On the ground in Guatemala and El Salvador

When your boss comes to see you and says, in a more or less friendly tone, "You like to travel, don't you?!" Let's just say your interest is piqued, but you're not entirely sure where the conversation is headed… Either your boss is unhappy and is thinking of sending you to an overseas division so you're no longer near his office. Or, as was the case, he's proposing a business trip to visit several coffee plantations with one of your suppliers in Guatemala and El Salvador… Yes, I had the chance this fall to plan my "coffee field trip" with my colleague from Quebec City, a true coffee enthusiast.

This opportunity was incredibly relevant! In today's world, we all have access to a ton of information on various subjects, and coffee is no exception. Reading is good, putting it into practice is better, but fieldwork is by far the ultimate! My experience spans several years, and I've touched on almost everything in the coffee world, but nothing compares to the hands-on experience I've had so far.

Let me give you some context; not only did we have access to farms, plantations, farmers, and the wet and dry mills where the coffee is processed (dry mills, wet mills—that's the best translation I could find), but also, in the evenings, we had extensive discussions on various topics with industry experts: our guides, our suppliers, locals, and members of our group. We covered every subject: trends, the future and history of coffee, how the market works, certifications, the impact of the coffee "giants" in Latin America, and much more… all accompanied by a nice 15-year-old rum and a Nicaraguan cigar; you have to take advantage of Central American produce, right?

All in all, I learned a lot on this trip, deepened and consolidated business relationships, met new contacts in the coffee world, learned tons of new things and all while having fun.

A special thank you to Alvin and Michael, to Renaud and Stéphane, greetings to all the members of the group! … and thank you boss! ;)

Olivier Bertrand Fontaine, Director of Operations