The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by MAP IT FORWARD

MAP IT FORWARD
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The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by MAP IT FORWARD provides content to the Global Specialty Coffee Industry every weekday. Episodes are released Monday to Friday at 1 am PT. Each week, a 5-part series is released with a single guest exploring a theme that the guest is an expert in. Series are relevant to current events happening in the specialty coffee industry, including business, logistics, economics, geopolitics, industry challenges, and more. Episodes are hosted by specialty coffee veteran, entrepreneur, and business advisor, Lee Safar. All episodes are unedited and typically run 15 - 20 minutes. The content on this podcast is suited to members of the global coffee industry keen on challenging the traditional narrative within the fast-evolving industry from a constructive and curious perspective. This is a conversational podcast, and from time to time, you will hear cursing because of the conversational nature of the discussions. Our values at MAP IT FORWARD are curiosity, integrity, authenticity, and openness. Our mission at MAP IT FORWARD is "Conspiring to each other's success". The video version of this podcast is available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/mapitforward Find out more about MAP IT FORWARD at https://www.mapitforward.coffee

  1. 19h ago

    EP 1663 Part 3 of 5 | COMSA Says Benecke Pressured Them to Keep Shipping Coffee (Benecke and COMSA) | Map It Forward

    Advertising SponsorWant to join our Map It Forward Monthly Community Discussion Group? Head to https://patreon.com/mapitforward to join the community by signing up for the "Roasted Coffee" tier for 20 USD per month. Find other like-minded people in the coffee industry. This community is open to all stakeholders in the coffee industry Episode Description This is episode 3 of a five-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward with Rodolfo Peñalba, General Manager of COMSA, and Cristian Dubón, a board member and coffee producer from the cooperative in Honduras. In Part 2, we examined how COMSA finances the coffee it exports and why the cooperative depends on importers paying once contractual documents are delivered. In this episode, we reach the point where COMSA says it began realising that something was wrong. According to Rodolfo and Cristian, Benecke began taking longer than usual to pay for coffee during 2025. Cristian says COMSA’s normal payment experience was approximately seven to fourteen days after shipping documents were supplied, with some buyers paying even faster. With Benecke, those payments began taking significantly longer. COMSA says payment delays continued through the first half of 2025, and that it raised the issue when people connected with J.J. Darboven visited COMSA in June. Rodolfo says COMSA was also told by someone connected with Fairtrade that Benecke was experiencing financial difficulties, although Benecke’s representatives in Honduras reportedly reassured COMSA that the problems were temporary and that payment would continue. Later in the year, COMSA asked Benecke to move some planned September shipments to December because high coffee prices and financing constraints were making it difficult for the cooperative to assemble the required volume. According to Rodolfo, Clemens von Storch responded that COMSA needed to fulfil the contracts or risk being removed from the J.J. Darboven project. COMSA says it then made a major effort to comply. Rodolfo says the cooperative borrowed heavily from its banks and sent the final group of coffee, with 11 containers in that shipment representing approximately USD 2.5 million. Payment did not arrive as expected. By mid-October, COMSA says Clemens told them Benecke was experiencing banking problems and asked them to wait until November. When November arrived, COMSA says it was asked to wait again. COMSA also says it did not receive direct notice from Benecke that insolvency proceedings had begun. Instead, it learned about the situation through another contact. By the time of this interview, COMSA says approximately USD 2.7 million remained outstanding. This episode raises one of the most important questions in the series: What did Benecke know about its own financial position when it was still asking COMSA to fulfil these contracts? COMSA’s testimony does not itself answer that question definitively, but it establishes the timeline that now needs to be examined against contracts, shipment records, payment communications and Benecke’s insolvency documents. In Part 4, we look at what happened after Benecke entered insolvency and how COMSA became a creditor in Germany. You can connect with COMSA here: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1c5tTT89Rw/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/comsa_oficial/ Website: https://www.comsa.hn LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/comsa-oficial Editorial Note: This episode forms part of Map It Forward’s ongoing examination of the Benecke Coffee controversy. The statements made by Rodolfo Peñalba and Cristian Dubón represent COMSA’s account of events. Some claims discussed in this series remain disputed or have not yet been independently verified. Map It Forward has sought comment from relevant parties and will continue to update its coverage if additional information or evidence becomes available. Where allegations, interpretations or claims are discussed, they should not be understood as findings of legal liability or wrongdoing. If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: https://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

