Guatemala and the grower as a Entrepreneur.

This year me and Emma had the great honor of being invited by the Borlaug Institute to teach in Guatemala the essentials and must know about the coffee industry to coffee growers in the area.
It was a great experience for us all, not only for the growers but also and I will only speak for my self for me.
This trip was key for me, in my carrier in this industry I have always had the grower at the center of my heart. 
Not only because I understand that with out them I would simply not be able to do what I love to do every day which is to work with coffee. Therefore since the very early stages of my work I have committed my self to help and work with them in any way I can.
To me trips to origin are not a budge to show off  how many Country's I have visited or how many co-ops I know. This trips for me represent why I started in this industry in the first place, and that is the Grower.
The grower is an entrepreneur in essence, whether he likes it or not, whether he or she chooses to or not.  

The definition of Entrepreneur is:  A person who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on financial risk to do so. 

Unfortunately as Entrepreneurs go the Coffee Grower as a 

majority,  has no training in any facet of business  administration, development, or management.  They pretty much run their business at full speed with a bandana covering their eyes. 

The majority of them rely on a system or purchase in which 90% of the time they will be taking advantage off.  When a business men or woman come to a negotiating table to sell their product they usually have an idea of how much their product cost to produce and how much profit they need to get not only to cover their bottom line but also to make a profit.  

But not the majority of coffee growers.  When they approach the potential buyer they are not sure how much their production actually cost them, or how much is their coffee really worth.  They do not understand or know how to asses the quality or place in the international market. 

When we ask each and every one of the groups that came to take part in our class not one group could answer the most basic of financial questions about their business.  
As we started to teach one thing was certain, the coffee grower wants to learn and wants to understand their place as entrepreneurs. It is important to communicate with them at a level that they will be able to understand and learn the important and most basic information that will allowed them to know the cost of their production, or their bottom line and the quality of their coffee.
I agree science, cupping , sensory skills are all important in the scope of teaching the grower, but how can all of this really make a difference when their bottom line is never met?.  How can we guaranty that the grower will stay in their field if they never get out of poverty? How important is really to teach some one how to cup their coffee when in the back of their mind is what is going to be the next time their kids eat?.
Quest Coffee International is committed to take on this challenge for the next 5 years we want to teach the grower how to be an entrepreneur.  To know their bottom line and what the quality and value of what they are selling is really worth. We will start in Chiapas, Mexico.  Focusing in 4 areas Family and their well being, Management, Quality and Assessment of their product, and finally Economics 101 how much does it cost me and how much I need to sell at.  
I am not declaring that we at Quest Coffee International know it all but I do know that there are great minds in the coffee industry who's great talents and expertise will be need it for this project. We are certain that we will have the funding need it for this project and I know that because of whom I put my trust in. I do not expect to call on any one without compensating them for their time and expertise being used for this project. So who knows you great and talented minds of the Coffee Industry might get a call from Quest Coffee to come and share your talent and knowledge with the growers. I will let you all know from time to time how things are coming along.  
So please keep us in your prayers and well wishes there is a lot to do and to many to reach but we are willing and joyful to have the opportunity to shape the Coffee Grower as an Entrepreneur.