Caravela Coffee renews its commitment to supporting World Coffee Research

Caravela Coffee has announced it will give $130,000 over the next two years to support the entire research-and-development agenda of World Coffee Research (WCR).

Caravela Coffee is a longtime supporter of WCR through WCR’s Checkoff Program, in which a tiny portion—usually pennies per pound—of the price of green coffee purchased by a roaster supports WCR’s efforts to foster sustainable coffee production. Caravela matches its roasters’ contributions dollar-for-dollar, and the company’s new $130,000 pledge will be paid through a combination of the matching contributions triggered by their roasters and an outright contribution.

Caravela works directly with over 4,500 producers across eight countries in Latin America, 90 percent of which are smallholders. Half of the Caravela team—over 80 people—are agronomists or cuppers providing training, technical support, and cupping feedback to producers in Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru. With import offices in Europe, North America, and Australia—plus staff throughout coffee-producing countries—Caravela Coffee is dedicated to bridging the gap between specialty coffee roasters and smallholder coffee farmers, focusing on quality and long-term sustainable relationships.

Having a strong impact at origin is an area of focus for Caravela. The company is deeply rooted in the communities where it works, not only by investing in infrastructure but also by employing local people. Caravela strives to develop long-term relationships in these communities that help its members thrive economically.

Caravela is also committed to supporting coffee farmers by helping them gain access to the tools and information they need to run successful businesses. One of the WCR initiatives Caravela has supported is the International Multilocation Variety Trial (IMLVT), which brought 35 top varieties of Arabica coffee to 23 countries around the world for rigorous testing and evaluation to see how different varieties perform in different environments.

For Alejandro Cadena, Caravela’s CEO and cofounder, supporting WCR’s initiatives—from the IMLVT to plant breeding research and beyond—is the most worthwhile investment any coffee company can do for the future of coffee. “The coffee industry needs to invest more in science and hard facts, as they are so key to informing our decisions affecting coffee’s future and to help growers cope with the enormous risks and challenges that they are facing,” Alejandro says. “Every year we make a substantial investment in technical training through our Grower Education Program (PECA), but the impact of this investment could be doubled or even tripled if we had the kind of data and analysis that is available for almost every other crop grown in the world. I hope more companies will join us in investing in supporting science.”

WCR is thrilled to have Caravela Coffee’s continued support in the years ahead, and looks forward to putting the funds towards key investments that will help the future of coffee. “Caravela Coffee has been a trusted and committed ally of World Coffee Research,” says Tim Schilling, WCR’s founder and CEO. “They demonstrate their commitment to protecting the future of coffee communities every day through their business, as well as through their important long-term contributions to WCR. We’re proud to continue this partnership with them.”