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. EP 1620 Part 5 of 5 | New Ways To Fund Coffee Businesses (Freddy Rivard) | Map It Forward

    18h ago

    EP 1620 Part 5 of 5 | New Ways To Fund Coffee Businesses (Freddy Rivard) | 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 episode 5 of a 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar. Our guest in this series is Freddy Rivard, Co-Founder of Honduran Coffee Alliance and Insula Coffee. Throughout this series, we explore how financing works in coffee and why understanding liquidity, risk, and value chain relationships is critical to building a more resilient coffee industry. The coffee industry faces enormous challenges, but it also presents opportunities for innovation. If producers, importers, exporters, roasters, financial institutions, and educators are willing to think differently, new financing models may help strengthen the entire value chain. In this final episode of the series, Freddy shares examples of innovative financing approaches that are already being tested. These include microfinance platforms such as Kiva, university-backed impact funds, relationship-based lending, producer prepayment programs, and alternative ways of improving liquidity throughout the coffee supply chain. Lee and Freddy discuss how access to capital remains one of the greatest barriers facing coffee producers and small coffee businesses. They explore why interest rates matter, how financing costs affect every participant in the supply chain, and why access to affordable capital is often unevenly distributed throughout the industry. The conversation also examines the role that universities, investors, entrepreneurs, and coffee businesses can play in creating new pathways for financing coffee. Freddy shares practical examples from his own work and discusses how curiosity, experimentation, and relationship-building can help unlock solutions that benefit everyone involved in coffee. In this episode, we referenced https://www.kiva.org/ Why this matters The future of coffee will require more than higher prices and better quality. It will require new ways of thinking about risk, capital, and prosperity. Businesses that understand financing and actively participate in strengthening their supply chains will be better positioned to navigate the challenges ahead. Connect with Freddy Rivard and his businesses here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredericrivard/ https://www.instagram.com/hondurancoffeealliance/ https://www.hondurancoffeealliance.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/insulacafe/ 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. In the next episode, we explore how global geopolitics is impacting food supply chains. *************************************** 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 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

    39 min
  2. EP 1619 Part 4 of 5 | How Prepayments Change Coffee Farming (Freddy Rivard) | Map It Forward

    1d ago

    EP 1619 Part 4 of 5 | How Prepayments Change Coffee Farming (Freddy Rivard) | 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 4 of a 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar. Our guest in this series is Freddy Rivard, Co-Founder of Honduran Coffee Alliance and Insula Coffee. Throughout this series, we explore how financing works in coffee and why understanding liquidity, risk, and value chain relationships is critical to building a more resilient coffee industry. When coffee professionals talk about improving the future of coffee, the conversation often focuses on sustainability, quality, or pricing. Much less attention is given to one of the most powerful tools available to strengthen coffee communities: prepayment financing. In this episode, Freddy shares a real-world example from Honduras that demonstrates how relatively small amounts of working capital can have a transformative impact on coffee producers and their communities. Through a conversation with producer Filander Nades, Freddy discovered that approximately USD $20,000 in pre-harvest financing could enable the hiring of dozens of workers, improve farm operations, reduce financial stress, and strengthen an entire local economy. Together, Lee and Freddy explore how prepayments can help producers secure labor, purchase inputs, avoid predatory lending, improve quality, and make better long-term decisions. They discuss the difference between investment and prepayment, why access to liquidity matters most when producers are under pressure, and how thoughtful financing structures can create prosperity rather than simply helping farmers survive. The conversation also examines how current financing systems often trap producers in cycles of debt and why many coffee businesses underestimate the positive impact that prepayment programs can have throughout the supply chain. Why this matters Coffee producers face some of the highest levels of risk in the industry while often having the least access to affordable financing. Understanding how prepayments work, and how they can be implemented responsibly, may be one of the most practical ways for coffee businesses to contribute to a healthier and more resilient supply chain. Connect with Freddy Rivard and his businesses here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredericrivard/ https://www.instagram.com/hondurancoffeealliance/ https://www.hondurancoffeealliance.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/insulacafe/ 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. In the next episode, we explore how global geopolitics is impacting food supply chains. *************************************** 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 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

    26 min
  3. EP 1618 Part 3 of 5 | De-Risking Coffee Through Relationships (Freddy Rivard) | Map It Forward

