Youth On Our Side

We meet the next generation of coffee producers and discover the future of coffee is in safe hands

While there’s no doubting the experience and knowledge older generations bring to coffee farming, every industry needs young blood to keep it moving forward. Yet with the average age of coffee farmers now 56, according to the Specialty Coffee Association, there are concerns over whether the industry is doing enough to attract and retain the younger generations. We talked to some of coffee’s brightest young stars to discover what skills they bring to the table.

Ricardo Canal’s family farm, Finca La Lomita in Cali, Colombia, converted to speciality coffee after the commodity market price hit an unsustainable low in 2012-14 and has formed productive partnerships with Vagabond and Catalyst. Ricardo sees the lack of younger people in coffee farming as a problem that extends beyond the farmers themselves.

“Sadly, the reality is that the younger generations see work in the fields as a step backwards in terms of social mobility,” he says. “The industry must do more to recognise the contribution not just of farmers, but of field workers in general.”