MAP IT FORWARD Middle East

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This episode is brought to you by CoffeeListings.com by Map It Forward. The marketplace where the coffee world does business. Launching Sept 17th, 2026. Follow https://www.instagram.com/coffeelistings/ to stay updated.

Episode Description

This is part 2 of a new 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward hosted by Lee Safar. Our guest on the podcast for this series is Norbert Niederhauser, co-founder and Impact & Sustainability Officer at Cropster.

In this episode, Lee and Norbert explore where sustainability is most lacking across the coffee supply chain.

Norbert starts with a blunt observation: in many places, the current system itself is evidence of unsustainability. Farmers often lack the income, economic power, and resilience needed to absorb shocks. Traders can fail when market volatility becomes too extreme. Roasters can struggle when coffee costs rise faster than their ability to adjust pricing. Meanwhile, environmental systems including soil, water, and land continue to deteriorate.

The conversation looks at why these problems rarely have quick fixes. Coffee is an agricultural product built around long cycles, fragmented relationships, and global supply chains. Changing farming systems can take years. Rebuilding sourcing models, customer expectations, pricing, and internal business structures also takes time and resources.

Lee and Norbert discuss how fragmentation makes sustainability harder, but also creates an opportunity. Different farmers, roasters, and supply-chain partners can experiment with better models without having to change the entire industry at once. The challenge is making successful ideas transferable so that they can be adopted by more businesses rather than remaining isolated examples.

They also explore how business owners can identify unsustainable parts of their operations before they become a crisis. Norbert recommends looking at the business from all sides: economics, employees, supply chain, sourcing, external risks, and what happens when assumptions change.

A major part of the conversation focuses on coffee businesses that were built around cheaper coffee and are now waiting for prices to fall back to where they used to be. Lee and Norbert challenge that approach and discuss why relying on the C-market as the main indicator of what coffee should cost may no longer reflect the realities of producing coffee sustainably.

Norbert also explains why sustainability cannot exist in a silo. A business may protect its own margins for a period of time, but if the farmers, suppliers, environment, or other parts of the system it depends on become unsustainable, that eventually becomes a risk to the business itself.

The episode closes with a practical recommendation for businesses wanting to assess where they stand: use frameworks such as B Corp as a way to ask better questions about the economic, environmental, workforce, and supply-chain impacts of the business, even if certification itself is not the goal.

Contact Norbert Niederhauser and Cropster:

Website: https://hubs.la/Q04w4bKG0

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cropster/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/norbertniederhauser/

If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series.

***************************************

About Map It Forward

The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain.

Website: https://mapitforward.coffee

Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward

‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward‍ ‍

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/

Contact: [email protected]

Advertising Sponsor
This episode is brought to you by Arcadia Green Coffee, Colombian coffee exporters taking fresh green coffee from Colombia to the world, farm to roastery, direct. New office now open in the UK.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arcadiagreencoffee/
WhatsApp: https://wa.me/353877871523

Episode Description

This is part 1 of a new 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar. Our guest on the podcast for this series is Norbert Niederhauser, co-founder and Impact & Sustainability Officer at Cropster.

Norbert returns to the podcast eight years after his first appearance on The Map It Forward Podcast in 2018. In this new series, Lee and Norbert are exploring what sustainable coffee supply chains actually look like, where the industry is falling short, and what needs to change if coffee is going to remain viable in the decades ahead.

In this episode, the conversation starts with a basic but increasingly difficult question: what does sustainability in coffee actually mean?

Norbert argues that sustainability cannot be reduced to carbon emissions, packaging, or environmental initiatives. It has to include the full ecosystem around a business, including employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders, the environment, and whether the decisions being made today allow everyone involved to continue operating into the future.

Lee and Norbert also discuss the relationship between capitalism and sustainability, why economic sustainability has to remain part of the conversation, and what happens when shareholder return becomes the only measure that matters.