    2d ago

    EP 1618 Part 3 of 5 | De-Risking Coffee Through Relationships (Freddy Rivard) | 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 episode 3 of a 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar. Our guest in this series is Freddy Rivard, Co-Founder of Honduran Coffee Alliance and Insula Coffee. Throughout this series, we explore how financing works in coffee and why understanding liquidity, risk, and value chain relationships is critical to building a more resilient coffee industry. One of the biggest challenges facing the coffee industry is that risk is often poorly understood. Producers, exporters, importers, roasters, and financial institutions all see different parts of the supply chain, but very few people see the entire picture. As a result, decisions are often made with incomplete information. In this episode, Freddy Rivard explains why de-risking coffee finance starts with reducing information asymmetry throughout the supply chain. Drawing on his experience in agriculture, finance, importing, and roasting, Freddy explores how climate risk, production risk, market volatility, labor shortages, pests, disease pressure, and financing challenges all combine to create uncertainty for coffee producers. The conversation examines why traditional financial institutions often hesitate to finance small coffee producers and how relationship-based business models can help overcome some of these barriers. Freddy discusses the importance of long-term partnerships between producers, importers, and roasters, and explains why trust and transparency can become powerful financial tools. Lee and Freddy also explore how businesses like Honduran Coffee Alliance are working to build supply chains that prioritize long-term sustainability, resilience, and shared success rather than short-term transactional thinking. Why this matters Every participant in the coffee supply chain carries risk. The question is not whether risk exists, but how it is shared and managed. Businesses that invest in relationships, transparency, and long-term partnerships are often better positioned to navigate uncertainty and build more resilient supply chains. Connect with Freddy Rivard and his businesses here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredericrivard/ https://www.instagram.com/hondurancoffeealliance/ https://www.hondurancoffeealliance.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/insulacafe/ 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. In the next episode, we explore how global geopolitics is impacting food supply chains. *************************************** 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 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

    28 min
  4. EP 1617 Part 2 of 5 | The Complexity Behind Coffee Finance (Freddy Rivard) | Map It Forward

    3d ago

    EP 1617 Part 2 of 5 | The Complexity Behind Coffee Finance (Freddy Rivard) | 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. Episode Description This is episode 2 of a 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar. Our guest in this series is Freddy Rivard, Co-Founder of Honduran Coffee Alliance and Insula Coffee. Throughout this series, we explore how financing works in coffee and why understanding liquidity, risk, and value chain relationships is critical to building a more resilient coffee industry. If financing coffee were as simple as borrowing money and buying coffee, the industry would face far fewer challenges. The reality is that coffee financing sits at the intersection of agriculture, logistics, international trade, commodity markets, currencies, risk management, and business operations. In this episode, Lee and Freddy unpack why financing coffee is far more complicated than most people realize. They explore the multiple layers of risk that exist throughout the coffee value chain and discuss why producers, exporters, importers, and roasters all experience risk differently. The conversation examines how coffee moves through global markets, why financing decisions often involve navigating uncertainty months before coffee is delivered, and how changing market conditions can dramatically impact businesses throughout the supply chain. Freddy also explains how different financing structures evolve as coffee moves from producers to consumers and why understanding those structures is essential for making informed business decisions. Together, they challenge the assumption that coffee financing is simply a back-office function and instead present it as a critical part of building resilient coffee businesses. Why this matters Coffee businesses are operating in an increasingly volatile environment. Rising costs, climate pressures, changing consumer behavior, and supply chain disruptions all increase the importance of understanding risk. The more coffee professionals understand the financial systems that support coffee trade, the better equipped they will be to make strategic decisions that protect their businesses and their supply chains. Connect with Freddy Rivard and his businesses here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredericrivard/ https://www.instagram.com/hondurancoffeealliance/ https://www.hondurancoffeealliance.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/insulacafe/ 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. In the next episode, we explore how global geopolitics is impacting food supply chains. *************************************** 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 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

    26 min
  5. EP 1616 Part 1 of 5 | Coffee Financing Demystified (Freddy Rivard) | Map It Forward

    4d ago

    EP 1616 Part 1 of 5 | Coffee Financing Demystified (Freddy Rivard) | 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 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar. Our guest in this series is Freddy Rivard, Co-Founder of Honduran Coffee Alliance and Insula Coffee. Throughout this series, we explore how financing works in coffee and why understanding liquidity, risk, and value chain relationships is critical to building a more resilient coffee industry. Most coffee professionals understand coffee production, roasting, brewing, and sales. Far fewer understand the financial systems that make coffee trade possible. Yet every bag of coffee that moves from a farm to a roastery requires money to move before coffee can move. In this episode, Freddy Rivard breaks down the fundamentals of coffee financing and explains why financing is not simply about getting a loan from a bank. Together, Lee and Freddy explore how liquidity enables coffee to move across time, geography, and form, from coffee cherries on a farm to roasted coffee in a café. Freddy shares insights from his background in agriculture, microfinance, financial engineering, commodities trading, and coffee importing to explain the different actors involved in financing coffee. The conversation explores how producers, cooperatives, exporters, importers, financial institutions, and roasters all play a role in keeping coffee flowing through the supply chain. They also discuss why liquidity is often described as the lifeblood of commodity markets, how specialty coffee differs from commodity coffee in terms of liquidity, and why understanding the flow of money is becoming increasingly important during today's coffee crisis. Why this matters Many coffee businesses focus exclusively on product, quality, and sales. However, the businesses that understand how money moves through the coffee supply chain are often better positioned to manage risk, build stronger partnerships, and navigate market volatility. This episode provides a practical foundation for understanding one of the most important, but least discussed, topics in coffee. Connect with Freddy Rivard and his businesses here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredericrivard/ https://www.instagram.com/hondurancoffeealliance/ https://www.hondurancoffeealliance.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/insulacafe/ 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. In the next episode, we explore how global geopolitics is impacting food supply chains. *************************************** 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 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

