The "Let's Talk Coffee" global event, now in its 12th year, will take place in October 9-12, 2014 in Panama.

The conference is a gathering of supply chain partners from coffee-producing nations to discuss pressing issues in the industry, such the onslaught of coffee rust ("roya" in Spanish), a fungus that suffocates coffee trees and lowers bean yields. The event-goers will also discuss the strengthening of business relations and participate in training workshops and cuppings.

Attended by producers, roasters, financiers, and NGO representatives, more than 500 individuals within the industry will attend "the largest fair trade, organic and direct trade coffee conference in all of Latin America."

Sustainable Harvest, an importer of high quality specialty-grade coffees from over 15 nations around the world, joined together with a group of inspiring companies who use the power of business to create positive impact, creating the collaborative supply chain called the Relationship Coffee Model.

Roya threatens the entire industry, which encouraged the conference-goers to band together to support the Roya Recovery Project.

The project brought training materials and relief to those affected by the roya outbreak. Cafe Moto, Dillanos Coffee Roasters, Café Mystique, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Oikocredit, and Progreso of the Relationship Coffee Model were among the first responders when the outbreak first struck, aiding with the production and distribution of the roya training video and toolkit.

"With regional and international support, including our own Roya Recovery Initiative, [farmers] have been taking good care of their farms, applying many rounds of rich fertilizer and maintaining other good agricultural practices," said Isabel Cerqueda Garcia, a Quality Specialist and a certified Q-Grader. "On our visit we noticed the strength of the producer organizations, who have emerged stronger in this time of crisis. They are managing their supply well and are staying very conscious of cup quality-preserving heirloom varietals, separating lots, cupping for quality control, providing technical assistance to their members, and preserving quality all the way to port."

A separate "Let's Talk Roya" conference was held in November 2013 in El Salvador, and was hosted by the newly formed Coffee Farmer Resilience Initiative, comprised of Sustainable Harvest and the Inter-American Development Bank. With the assistance of other organizations, the initiative will bring $7 million in financing for renovation and re-investment to coffee farmers who need it most.

"Let's Talk Coffee" aims to ensure the longevity and growth of coffee production. The inclusive nature of the annual event sparks ideas, initiatives and business relationships, ultimately transforming and defining the future of specialty coffee.

"Our goal is to continue to work collaboratively across the industry to establish a system that ensures farmers are able to make a reasonable profit on the sale of their coffee, enabling them to invest in their farms, feed their families and ensure their children are healthy and educated," the Sustainable Harvest website stated. "This, in turn, will increase value to roasters and retailers by fostering consistency that results in customer loyalty and increases market opportunity."

Reenergizing disempowered farmers and helping them to create consistent supply to meet the growing demands of consumers is a matter of importance to Sustainable Harvest, and its founder David Griswold. Griswold founded Sustainable Harvest 15 years ago with an interest in introducing transparency throughout the coffee industry's supply chain.

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