms of disaster management scenarios, sustainable anti-pandemic strategies, as well as the desire and quest for industry resuscitation and activation.

Control of Digitaria insularis resistant to glyphosate using a combination of herbicides in coffee farms

Coffee has a significant economic, social, and cultural impact on Brazilian society, generating jobs for thousands of Brazilians. Good management practices such as weed control have direct and indirect benefits on coffee yield and quality. Currently, there is an increase in the infestation rate of Digitaria insularis in coffee plantations due to chemical resistance to glyphosate. In the literature, the study of the combination of glyphosate with different herbicides has been investigated, aiming at improving the efficiency of the control of Digitaria insularis. The objective of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of control of the Digitaria insularis in a coffee farm using a combination of glyphosate with clethodim and phenoxaprope-p-ethyl. Trials were conducted in a commercial coffee farm in southern Minas Gerais in a field with a two-year-old cultivar IAC Catuaí 144. The experiment was conducted under a completely randomized design with five treatments and four replications, totaling 20 experimental plots. Thirty and ninety days after application, the plant numbers were counted and the visual analysis with the use of drones and the digital camera. The results show that the use of glyphosate alone was not efficient in the power of Digitaria insularis. The results show that the herbicide mixtures were efficient in the control.

Livelihood strategies of smallholder coffee farmers: case study in Simalungun, North Sumatera

The majority of coffee in Simalungun is produced by smallholder coffee farmers who have several issues, including limited working capital, access to knowledge, technology and market information. These issues have impacted on low productivity that further has caused the low income obtained from coffee farm. The aim of this research is to understand the livelihood strategies applied by smallholder coffee farmers and to analyze the contribution of coffee to the household farmers’ income. A household survey has been carried out in 2018. The survey was conducted in Silimakuta, Dolok Silau, Purba, Pematang Silimakuta, Dolok Silau, and Pematang Purba sub districts. There were 200 smallholder coffee farmers interviewed in this research. The research showed that the majority of coffee farmers applied diversification livelihood strategies. The smallholder coffee farmers are also maintaining diverse and highly intensive horticulture production, such as citrus, potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage and chili. The research results indicate that coffee consist only part of the smallholder coffee farmers livelihood. However, coffee plays important contribution as source of smallholder coffee farmers’ income, with average coffee contribution to smallholder household farmers accounted for 42.30% to household farmers’ income. The income gained from coffee is generally spent to meet staple food needs, particularly to buy rice.

Transformation Toward Sustainability on a Costa Rican Coffee Farm

This case study examines how smallholder coffee producers can overcome the economic and environmental challenges from dominant production structures of agrochemical application and the sale of unprocessed beans at low, market-determined prices. This study is guided by the questions posed by local coffee farmers themselves: How can one successfully shift away from wasteful and harmful practices to those that support the health of the family, community, and environment? We track how El Toledo Coffee Farm in Costa Rica has harnessed natural systems and knowledge sharing, facilitated by international travel to transform challenges into opportunities. Here, we highlight how this family-run coffee farm has (1) implemented agroecological methods, (2) harnessed economic benefits of processing organic coffee and developing innovative products from coffee fruits, and (3) examine psychological factors that have made these transformations possible. By examining the development of integrated coffee production from three distinct academic perspectives, we found that mental flexibility and receptiveness to new ideas, combined with an appreciation of sustainable, traditional practices and values, have spawned various beneficial agroecological practices. These ideas and practices were often initiated by interactions with visitors to the farm, supporting the idea that globalization can foster sustainable food systems and promote collective ecological action through knowledge transfer and shared concern for local environments and communities. The mentality of embracing challenges as opportunities to invest in healthy soils and agroforestry and expand their business model by offering tours and varied products replicates ecological resilience attained through diversity.