The discussion moves across the coffee supply chain, from farmers and traders to roasters and consumers, and looks at the responsibility each participant carries. They also explore the risk involved in changing established sourcing and business practices, why sustainable change often needs to happen gradually, and why businesses need to be transparent about what they have and have not yet achieved.

For roasters considering changes to sourcing, product strategy, or customer communication, Norbert’s advice is practical: start somewhere, test the change, communicate honestly, avoid greenwashing, and stay with the process long enough for customers to understand why the change matters.

This episode sets up the central question for the series: what would it actually take to build a coffee supply chain that can continue functioning for everyone involved?

Norbert first appeared on The Map It Forward Podcast in Episode 28 in 2018: https://www.mapitforward.coffee/podcasts/the-map-it-forward-podcast-episode-28-with-norbert-niederhauser

Contact Norbert Niederhauser and Cropster:

Website: https://hubs.la/Q04w4bKG0

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cropster/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/norbertniederhauser/

If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series.

***************************************

About Map It Forward

The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain.

Website: https://mapitforward.coffee

Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward

‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward‍ ‍

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/

Contact: [email protected]

Advertising Sponsor
Get “The Coffee Report by Map It Forward” directly to your inbox every Friday by signing up for either our Green Coffee or Roasted Coffee Patreon tiers in our Patreon community. Head to https://www.patreon.com/collection/2275485 to read our first report for free. Sign up for as little as $5 per month.

Episode Description

PLEASE SUPPORT EARTHQUAKE RELIEF IN COLOMBIA

Zona J Foundation / IWCA support initiative:

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/zonajnet

Colombian Red Cross - Emergency Colombia Earthquake: https://ayuda.cruzrojacolombiana.org/emergencia-colombia-terremoto#afrus-container

This is episode 5 of a 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar, examining the impact of the August 10, 2026 earthquakes in Colombia with Ana Maria Donneys of Cafe Primitivo and Angel Barrera of Belco.

In this final episode, the conversation turns to the longer-term consequences of the earthquake and what the global coffee industry can do to help.

Angel explains that recovery will depend heavily on access to resources. Larger cities and businesses may be able to rebuild more quickly, while smaller towns and rural communities could struggle for much longer. Ana points out that unlike the 1999 Armenia earthquake, this disaster has affected many different cities and departments at once, making it much harder to concentrate reconstruction efforts.

The long-term impact is not only financial.

Ana explains that women in coffee are already asking for mental-health support as they deal with trauma, aftershocks, family responsibilities and the pressure of rebuilding businesses and communities.

When asked what the international coffee industry can do, both Ana and Angel give a clear answer: keep doing business with Colombia.

Continue buying Colombian coffee. Maintain relationships with producers and exporters. Be flexible when small delays happen. Keep talking about what has happened. And if you were planning to visit Colombia, don’t automatically cancel.

Angel also warns that buyers may be tempted to switch origins if Colombian coffee remains more expensive than alternatives. But abandoning established relationships during a difficult year could deepen the economic damage for producers already trying to rebuild.

The episode closes with a broader conversation about the future of coffee farming, generational change, the need for stronger commercial relationships, and why supporting farmers means investing in the future of the coffee industry itself.

Connect with Angel Barrera and Belco:

https://www.belco.fr/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/angel-barrera-8a0b2236/

https://www.instagram.com/koliafobiano/

https://www.instagram.com/belco.coffee/

Connect with Ana Maria Donneys and Cafe Primitivo:

https://www.instagram.com/cafeprimitivo/

https://www.instagram.com/anadonneys/

https://www.cafeprimitivocolombia.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anadonneys/

If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series.

***************************************

About Map It Forward

The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain.

Website: https://mapitforward.coffee

Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward

‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward‍ ‍

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/

Contact: [email protected]

Advertising Sponsor
This episode is brought to you by Map It Forward Podcast Advertising. Interested in advertising on this podcast? Email [email protected] to learn more.