    EP 1663 Part 3 of 5 | COMSA Says Benecke Pressured Them to Keep Shipping Coffee (Benecke and COMSA) | Map It Forward

  2. 1d ago

    EP 1662 Part 2 of 5 | COMSA Financed the Coffee. Benecke Was Supposed to Pay (Benecke and COMSA) | Map It Forward

    Advertising SponsorMIF Coffee Business Plan Review Service: AI can write a business plan. We'll help you determine whether it will work in the real world. Email support@mapitforward.org or DM @mapitforward.coffee to get started. Episode Description This is episode 2 of a five-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro podcast by Map It Forward with Rodolfo Peñalba, General Manager of COMSA, and Cristian Dubón, a board member and coffee producer from the cooperative in Marcala, Honduras. In Part 1, we explored how COMSA built a commercial relationship with Benecke Coffee spanning more than two decades. In this episode, we begin looking at how that relationship expanded during the 2024/25 coffee season, and at the financial structure beneath international coffee trading that left COMSA exposed when Benecke later entered insolvency. According to COMSA, J.J. Darboven developed an initiative connected to its Café Intención business in which trees would be planted in coffee-producing communities in connection with coffee sold. COMSA says the project initially involved three Honduran cooperatives supplying a combined 105 containers. When two of the cooperatives reduced the volume they could commit, COMSA says it agreed to take on a much larger share of the program. That opportunity created the potential for significant growth for COMSA and its producers. But it also required significant financing. Rodolfo and Cristian explain that when COMSA signs a coffee contract, it must obtain the money needed to buy coffee from farmers, collect it, process it, prepare it for export, meet quality requirements, pay associated costs and deliver the coffee to port. The importer does not necessarily finance that process. COMSA does. The cooperative therefore relies on loans from banks and other financial institutions to fulfil its contracts, with the expectation that once the coffee is shipped and the required documents are provided, the importer will pay and COMSA can repay those loans. That system depends heavily on trust and contractual performance. According to COMSA, that is where the relationship with Benecke ultimately broke down. Rodolfo says the cooperative fulfilled its obligations and shipped the coffee, but payment did not arrive as expected. He describes the consequences as one of the most serious challenges COMSA has experienced in its history. COMSA says the unpaid exposure ultimately involved 12 containers and that the financial consequences now threaten a substantial portion of the cooperative’s accumulated capital. Rodolfo also discusses the impact this has had on COMSA’s relationships with its banks and its producers. The episode raises a much broader question for the global coffee industry: If producers and cooperatives are required to borrow money to fulfil contracts before importers pay them, who is actually carrying the financial risk in the coffee supply chain? In Part 3, we examine when COMSA says it first began seeing signs that something was wrong with Benecke’s payments, and what happened when COMSA was asked to continue shipping coffee. You can connect with COMSA here: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1c5tTT89Rw/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/comsa_oficial/ Website: https://www.comsa.hn LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/comsa-oficial Editorial Note: This episode forms part of Map It Forward’s ongoing examination of the Benecke Coffee controversy. The statements made by Rodolfo Peñalba and Cristian Dubón represent COMSA’s account of events. Some claims discussed in this series remain disputed or have not yet been independently verified. Map It Forward has sought comment from relevant parties and will continue to update its coverage if additional information or evidence becomes available. Where allegations, interpretations or claims are discussed, they should not be understood as findings of legal liability or wrongdoing. If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: https://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

    EP 1662 Part 2 of 5 | COMSA Financed the Coffee. Benecke Was Supposed to Pay (Benecke and COMSA) | Map It Forward

  3. 2d ago

    EP 1661 Part 1 of 5 | COMSA, Benecke & the Coffee Relationship That Lasted 23 Years | Map It Forward

