Tailoring support to each coffee farmer’s reality

In 2020, we performed a detailed literature review and analysis to assess if we’re focusing on the right interventions to really make a difference to farmer profitability and close the gap on living income. While we’ve always known from our origination experience that there are no one-size-fits-all solutions, we’re now re-designing ofi’s extension services model and incorporating a farmer segmentation approach, where farmers are categorized and interventions tailored according to farm size, yields, skills and willingness to invest.

For example, farmers with relatively large but low-yielding farms are connected with our pruning teams to carry out essential farm maintenance, before we provide any fertilizer or processing equipment like solar dryers. On the other hand, crop diversification, basic farm tools and additional revenue streams are more meaningful services for the poorest farmers with less than a hectare.