Episode Description

PLEASE SUPPORT EARTHQUAKE RELIEF IN COLOMBIA

Zona J Foundation / IWCA support initiative:

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/zonajnet

Colombian Red Cross - Emergency Colombia Earthquake: https://ayuda.cruzrojacolombiana.org/emergencia-colombia-terremoto#afrus-container

This is episode 4 of a 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar, examining the impact of the August 10, 2026 earthquakes in Colombia with Ana Maria Donneys of Cafe Primitivo and Angel Barrera of Belco.

In this episode, the conversation turns to what the earthquake could mean for Colombian coffee exports.

Angel explains that while coffee continues to move, the consequences of the earthquake extend well beyond the immediate damage. Pereira lost a major transport connection when its airport was badly affected, tourism and local economic activity slowed, labour has been redirected toward reconstruction, and truck availability has tightened as vehicles are used to move humanitarian assistance.

At the same time, Colombia is preparing for El Niño.

Ana explains that resources originally intended to help farms prepare for drought and difficult growing conditions are now being redirected toward rebuilding roofs, wet mills, roads and processing infrastructure.

That creates a second problem.

Colombia is globally known for washed coffee, but some areas are already experiencing water rationing. If water availability worsens, producers could face difficulties processing coffee in the way their farms and markets have traditionally required.

Angel explains why simply switching the country to natural processing is not straightforward. Colombia’s production systems, quality controls and export structures have been built around washed coffee for decades.

The bigger risk may therefore be quality and future production.

Ana describes the combination producers are now facing: damaged processing infrastructure, water shortages, possible electricity constraints, high temperatures, currency pressure and the possibility of a greater percentage of coffee developing defects that reduce its export value.

The earthquake itself lasted minutes. Its impact on Colombian coffee could extend through 2026 and well into 2027.

Connect with Angel Barrera and Belco:

https://www.belco.fr/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/angel-barrera-8a0b2236/

https://www.instagram.com/koliafobiano/

https://www.instagram.com/belco.coffee/

Connect with Ana Maria Donneys and Cafe Primitivo:

https://www.instagram.com/cafeprimitivo/

https://www.instagram.com/anadonneys/

https://www.cafeprimitivocolombia.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anadonneys/

If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series.

***************************************

About Map It Forward

The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain.

Website: https://mapitforward.coffee

Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward

‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward‍ ‍

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/

Contact: [email protected]

Advertising Sponsor
MIF Coffee Business Plan Review Service: AI can write a business plan. We'll help you determine whether it will work in the real world. Email [email protected] or DM @mapitforward.coffee to get started.

Episode Description

PLEASE SUPPORT EARTHQUAKE RELIEF IN COLOMBIA

Zona J Foundation / IWCA support initiative:

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/zonajnet

Colombian Red Cross - Emergency Colombia Earthquake: https://ayuda.cruzrojacolombiana.org/emergencia-colombia-terremoto#afrus-container

This is episode 3 of a 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar, examining the impact of the August 10, 2026 earthquakes in Colombia with Ana Maria Donneys of Cafe Primitivo and Angel Barrera of Belco.

In this episode, the conversation turns to what the earthquake means for Colombia’s coffee industry on the ground.

Ana explains why recovery will take time. Farms and businesses that were focused on harvest preparation, production and normal operations suddenly had to redirect money, labour and attention toward urgent needs, repairs and reconstruction.

For many coffee producers, the most important priority is not rebuilding their homes first. It is restoring the infrastructure that allows them to process and sell coffee.

Ana describes producers using temporary coverings on damaged homes while prioritising wet mills, drying areas and washing stations because without those facilities they cannot generate the income needed to rebuild.

Angel explains that this disruption is arriving at an especially difficult moment. Colombia was already preparing for a potentially severe El Niño, with concerns around drought, water rationing and electricity shortages. Now the earthquake has added damaged farms, homes, mills, roads and infrastructure to that risk.