    Advertising SponsorThis episode is brought to you by Arcadia Green Coffee, Colombian coffee exporters taking fresh green coffee from Colombia to the world, farm to roastery, direct. New office now open in the UK.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arcadiagreencoffee/WhatsApp: https://wa.me/353877871523 Episode Description This is episode 1 of a five-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward with Rodolfo Peñalba, General Manager of COMSA, and Cristian Dubón, a board member and coffee producer from the cooperative in Marcala, Honduras. Following our previous series with Peruvian coffee cooperatives involved in the Benecke Coffee controversy, this series examines COMSA’s account of its own long-standing commercial relationship with Benecke, its connections with J.J. Darboven, and what happened when that relationship eventually broke down. Before we can understand the dispute, however, we need to understand what was built. COMSA was founded in 2001 by a small group of coffee producers looking for a better way to sell their coffee and improve conditions for farming families. Rodolfo explains that the cooperative began with 61 small producers and very little capital, but with the ambition to create stronger access to international markets through organic production, quality coffee and collective action. In this episode, Rodolfo and Cristian explain why cooperatives play such an important role for small coffee farmers in Honduras, where they say approximately 90% of producers operate farms smaller than 10 hectares and many individual producers have limited direct access to international importers and roasters. They also discuss COMSA’s emphasis on organic agriculture, environmental responsibility, education and long-term community development, and how the cooperative grew from its beginnings into an organisation with significant infrastructure, technical support programs and almost $4 million in accumulated capital belonging to its members. Most importantly for this series, we begin tracing COMSA’s relationship with Benecke Coffee. According to Rodolfo, COMSA first connected with Benecke through Oxy Café in Honduras and began doing business with Benecke around 2002. That relationship would continue for more than two decades. COMSA also describes how coffee sold through Benecke became connected with J.J. Darboven, including coffee used for the Café Intención brand, and how becoming Fairtrade certified in 2007 helped COMSA increase its access to international markets. This first episode is the foundation for everything that follows. The later dispute cannot be understood simply as a customer failing to pay an invoice. COMSA says this was a commercial relationship built over more than twenty years, a relationship around which producers, financing arrangements, infrastructure and expectations of mutual performance developed. In the next episode, we go deeper into how that relationship expanded and the financial structure required for a cooperative like COMSA to fulfil large international coffee contracts. You can connect with COMSA here: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1c5tTT89Rw/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/comsa_oficial/ Website: https://www.comsa.hn LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/comsa-oficial Editorial Note: This episode forms part of Map It Forward’s ongoing examination of the Benecke Coffee controversy. The statements made by Rodolfo Peñalba and Cristian Dubón represent COMSA’s account of events. Some claims discussed in this series remain disputed or have not yet been independently verified. Map It Forward has sought comment from relevant parties and will continue to update its coverage if additional information or evidence becomes available. Where allegations, interpretations or claims are discussed, they should not be understood as findings of legal liability or wrongdoing. If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: https://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

    EP 1661 Part 1 of 5 | COMSA, Benecke & the Coffee Relationship That Lasted 23 Years | Map It Forward

  4. 5d ago

    EP 1660 Part 5 of 5 | What the Coffee Industry Should Learn From Benecke | Map It Forward

