It's Bean Too Hot!

It’s Bean Too Hot is a movie by filmmaker Hedvika Michnova. It tells the story of farmers whose livelihoods are at stake as they need to quickly adapt to the changing conditions, and the heroes out there fighting for the future of coffee every day. This film shows the effect of climate change through the eyes of those who are feeling it the most. Coffee farmers that have had to struggle with the drastic effect of the changing weather affecting their production completely. But not all is lost! There are solutions that farmers can adapt to change their way of farming and save coffee for the future. By adopting sustainable practices, these solutions not only save your cup of coffee but also protect the environment in return. More info at: https://hedvikamichnova.com

In the face of climate change, coffee-growing communities are frequently encouraged to take adaptive measures. This talk provides insights into the various ways climate adaptation and transformation might look like at the community level. It also questions how the various pathways align with resilience at other levels, particularly the resilience of the national and global coffee sectors. How public and private actors are shaping and supporting resilience pathways will have important consequences on local livelihood outcomes. The talk highlights the need for greater producer empowerment in making decisions – even if that decision means exiting coffee production.

Climate change comes with longer droughts, erratic rainfalls, hailstorms, and even frosts in tropical regions. These are just a few visible impacts that take a toll on coffee production and the livelihoods of smallholder families and their communities. Christian Bunn will present the many different faces of climate change, how its effects are progressing in the coffee-growing regions, and what is to be expected in the future.

Lost harvests and decreasing yields are becoming more common for smallholder farmers all over the world. Dr. Tina Beuchelt will present the state of food security and living conditions of smallholder coffee producers and farm workers in a changing climate with a focus on Central and Latin America. The role and impact of certifications, the importance of cooperatives and approaches to strengthen food security will be discussed.

As coffee farming grapples with the impacts of climate change, exploring sustainable practices becomes imperative. Integrating trees, shrubs, and other elements of a diverse ecosystem has the potential to mitigate climate change impacts on coffee plants. In his talk, Dr. Joachim Milz explores how Dynamic Agroforestry Systems can be implemented in coffee cultivation. He delves into the practicality, benefits, and challenges of this approach. 

Coffee husks, pruning residues, waste water from coffee processing – what sounds like waste and mere byproducts has in fact a great value that is oftentimes untapped. Circular Economy integrates these resources into sustainable farming practices, creating benefits in many ways. Leonidas Melo and Silvia Torres share their scientific insights and hands-on experience with climate-smart practices using organic waste from coffee cultivation in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Young people in tropical regions often lack a perspective of how they can shape their lives and earn a good living in rural communities. Climate Pioneers is a successful concept from Honduras. It supports and guides youth in developing social capabilities, teamwork, time management, problem solving, and  adaptability. Through this training, they build self-confidence and learn to influence their own life and take informed
decisions. 

This talk dives into the pivotal role of stakeholder engagement in development programs, highlighting challenges such as reduced program relevance, community disconnection, and increased resistance when stakeholders are sidelined. Victor Komakech will explore the practical advantages of Participatory Monitoring & Evaluation (PM&E) as a solution for projects in sustainable coffee production, emphasizing collaborative and inclusive strategies to overcome these challenges and achieve sustained, meaningful outcomes.

Studies show that the least gender-equal societies are often the most vulnerable to climate change. At the same time, improvements in gender equality obviously contribute to climate resilience. Women bear a great potential for climate action. A potential that still stays untapped to a large extent because of gender inequality. Eutropia Ngido is giving insight into the reality of gender inequality related to climate change in East Africa.

Climate action requires significant new investment by coffee farmers and supply chain partners – yet less than 2 % of global climate finance goes to small-scale agricultural supply chains. Over the last three years, Root Capital has been working to help close the climate finance gap for smallholder coffee communities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In this session, Root Capital will share lessons from their experience providing climate finance to coffee cooperatives and other farmer-allied businesses championing climate action in their communities.

Digital innovation has significant potential to enhance the resilience of smallholder coffee farmers to changing climates.  Yet the benefit of digital technologies and data remains largely inaccessible to most smallholder farmers worldwide. Claire will share lessons learnt from Producers Direct’s experience in designing and scaling farmer-led approaches to digital innovation.