The effects are also logistical. Buenaventura was closed for approximately a week following damage, some roads were disrupted, and trucks normally used to move coffee have been redirected to carry humanitarian aid into affected regions.

Meanwhile, El Niño is beginning to bring hotter conditions and fires in parts of Colombia, creating another potential challenge just as the next harvest approaches.

The message from this episode is clear: Colombia’s coffee industry cannot simply stop while communities rebuild. Producers need functioning businesses, reliable buyers and timely payments if recovery is going to be sustainable.

Connect with Angel Barrera and Belco:

https://www.belco.fr/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/angel-barrera-8a0b2236/

https://www.instagram.com/koliafobiano/

https://www.instagram.com/belco.coffee/

Connect with Ana Maria Donneys and Cafe Primitivo:

https://www.instagram.com/cafeprimitivo/

https://www.instagram.com/anadonneys/

https://www.cafeprimitivocolombia.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anadonneys/

If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series.

***************************************

About Map It Forward

The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain.

Website: https://mapitforward.coffee

Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward

‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward‍ ‍

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/

Contact: [email protected]

Advertising Sponsor
Want to join our Map It Forward Monthly Community Discussion Group? Head to https://patreon.com/mapitforward to join the community by signing up for the "Roasted Coffee" tier for 20 USD per month. Find other like-minded people in the coffee industry. This community is open to all stakeholders in the coffee industry

Episode Description

PLEASE SUPPORT EARTHQUAKE RELIEF IN COLOMBIA

Zona J Foundation / IWCA support initiative:

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/zonajnet

Colombian Red Cross - Emergency Colombia Earthquake: https://ayuda.cruzrojacolombiana.org/emergencia-colombia-terremoto#afrus-container

This is episode 2 of a 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar, examining the impact of the August 10, 2026 earthquakes in Colombia with Ana Maria Donneys of Cafe Primitivo and Angel Barrera of Belco.

In the previous episode, Ana and Angel described what it was like when the earthquakes struck. In this episode, the conversation turns to what happened next.

Angel describes sleeping in his car because he no longer felt safe inside his home, returning to the Belco office the next day, and discovering that several colleagues had been displaced from their apartments. For hours, there was still uncertainty about whether everyone was safe.

But amid the disruption, something else emerged very quickly: people started helping each other.

Angel and his colleagues began organising food and coffee for emergency workers and affected communities. Ana describes restaurants becoming donation centres, WhatsApp groups coordinating meals and transport, and trucks carrying supplies arriving from Bogotá, Medellín and other parts of Colombia.

The episode also begins to reveal the scale of the disruption facing coffee-producing communities.

Some rural areas were left without electricity, internet or road access for days. Landslides isolated farms. While the coffee trees themselves appear to have been relatively resilient in many places, farmers’ homes, wet mills and other infrastructure were damaged or destroyed.

Angel also explains that the Port of Buenaventura was affected, with terminal damage, fallen containers, and shipments delayed, an early indication that the consequences could extend beyond the immediate disaster zone and into Colombia’s coffee supply chain.

Connect with Angel Barrera and Belco:

https://www.belco.fr/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/angel-barrera-8a0b2236/

https://www.instagram.com/koliafobiano/

https://www.instagram.com/belco.coffee/

Connect with Ana Maria Donneys and Cafe Primitivo:

https://www.instagram.com/cafeprimitivo/

https://www.instagram.com/anadonneys/

https://www.cafeprimitivocolombia.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anadonneys/

If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series.

***************************************

About Map It Forward

The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain.