    Advertising SponsorMIF Coffee Business Plan Review Service: AI can write a business plan. We'll help you determine whether it will work in the real world. Email support@mapitforward.org or DM @mapitforward.coffee to get started. Episode Description This is Part 5 of a five-part series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward examining what happened between Benecke Coffee in Germany and coffee cooperatives in Peru pursuing claims for coffee they say remains unpaid. Across the first four episodes, the series followed the relationships between the cooperatives and Benecke, the movement of the coffee from Peru to Germany, the growing payment delays, the transition into insolvency, and the challenge of recovering money through an international creditor process. In this final episode, the focus changes. The question is no longer simply what happened? It is: What should the global coffee industry learn from this? Podcast host Lee Safar is joined by Emerson Carrasco, General Manager of Sanchirio Palomar Cooperative; Anabel Barrientos, General Manager of Ubiriki Valley Cooperative, and Óscar Inocente, a lawyer working with the affected Peruvian cooperatives. Ana Donneys continues translating for the series and is a contributor to the discussion. Emerson says that if Sanchirio had known Benecke was experiencing serious financial problems, the cooperative could have chosen not to ship and instead sold the coffee to buyers with stronger financial capacity. Anabel says one of the clearest lessons is that years of trading history cannot replace proper due diligence. She argues that cooperatives need to assess the financial position, debt, payment capacity and history of buyers before renewing contracts. Óscar broadens the discussion to the rest of the supply chain, arguing that risk and accountability need to be reconsidered across producers, cooperatives, buyers, certifiers and financiers. At the same time, he says he still believes in Fairtrade and sees this case as an opportunity for the system to improve rather than something that invalidates it. Ana Maria Donneys also joins the conversation as a producer, reminding us that behind every contract and container are people who may have invested months or years of work before receiving payment. Correction: Arthur E. Darboven ceased serving as Managing Director of the Benecke management company on 25 April 2024. His ownership position and any continuing involvement after that date remain under investigation. Connect with our guests here: Anabel Barrientos https://www.linkedin.com/company/cooperativa-cafetalera-valle-ubiriki‍ ‍ gerencia@ubiriki.com.pe Emerson Carrasco https://www.linkedin.com/in/emerson-carrasco-791b9871/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/sanchirio-pe ecarrasco@sanchirio.com Oscar Innocente oinocente@hotmail.com WhatsApp +51 995 147 869 https://www.linkedin.com/in/oinocente/ For media, contact Nataly Fabrikantova https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataly-fabrikantova-82609219a/ Editorial Note: This series concerns an active insolvency and ongoing creditor claims. Statements concerning Benecke Coffee, J.J. Darboven, the insolvency administration, Fairtrade and other organisations reflect the accounts, interpretations and perspectives of participants unless otherwise identified. Allegations should not be understood as findings of wrongdoing. If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: https://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

    EP 1660 Part 5 of 5 | What the Coffee Industry Should Learn From Benecke | Map It Forward

  5. 6d ago

    EP 1659 Part 4 of 5 | What Happens When a Coffee Trader Becomes Insolvent? (Benecke Coffee) | Map It Forward

    Advertising SponsorThis episode is brought to you by Map It Forward Podcast Advertising. Interested in advertising on this podcast? Email support@mapitforward.org to learn more. Episode Description This is Part 4 of a five-part series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward examining what happened between Benecke Coffee in Germany and coffee cooperatives in Peru pursuing claims for coffee they say remains unpaid. In Part 3, the cooperatives explained how delayed payments became an insolvency issue and how they entered the German creditor process. Now the question becomes: what happens when an international coffee trader becomes insolvent, and the businesses waiting to be paid are cooperatives thousands of kilometres away? Podcast host Lee Safar is joined again by Emerson Carrasco, General Manager of Sanchirio Palomar Cooperative; Anabel Barrientos, General Manager of Ubiriki Valley Cooperative; and Óscar Inocente, a lawyer working with the affected Peruvian cooperatives. Ana Maria Donneys from Café Primitivo joins as translator. Óscar Inocente discusses the cooperatives’ attempts to obtain clearer information from the insolvency administration and pursue retention-of-title claims over coffee they say remained unpaid. The episode also clarifies that Sucafina did not purchase Benecke Coffee. According to information provided directly to Map It Forward, Sucafina acquired Rehm-related assets from the insolvency estate. Anabel then explains how the unpaid amounts have affected Ubiriki Valley Cooperative. She says planned producer payments, training, inputs and other activities were disrupted, while available financing was reduced by roughly half. She says this reduced the cooperative’s ability to contract coffee from around 90 containers to roughly 45. Emerson also raises a key unresolved question around one Sanchirio shipment. He says the administration stated that the coffee had been sold on 26 September 2025, while the cooperative’s shipping trace shows the container arriving in Hamburg on 10 October. The cooperative is seeking documentation to understand when the coffee was actually sold and how it is being treated inside the insolvency. In Part 5, we ask what the wider coffee industry should learn from the case. Correction: Arthur E. Darboven ceased serving as Managing Director of the Benecke management company on 25 April 2024. His ownership position and any continuing involvement after that date remain under investigation. Connect with our guests here: Anabel Barrientos https://www.linkedin.com/company/cooperativa-cafetalera-valle-ubiriki‍ ‍ gerencia@ubiriki.com.pe Emerson Carrasco https://www.linkedin.com/in/emerson-carrasco-791b9871/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/sanchirio-pe ecarrasco@sanchirio.com Oscar Innocente oinocente@hotmail.com WhatsApp +51 995 147 869 https://www.linkedin.com/in/oinocente/ For media, contact Nataly Fabrikantova https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataly-fabrikantova-82609219a/ Editorial Note: This series concerns an active insolvency and ongoing creditor claims. Statements concerning Benecke Coffee, the insolvency administration, professional fees, asset sales and other parties reflect the accounts and perspectives of participants unless otherwise identified. Allegations should not be understood as findings of wrongdoing. If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: https://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

