Colombia : Coffee Sector Study 2002
Colombia is the world's third-largest producer of coffee and by far the largest single producer of washed arabica coffee. This introduction outlines the global situation in brief and sets the context with a synopsis of Colombia's coffee history and its unique coffee culture. Chapters 2 and 3 assess the impact of the current coffee situation in both economic and social terms. Chapters 4 and 5 address the current situation and the relevant issues in its production and post-harvest processes. Chapters 6 assesses the marketing chain from the grower to the exporter and considers some of the competitive options that are available. It also considers Colombia's domestic and international promotions. Chapter 7 takes a look at the relevant institutions at the local, regional, and national levels; it describes their roles and evolution and discusses issues relevant to their future. Chapters 8 and 9 review the situation of credit and the risk management options that are currently available. The policies currently selected by the government to resolve this crisis are considered in chapter 10 and compared to the lessons learned in other countries. The current production systems and their regional differences are considered in chapter 11 and some conclusions drawn about the profitability of diverse production systems in different regions. Chapter 12 discusses some of the options for the sector to capture more value for its products. The last chapter reviews some of the rationale and the required parameters for any successful diversification and reflects on the inherent challenges that a diversification efforts would present.