Website: https://mapitforward.coffee

Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward

‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward‍ ‍

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/

Contact: [email protected]

Advertising Sponsor
This episode is brought to you by Arcadia Green Coffee, Colombian coffee exporters taking fresh green coffee from Colombia to the world, farm to roastery, direct. New office now open in the UK.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arcadiagreencoffee/
WhatsApp: https://wa.me/353877871523

Episode Description

PLEASE SUPPORT EARTHQUAKE RELIEF IN COLOMBIA

Zona J Foundation / IWCA support initiative:

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/zonajnet

Colombian Red Cross - Emergency Colombia Earthquake: https://ayuda.cruzrojacolombiana.org/emergencia-colombia-terremoto#afrus-container

This is episode 1 of a 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar, examining the impact of the August 10, 2026 earthquakes in Colombia with Ana Maria Donneys of Cafe Primitivo and Angel Barrera of Belco.

Before the earthquakes struck, Colombia’s coffee sector was already navigating a difficult environment.

Ana describes lower yields following heavy rain and preparations for El Niño ahead of Colombia’s important second-semester harvest. Angel explains how a smaller and delayed harvest had tightened coffee availability, intensified competition among exporters and pushed Colombian coffee differentials sharply higher.

At the same time, the strengthening Colombian peso was reducing what producers received locally while production costs remained high.

Then, on the morning of August 10, everything changed.

Angel describes driving toward Pereira when animals suddenly began running along the road and his car started moving beneath him. What initially seemed like a problem with his tires became a prolonged earthquake. With communications and electricity down, he returned home to collapsed buildings, frightened neighbours and a cloud of dust hanging over Pereira.

Ana was on the sixth floor of a building in Armenia when the shaking began. What she initially assumed would be another small tremor continued until she could barely stand. After reaching her family, she immediately travelled to the farm to check on workers, buildings and the coffee operation.

This first episode documents what “day zero” looked like through the experiences of two people working directly within Colombia’s coffee industry, and the economic conditions the sector was already facing before the earthquake arrived.

Connect with Angel Barrera and Belco:

https://www.belco.fr/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/angel-barrera-8a0b2236/

https://www.instagram.com/koliafobiano/

https://www.instagram.com/belco.coffee/

Connect with Ana Maria Donneys and Cafe Primitivo:

https://www.instagram.com/cafeprimitivo/

https://www.instagram.com/anadonneys/

https://www.cafeprimitivocolombia.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anadonneys/

If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series.

***************************************

About Map It Forward

The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain.

Website: https://mapitforward.coffee

Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward

‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward‍ ‍

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/

Contact: [email protected]

Advertising Sponsor
MIF Coffee Business Plan Review Service: AI can write a business plan. We'll help you determine whether it will work in the real world. Email [email protected] or DM @mapitforward.coffee to get started.

Episode Description

This is the final episode of our five-part solo series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward examining the Benecke Coffee controversy following the Peru and Honduras cooperative series.

Lee Safar brings together the unanswered questions surrounding Benecke, J.J. Darboven, Fairtrade, brokers, the insolvency process and the unpaid producer organisations.

The biggest question remains simple: where did the money go?

The episode examines the timing of payments and insolvency, what Benecke may have known about its ability to meet its obligations, Fairtrade’s response, unanswered questions for J.J. Darboven, the role of brokers, and the information still needed from the insolvency process.

But the larger issue goes beyond Benecke.

Coffee can be grown, financed, exported, imported, roasted and sold while the producer organisation that supplied it remains unpaid, and may ultimately carry the loss.

Lee argues that the industry needs stronger buyer due diligence, payment protection, transparency, broker accountability, early-warning mechanisms and better legal support for producers.

The Benecke investigation is not over, but this series leaves the industry with a larger question: How much more risk can the coffee supply chain absorb before something fundamentally has to change?

Connect with Lee Safar here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leesafar/

https://www.instagram.com/leesafar

Editorial Note: This episode forms part of Map It Forward’s ongoing examination of the Benecke Coffee controversy. Some claims discussed in this series remain disputed or have not yet been independently verified. Map It Forward has sought comment from relevant parties and will continue to update its coverage if additional information or evidence becomes available. Where allegations, interpretations or claims are discussed, they should not be understood as findings of legal liability or wrongdoing.