    EP 1659 Part 4 of 5 | What Happens When a Coffee Trader Becomes Insolvent? (Benecke Coffee) | Map It Forward

  6. Aug 12

    EP 1658 Part 3 of 5 | Benecke Coffee: When the Payment Promises Failed (Benecke Coffee) | Map It Forward

    Advertising SponsorWant to join our Map It Forward Monthly Community Discussion Group? Head to https://patreon.com/mapitforward to join the community by signing up for the "Roasted Coffee" tier for 20 USD per month. Find other like-minded people in the coffee industry. This community is open to all stakeholders in the coffee industry Episode Description This is Part 3 of a five-part series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward examining what happened between Benecke Coffee in Germany and coffee cooperatives in Peru pursuing claims for coffee they say remains unpaid. In Part 1, we met the cooperatives and learned about the financial and commercial risks they carry on behalf of hundreds of smallholder coffee producers. In Part 2, we followed the coffee from Peru to the export vessel and examined how the contracts, documentation and payment process were supposed to work. Now the series reaches the point where delayed payments became something much more serious. Podcast host Lee Safar is joined again by Emerson Carrasco, General Manager of Sanchirio Palomar Cooperative; Anabel Barrientos, General Manager of Ubiriki Valley Cooperative; and Óscar Inocente, a lawyer working with the affected Peruvian cooperatives. Ana Maria Donneys from Café Primitivo joins as translator. This is Part 3 of our five-part series examining what happened between Benecke Coffee and coffee cooperatives in Peru. In Part 2, we followed the coffee and examined how payment was expected to work. In this episode, delayed payments become an insolvency problem. Emerson Carrasco says Sanchirio began recognising warning signs when Benecke’s payments during 2025 were taking more than 40 days, compared with the roughly 15–20 days he says was typical with other buyers. He says the cooperative repeatedly sought information and received reassurances from Clemens von Storch that payment would be made and that existing contracts should continue to be shipped. Then, on 24 October 2025, Emerson says Sanchirio received a letter stating that Benecke was entering insolvency under self-administration. The episode follows the cooperatives into the creditor process: uploading contracts, invoices, bills of lading and other evidence, registering their claims, and travelling to Hamburg for a creditors’ meeting in April 2026. Óscar also discusses concerns about how creditor information was communicated and why some other cooperatives may not have registered in time. The final section introduces the retention-of-title issue. Emerson says the cooperatives raised contractual provisions they believe may affect how some of the unpaid coffee is treated inside the insolvency. In Part 4, we look at what the insolvency has meant in practice for the cooperatives. Correction: Arthur E. Darboven ceased serving as Managing Director of the Benecke management company on 25 April 2024. His ownership position and any continuing involvement after that date remain under investigation. Connect with our guests here: Anabel Barrientos https://www.linkedin.com/company/cooperativa-cafetalera-valle-ubiriki‍ ‍ gerencia@ubiriki.com.pe Emerson Carrasco https://www.linkedin.com/in/emerson-carrasco-791b9871/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/sanchirio-pe ecarrasco@sanchirio.com Oscar Innocente oinocente@hotmail.com WhatsApp +51 995 147 869 https://www.linkedin.com/in/oinocente/ For media, contact Nataly Fabrikantova https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataly-fabrikantova-82609219a/ Editorial Note: This series concerns an active insolvency and ongoing creditor claims. Statements concerning Benecke Coffee, Clemens von Storch, Tobias Brinkmann, the insolvency proceedings and other parties reflect the accounts and perspectives of participants unless otherwise identified. Allegations should not be understood as findings of wrongdoing. If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: https://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

