Coffee Growing in a Tea Town

Wouter and his team at Nestlé Coffee Agricultural Service & Buying Station in Pu’er.

Wouter modified the way growers are trained and introduced the concept of sustainable growth. Every link in the chain of coffee production can be traced now, satisfying the desire for transparency and eco-friendliness among today’s consumers.

When Wouter came to Pu’er, the city was the principal supplier for Nestlé’s coffee factory in Dongguan of Guangdong Province. Over the past decade the company has hired more experts, who provide technical guidance and consultation to more than 9,300 local farmers.

“I spent two months in China back in 1998, when the country was completely alien to me,” Wouter recalled. “But I am a flexible person, open to new things and other cultures. Soon I felt at home in China, and became accepted by local communities.”

The flexibility of the young Belgian won the heart of local farmers. In the 2004-2005 harvesting season, only 147 rural households sold their coffee beans to Nestlé. By the 2013-2014 season this figure had soared to 3,000. “Through Yunnan’s coffee farmers Nestlé has completed experiments on technology, quality and commercialization of coffee growing. A transparent market has been established in the region,” Wouter said.

As the company’s supplier base in Pu’er grows, so does the quality of its produce. The sustainability of finished products all boil down to the quality of coffee beans. Nestlé provides roughly 50 training programs aimed at raising local coffee production to international standards. Between December 2012 and July 2013 821 local farmers passed the 4C verification, a code of conduct that sets social, environmental and economic principles for the sustainable production, processing and trading of green coffee.

In May 2014 another 1,429 local farmers received the 4C certification. “This is important for Nestlé, as part of its global plan,” said Wouter. “We expect the fourth batch of farmers to get accreditation later this year. Starting from November, the company will only purchase 4C coffee.”