During the harvest, we try to visit our suppliers as much as possible, as this is the peak season of the coffee cycle. It’s a way for us to evaluate the performance of our commercial partners and their ability to evolve in a dynamic environment. We visit our suppliers in Guatemala more frequently, since this is where our office is located. Therefore, we visit many exporters, mills and farms every year in Guatemala.

Nothing can replace face-to-face relations. EFICO values long term relationships, based on personal interaction. Respect and trust are the most important part of our business. Even during the pandemic, we are doing our utmost efforts to keep on visiting personally our suppliers to make sure the personal connection is still there.

Mutual trust, respect and confidence. Of course, we put a lot of emphasis on monitoring our suppliers’ performance and to have a good understanding of their activity. Personal relationships, friendship and regular contacts are the base of healthy long-term business relations.

2021 was a complicated year. We had to learn how to work remotely during the lockdowns, we reorganized our office and moved to a new location.

We upgraded our IT software to be sure all members of our 8-person team would be able to have access to our business transactions at any time, even working from home. We stopped travelling and visiting our suppliers during one year, and started interacting with them on virtual platforms. We became closer to them since the personal visits were not possible anymore… so we compensated this with virtual tools.
What looked as a gloomy year turned out to be a new and successful way to relate with our partners.

We are indeed surprised how well most of our partners adapted to the pandemic and were able to keep close contact with us. After a few scary months when demand from roasters collapsed, we were happy to see that business was back as usual and that our suppliers had adapted to the new reality in the same way as we did.

We are sure all actors of the coffee supply chain have learned how to cope with the pandemic.
We are a very dynamic and resilient sector, with highly adaptable actors. Moreover, the impact of the virus is slowly going down, and we will take advantage of a healthier world to go back to our usual business habits. 2020/21 has made the coffee supply chain stronger, more adaptable and we are looking at 2022 with high hopes and enthusiasm.

Since we depend on donations, the fist months of the pandemic had a strong impact on our partners’ contributions. They were busy trying to save jobs and their own companies, which is very understandable. However, we were amazingly surprised by the unconditional commitment of some of our donors, who never stopped giving in spite of the adverse environment. The crisis showed that committed companies always keep their promises and think about the needy.

We are fortunate to have a very committed team at EFICO Central America. First of all, we enjoy working together, and strive to improve our knowledge together by sharing our experiences in the coffee world. Also, for us, coffee producers or exporters are more than suppliers. They are first of all friends, and partners. We consider ourselves as a support company towards their success. Our goal is to serve their interests first, and then, business goes second.

Our wish is that you wake up every day with a passion for what you do, and for what you will achieve during the day. More than ambition, you need to have down-to-earth dreams and high quality relations that will help you reach your aspirations. The coffee supply chain is an extremely powerful environment to make a difference in the life of many families. My recommendation is that you find the right place to reach your goals.

Thank you Renaud for your time and these fantastic tips, we’ll keep them in our minds and try to live up to your advice!