    EP 1658 Part 3 of 5 | Benecke Coffee: When the Payment Promises Failed (Benecke Coffee) | Map It Forward

  7. Aug 11

    EP 1657 Part 2 of 5 | How the Benecke Coffee Trade Broke Down (Benecke Coffee) | Map It Forward

    Advertising SponsorGet “The Coffee Report by Map It Forward” directly to your inbox every Friday by signing up for either our Green Coffee or Roasted Coffee Patreon tiers in our Patreon community. Head to https://www.patreon.com/collection/2275485 to read our first report for free. Sign up for as little as $5 per month. Episode Description This is Part 2 of our five-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro examining the dispute between Benecke Coffee and coffee cooperatives in Peru pursuing unpaid claims. In Part 1, we established who the cooperatives are and the financial and commercial risks they carry. In this episode, we follow the coffee. Lee Safar, Emerson Carrasco, Anabel Barrientos, and Óscar Inocente, together with Ana Donneys as translator, explain how coffee moves from the farm to the cooperative, through processing and financing, and onto the vessel at Callao. Óscar describes the investment cooperatives make in certification, production support, transport and finance before payment is received. He says financing can carry annual interest rates of approximately 14–18%. The conversation then examines the commercial terms. Emerson explains the export documentation process and says payment from a German importer would normally be expected within approximately 15–30 days. The episode also introduces the retention-of-title issue raised by the cooperatives, which becomes increasingly important later in the series. Anabel then describes the point at which Ubiriki began to realise that Benecke’s payment delays were no longer normal. She says the cooperative continued shipping after receiving reassurances that payment would be made. The final section introduces questions about Fairtrade’s role after Lee says Fairtrade International confirmed awareness of payment arrears involving Benecke from June 2025. In Part 3, the series moves from delayed payments into insolvency. Correction: Arthur E. Darboven ceased serving as Managing Director of the Benecke management company on 25 April 2024. His ownership position and any continuing involvement after that date remain under investigation. Connect with our guests here: Anabel Barrientos https://www.linkedin.com/company/cooperativa-cafetalera-valle-ubiriki‍ ‍ gerencia@ubiriki.com.pe Emerson Carrasco https://www.linkedin.com/in/emerson-carrasco-791b9871/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/sanchirio-pe ecarrasco@sanchirio.com Oscar Innocente oinocente@hotmail.com WhatsApp +51 995 147 869 https://www.linkedin.com/in/oinocente/ For media, contact Nataly Fabrikantova https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataly-fabrikantova-82609219a/ Editorial Note: This series concerns an active insolvency and ongoing creditor claims. Statements concerning Benecke Coffee, Fairtrade, FLOCERT, the insolvency proceedings and other organisations reflect the accounts and perspectives of participants unless otherwise identified. Allegations should not be understood as findings of wrongdoing. If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: https://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

    EP 1657 Part 2 of 5 | How the Benecke Coffee Trade Broke Down (Benecke Coffee) | Map It Forward

  8. Aug 10

    EP 1656 Part 1 of 5 | What Happened Between Benecke Coffee and Peru’s Cooperatives? (Benecke) | Map It Forward

