Innovation and resilience – ensuring the future of coffee in Puerto Rico

Since June, Cafe del Futuro has distributed $125,000 in cash incentives to 62 producers to support the adoption of climate-smart practices on farms, promoting resilience within the coffee sector.

Coffee has been an economic pillar for generations for communities in the mountains of Puerto Rico, but recent climate changes and Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 wreaked havoc on this vital industry. Given this adverse scenario, 16 coffee farmers have received economic incentives as part of the Café de Futuro project, an initiative launched in 2023 thanks to the financing from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities pilot program.

This program, implemented by NCBA CLUSA in collaboration with the Association of Puerto Rican Coffee Producers (PROCAFÉ), is working to transform coffee farming in Puerto Rico by implementing sustainable agriculture practices. These practices not only improve coffee quality and yields, but also connect producers with new markets and provide solutions to a changing environment. To date, the project has disbursed $125,000 dollars and 315,000 coffee and shade trees among other incentives to encourage agricultural practices that mitigate the effects of climate change on coffee crops.

Progress toward more sustainable agriculture

The Café del Futuro project focuses on improving coffee production through sustainable and climate-smart agricultural practices and has made significant progress since its inception. As of September 30, 2024, 450 producers have requested to participate in the project; of those, more than 300 are enrolled by complying with USDA requirements including passing a required CPA-52 environmental evaluation. The project seeks to enroll between 1,500 and 2,000 coffee farmers.

Agroforestry systems have already been put into practice on 200 farms that cover 900 acres of land. These climate-smart conservation practices focus shade-grown coffee, which protects crops and increases their resistance to the effects of climate change as well as improves quality. The long-term goal is to reach 10,000 acres under this type of sustainable management.

Since February 2024, the project has delivered 325,000 trees to 190 producers. Of these, 300,000 are climate change resistant coffee varietals, such as Obata, Acauá, Limani, Fronton and Marsellesa, provided by Puerto Rico Coffee Roasters. Additionally, 15,000 shade and high-value tropical hardwood trees, evaluated by NRCS-PR and supplied by Para La Naturaleza, have been distributed. Among the varieties delivered include Mahogany, Capa Prieto, Guaba, Venezuelan Guama, Cedro Macho and Maga.

Another significant achievement of the project has been the disbursement of $125,000 in cash incentives to 62 producers since June 2024. These incentives support the adoption of climate-smart practices on farms, promoting resilience within the coffee sector. Since its launch, Café del Futuro has signed more than 300 agreements with local coffee producers and has completed 383 environmental evaluations. In total, they have planted 300,000 coffee seedlings, along with 15,000 shade and hardwood trees on approximately 900 acres of land. The final goal is to plant 2.75 million trees, which will not only help strengthen the resilience of the farms, but also to protect the environment.

Climate-smart agricultural practices implemented under this project not only improve the farmers' capacity to face extreme weather phenomena, but also help improve the quality of Puerto Rican coffee. The mountains of the island are home to more than 2,900 coffee farmers who depend on coffee as their main source of income. However, the impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 was devastating, destroying 80 percent of the plantations and more than 18 million coffee trees.

PROCAFÉ: Promoting the renewal of the coffee sector

In response to this crisis, a group of coffee farmers created PROCAFÉ in 2018, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to revitalize the coffee growing sector of the island. PROCAFÉ promotes the planting, cultivation and harvesting of coffee for the benefit of families and communities that depend on this industry in the mountains. It also seeks to move towards a socioeconomic sustainability, promoting innovative and resilient agriculture practices in the face of climate change.

According to its president, Iris Jannette Rodríguez, it is essential to empower new generations of Puerto Rican coffee farmers through the adoption of climate-smart practices, to ensure the future of coffee on the island. PROCAFÉ, which has more than 600 members, has played a key role in the recovery of the coffee sector after the hurricanes. Its cooperative approach and sustainable vision have been crucial to the achievements achieved until now.

The impact of smart agricultural practices

One of the most notable innovations promoted by PROCAFÉ is the implementation of sustainable agriculture practices among coffee growers in the mountainous region of Puerto Rico. These include planting coffee varieties resistant to rust and to climate change, as well as the adoption of agroforestry systems that combine coffee cultivation with planting shade trees. These practices not only improve the quality of the coffee, but also help farms to be more resistant to climate changes.

The four-year Café del Futuro project is funded at $15 million, awarded to NCBA CLUSA by USDA. Of these funds, more than $8 million go directly to coffee growers in the form of economic and material incentives, while another $5 million is promoting the adoption of climate-smart practices.

Collaborating for the future of coffee

The success of Café del Futuro has been achieved thanks to the collaboration of various entities. The University of Puerto Rico (UPR)'s Agricultural Experimental Station in Mayagüez has played a fundamental role by providing scientific support for the development of methodologies that quantify the carbon footprint.

Likewise, Liga de Cooperativas de Puerto Rico (La Liga) has facilitated cooperative development education and market access for coffee growers. All these organizations have contributed to the progress of project.

Christian Rivera-Goyco, lead researcher of the UPR, has highlighted the positive impact of climate smart practices implemented through Café del Futuro. These practices not only improve the resilience of farms to climate change, but also reduce dependence on external inputs and improve the quality of coffee beans, all while reducing the carbon footprint associated with coffee production, Rivera-Goyco said.

A model for the future

By implementing these practices, Café del Futuro seeks to generate a multiplier affect that not only strengthens the economy of coffee growers, but also opens new sustainable markets including carbon markets. The project aims to promote continued carbon capture by reducing greenhouse gases, which is aligned with global climate action policies. At the same time, it reinforces the cooperative model as a form of organization that promotes sustainable development of the coffee sector.

A legacy of sustainability

Café del Futuro is not only making strides in the recovery of Puerto Rico's coffee industry, but also represents a global example in the fight against climate change. The combination of innovative agricultural practices with sustainable environmental protection offers Puerto Rican coffee growers the opportunity to improve their living conditions, while contributing to a larger effort to protect the planet.

The Café del Futuro project represents a renewed hope for the coffee sector in Puerto Rico. Through the combination of sustainable practices and financial support to producers, this initiative seeks not only to revitalize coffee production, but also guarantee a more resilient and prosperous future for the island's coffee farming families.

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