    26 min
  6. EP 1615 Part 5 of 5 | How AI Helps Farmers Prepare For Climate Volatility (Ciro Gelvez) | Map It Forward

    Jun 12

    EP 1615 Part 5 of 5 | How AI Helps Farmers Prepare For Climate Volatility (Ciro Gelvez) | 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 to the "Roasted Coffee" tier for 20 USD per month. Find other like-minded people in the coffee industry. Episode Description This is episode 5 of a 5-part series with agro-tech company cofounder and CEO, Ciro Gelvez from WSeeds and Map It Forward Founder, Lee Safar. In this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, we're discussing technology and the coffee supply chain, and what becomes possible when farm-level data is captured, managed, and used in ways that actually help coffee farmers make better business decisions. In this final episode of the series, Lee and Ciro discuss how technology can help farmers better forecast and prepare for changing climate conditions. Ciro explains why macro climate data is not enough. Coffee farms often operate across complex terrain, where microclimates can vary significantly even within a small area. WSeeds is developing IoT sensors to help measure farm-level conditions such as humidity and temperature so farmers can better understand risks related to berry borer, leaf rust, soil conditions, inputs, and yield. Lee and Ciro also discuss the role of AI. Forecasting is only useful if farmers know what to do with the information, and AI may help farmers connect their own farm data with possible decisions, lower-cost experiments, and more precise preparation. Connect with Ciro Gelvez and WSeeds here: https://wseeds.co/en/ https://www.instagram.com/wseeds_col/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/cirowseeds/ 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. In the next episode, we explore how global geopolitics is impacting food supply chains. *************************************** 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 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

    30 min
  7. EP 1614 Part 4 of 5 | Can Technology Help Farmers Price Coffee Better? (Ciro Gelvez | Map It Forward

    Jun 11

    EP 1614 Part 4 of 5 | Can Technology Help Farmers Price Coffee Better? (Ciro Gelvez | 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 episode 4 of a 5-part series with agro-tech company cofounder and CEO, Ciro Gelvez from WSeeds and Map It Forward Founder, Lee Safar. In this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, we're discussing technology and the coffee supply chain, and what becomes possible when farm-level data is captured, managed, and used in ways that actually help coffee farmers make better business decisions. In this episode, Lee and Ciro discuss the gap technology can fill in helping farmers assess and understand cost of production. Lee frames the issue through ongoing Map It Forward Patreon discussion group conversations about coffee pricing, the C market, and the industry's dependence on a futures price that is often shaped by actors far removed from coffee production. Ciro explains that many small farmers do not know their true cost of production per kilogram, per lot, per hectare, or per tree. The conversation gets into why this matters for price negotiation. A farmer who understands real-time cost of production can ask for a price based on current conditions rather than last year's assumptions. Connect with Ciro Gelvez and WSeeds here: https://wseeds.co/en/ https://www.instagram.com/wseeds_col/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/cirowseeds/ 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. In the next episode, we explore how global geopolitics is impacting food supply chains. *************************************** 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 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

    22 min
  8. EP 1613 Part 3 of 5 | Can Technology Trace Coffee Quality? (Ciro Gelvez) | Map It Forward

    Jun 10

    EP 1613 Part 3 of 5 | Can Technology Trace Coffee Quality? (Ciro Gelvez) | 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 to the "Roasted Coffee" tier for 20 USD per month. Find other like-minded people in the coffee industry. Episode Description This is episode 3 of a 5-part series with agro-tech company cofounder and CEO, Ciro Gelvez from WSeeds and Map It Forward Founder, Lee Safar. In this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, we're discussing technology and the coffee supply chain, and what becomes possible when farm-level data is captured, managed, and used in ways that actually help coffee farmers make better business decisions. In this episode, Lee and Ciro examine how technology can help trace coffee quality as it moves through the supply chain, and where the limits of that traceability begin. Ciro explains that quality consistency starts long before coffee leaves the farm. Farm activities, fertilization, pest and disease pressure, post-harvest practices, milling, fermentation, drying, and logistics can all affect the final cup. When those steps are recorded and correlated, farmers can better understand what produced a strong result and how to repeat it. Lee pushes into the harder question: quality is not only objective. Moisture, defects, residue limits, and transport conditions can be tracked more clearly, but sensory quality depends on the person cupping the coffee and the standards they use. Connect with Ciro Gelvez and WSeeds here: https://wseeds.co/en/ https://www.instagram.com/wseeds_col/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/cirowseeds/ 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. In the next episode, we explore how global geopolitics is impacting food supply chains. *************************************** 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 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

    23 min
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4.5
out of 5
39 Ratings

About

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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