    Advertising SponsorThis episode is brought to you by Arcadia Green Coffee, Colombian coffee exporters taking fresh green coffee from Colombia to the world, farm to roastery, direct. New office now open in the UK.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arcadiagreencoffee/WhatsApp: https://wa.me/353877871523 Episode Description This is episode 1 of a five-part investigative series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward examining what happened between Benecke Coffee in Germany and coffee cooperatives in Peru pursuing claims for coffee they say remains unpaid. Across this series, we are asking a larger question: What happens when trust, trade and accountability break down in the global coffee supply chain? In this first episode, podcast host Lee Safar is joined by Emerson Carrasco, General Manager of Sanchirio Palomar Cooperative; Anabel Barrientos, General Manager of Ubiriki Valley Cooperative; and Óscar Inocente, a lawyer working with four of the affected Peruvian cooperatives. Ana Maria Donneys from Café Primitivo joins the series as translator. Before getting into the Benecke dispute itself, this episode establishes who these cooperatives are and the role they play in the lives and businesses of hundreds of smallholder coffee producers. **Correction: In this episode, Arthur E. Darboven was described in a way that could suggest he remained part of Benecke Coffee’s executive management during the 2025 payment crisis. Subsequent verification of corporate-register information indicates that he ceased serving as Managing Director of Benecke on 25 April 2024. His ownership position after that date, and any continuing involvement in Benecke’s affairs, remain under investigation. We are updating the record accordingly. Emerson explains that Sanchirio Palomar represents 633 small coffee producers, including 220 women, while Anabel describes Ubiriki Valley as a cooperative with 845 members. The conversation explores the work cooperatives carry out across production support, certification, quality control, processing, financing, transportation and access to international coffee markets. That context matters because when an international coffee transaction fails, the unpaid invoice is only one part of the risk. The cooperatives have already financed coffee purchases, supported production, processed and prepared the coffee for export, managed certifications and logistics, and assumed significant commercial and financial exposure before receiving payment from an overseas buyer. The conversation then turns to how the cooperatives began working with Benecke Coffee. Anabel says Ubiriki had worked with Benecke for more than five years and historically had a good commercial relationship with the company, with approximately 25–30% of the cooperative’s sales going through Benecke. Emerson says Sanchirio Palomar began trading with Benecke in 2025 and sold seven containers of organic Fairtrade coffee. According to Emerson, five containers were paid for while two remained unpaid at the time of recording. Óscar says the four Peruvian cooperatives he is working with are pursuing claims connected to approximately 18 containers with an estimated value of around US$3 million. He also says there may be additional cooperatives that were affected but did not become formally registered creditors in the insolvency proceedings. Episode 1 lays the foundation for the rest of the investigation: who the cooperatives represent, how much risk they carry, how the relationships with Benecke developed, and the scale of the claims now being pursued. In Episode 2, we follow the coffee from Peru to Germany to understand how these transactions were structured, when payment was expected, and where the commercial process began to break down. Connect with our guests here: Anabel Barrientos https://www.linkedin.com/company/cooperativa-cafetalera-valle-ubiriki‍ ‍ gerencia@ubiriki.com.pe Emerson Carrasco https://www.linkedin.com/in/emerson-carrasco-791b9871/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/sanchirio-pe ecarrasco@sanchirio.com Oscar Innocente oinocente@hotmail.com WhatsApp +51 995 147 869 https://www.linkedin.com/in/oinocente/ For media, contact Nataly Fabrikantova https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataly-fabrikantova-82609219a/ Editorial Note: This series concerns an active insolvency and ongoing creditor claims. Statements concerning Benecke Coffee, the insolvency proceedings and other organisations reflect the accounts of the participants unless otherwise identified. Allegations should not be understood as findings of wrongdoing. If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: https://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

    EP 1656 Part 1 of 5 | What Happened Between Benecke Coffee and Peru’s Cooperatives? (Benecke) | Map It Forward
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The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by MAP IT FORWARD provides content to the Global Specialty Coffee Industry every weekday. Episodes are released Monday to Friday at 1 am PT. Each week, a 5-part series is released with a single guest exploring a theme that the guest is an expert in. Series are relevant to current events happening in the specialty coffee industry, including business, logistics, economics, geopolitics, industry challenges, and more. Episodes are hosted by specialty coffee veteran, entrepreneur, and business advisor, Lee Safar. All episodes are unedited and typically run 15 - 20 minutes. The content on this podcast is suited to members of the global coffee industry keen on challenging the traditional narrative within the fast-evolving industry from a constructive and curious perspective. This is a conversational podcast, and from time to time, you will hear cursing because of the conversational nature of the discussions. Our values at MAP IT FORWARD are curiosity, integrity, authenticity, and openness. Our mission at MAP IT FORWARD is "Conspiring to each other's success". The video version of this podcast is available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/mapitforward Find out more about MAP IT FORWARD at https://www.mapitforward.coffee

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