If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series.

***************************************

About Map It Forward

The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain.

Website: https://mapitforward.coffee

Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward

‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward‍ ‍

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/

Contact: [email protected]

Advertising Sponsor
This episode is brought to you by Map It Forward Podcast Advertising. Interested in advertising on this podcast? Email [email protected] to learn more.

Episode Description

This is episode 4 of our five-part solo series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward examining the Benecke Coffee controversy following the Peru and Honduras cooperative series.

Lee Safar turns to one of the least understood parts of the coffee supply chain: brokers and commercial intermediaries.

Brokers can connect cooperatives with international buyers, negotiate terms, facilitate communication and help coordinate contracts. But when they are commercially connected to multiple parties in the same transaction, difficult questions can arise about whose interests they ultimately serve.

In this episode, Lee examines allegations from the Peru side that brokers pressured cooperative managers not to speak publicly, discouraged some cooperatives from registering as creditors, continued receiving commissions while cooperative payments remained outstanding, and may have had commercial relationships with Benecke and J.J. Darboven.

These allegations remain unverified and the brokers contacted by Map It Forward have not responded.

The episode asks what brokers knew about Benecke’s financial position, what due diligence they performed, what they told cooperatives once payment problems emerged, and whether their incentives created conflicts of interest.

In Part 5, we bring all the pieces together and ask: what still doesn’t add up?

Connect with Lee Safar here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leesafar/

https://www.instagram.com/leesafar

Editorial Note: This episode forms part of Map It Forward’s ongoing examination of the Benecke Coffee controversy. Some claims discussed in this series remain disputed or have not yet been independently verified. Map It Forward has sought comment from relevant parties and will continue to update its coverage if additional information or evidence becomes available. Where allegations, interpretations or claims are discussed, they should not be understood as findings of legal liability or wrongdoing.

If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series.

***************************************

About Map It Forward

The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain.

Website: https://mapitforward.coffee

Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward

‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward‍ ‍

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/

Contact: [email protected]

Advertising Sponsor
Want to join our Map It Forward Monthly Community Discussion Group? Head to https://patreon.com/mapitforward to join the community by signing up for the "Roasted Coffee" tier for 20 USD per month. Find other like-minded people in the coffee industry. This community is open to all stakeholders in the coffee industry

Episode Description

This is episode 3 of our five-part solo series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward examining the Benecke Coffee controversy following the Peru and Honduras cooperative series.

Lee Safar asks one of the most important questions in the case: who knew Benecke was in trouble, and when did they know it?

The warning signs include falling reported revenue, increasingly late payments, Fairtrade being alerted to arrears in June 2025, an unannounced FLOCERT audit in August, continued coffee shipments from Peru, and Benecke's major financing reportedly not being renewed in September.

Lee also examines confidential-source allegations involving futures positions, margin calls and demands for additional shareholder capital. These claims remain unverified.

The episode then asks what Benecke, Fairtrade, J.J. Darboven, brokers, lenders and other parties may each have known before more coffee was shipped.

The central question is simple:

Did anyone have enough information to warn producers before they took on more risk?

In Part 4, we examine the brokers and intermediaries caught between producers and buyers.

Connect with Lee Safar here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leesafar/

https://www.instagram.com/leesafar

Editorial Note: This episode forms part of Map It Forward’s ongoing examination of the Benecke Coffee controversy. Some claims discussed in this series remain disputed or have not yet been independently verified. Map It Forward has sought comment from relevant parties and will continue to update its coverage if additional information or evidence becomes available. Where allegations, interpretations or claims are discussed, they should not be understood as findings of legal liability or wrongdoing.

If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series.

***************************************

About Map It Forward

The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain.

Website: https://mapitforward.coffee

Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward

‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward‍ ‍

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/

Contact: [email protected]