GIES Case on Panama Coffee Tropical Forestry Initiative Launched

Liu, C.¹  Melendez, M. I.²   Rivera, H. H.³   Song, X. F.¹

1. Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; 2. Panama Coffee Association, Ministry of Agriculture of Panama, Panama City 0816, Panama; 3. University of Panama, Panama City 0824, Panama

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3974/geodp.2025.02.13

The 2024?? Panama National Coffee Day was held on October 1, 2024 in Panama. Professors Liu, Chuang and Song, Xianfang of Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGSNRR-CAS) were invited to participate the festival by the Panama Coffee Association, Ministry of Agriculture of Panama and University of Panama. A series of event such as a joint meeting, coffee garden field survey and discussions with coffee farmers were held and the GIES (Geographical Indications Environment & Sustainability) case on Panama coffee tropical forestry initiative was launched.

On the International Coffee Day 2024, as well as the Panama National Coffee Day on October 1, 2024, Panama Coffee Association, Ministry of Agriculture of Panama celebrated together with government officers, coffee farmers, consumers, research professors as well as international visitors. Professors Liu, Chuang and Song, Xianfang of IGSNRR-CAS joined the festival. The events of the festival including opening ceremony, coffee exhibition, opening market, training and capacity building workshop, and demonstration.

Figure 3   Panama Coffee Day exhibition on October 1, 2024

Besides the coffee exhibition, the capacity building and showcase workshop was held during the Day. Mr. Adolfo Perez, Deputy Minister of Ministry of Agriculture of Panama, Mr. Ivan Moreno Melendez, President of the Coffee Association of Panama and more than 80 coffee farmers joined the workshop.

A detail discussion about GIES case supporting FAO??s OCOP initiative in Panama were among Mr. Adolfo Perez, Deputy Minister of Ministry of Agriculture of Panama, Mr. Ivan Moreno Melendez, President of the Coffee Association of Panama and Professor Liu, Chuang, Co-Chair of CODATA Task Group on GIES and professor of IGSNRR-CAS. Mr. Adolfo Perez indicated that the coffee product and industry had a long history in Panama and it was very important to Panama people. Ministry of Agriculture of Panama shall work with FAO??s OCOP initiative and international organizations such as CODATA GIES as well as Chinese Academy of Sciences to increase the Panama coffee value through the international coffee value chain.

Professor Horacio Heriberto Rivera of University of Panama is one of the CODATA Task Group members on GIES. Professor Liu, Chuang and Song, Xianfang were invited by University of Panama (UP) from September 28 to October 5, 2024, to participate in the ??International Seminar on Geographical Indications Technological Transfer Supporting the Panama Coffee Case??. Letter of Intent between IGSNRR-CAS and University of Panama was signed on 28 September 2024 by Professor Sun, Fubao, Director General of IGSNRR-CAS and Professor Eduardo Flores Castro, President of UP. Both IGSNRR-CAS and UP intend to cooperate to conduct joint research collaboration on GIES under the frameworks of CODATA Task Group on GIES and FAO??s OCOP initiative. 

On October 3, 2024, CODATA Task Group on GIES and IGSNRR-CAS professors visited Mr. Julia Calderon, the FAO Panama and then have a meeting about GIES supporting FAO OCOP Panama. professors Liu, Chuang, Song, Xianfang, Horacio Heriberto Rivera and Mr. Julia Calderon of FAO Panama representative participated the meeting. Professor Liu, Chuang reported the common understanding about GIES supporting FAO OCOP Panama between CODATA TG on GIES and IGSNRR-CAS as well as University of Panama, and the common understanding about the GIES supporting FAO OCOP Panama was made.

Suggested by the Panama Coffee Association, 2 GIES case areas were optional. One is the Capira case (Panar Coffee Garden) and another one is the Ipeti Kuna (Ibedi) Village case, where inhabited by Native Indian tribes of the Madungandi District.

Figure 3  Schematic distribution map of the Capira Coffee Garden and the Ipeti Kuna Village

Panama??s main coffee producing region is the Panar Coffee Garden in Capira District. There are 1,700 to 1,900 coffee farmers in the region, with an average of 12 hectares of coffee land per household. Each hectare produces 1,500 pounds of coffee beans per year, and the average annual coffee bean production per household is 18,000 pounds.

The Ipeti Kuna (Ibedi) Village in the Madungandi region is an indigenous tribal community of Native Americans. Coffee production serves as a major source of income and livelihood for the local population. Within this tribal village, there are 250 coffee farmers who collectively produce approximately 4,000 bags of fresh coffee beans annually (each bag weighs 100 pounds, and three bags of fresh beans yield one bag of roasted coffee). In 2023, the price per bag was USD 135, with each household earning an average of USD 700 per year from coffee sales.

The 2024 China Coffee Import Industry Report[1] indicates that from 1995 to 2023, China??s coffee imports surged 168-fold in less than 30 years. Clearly, there are opportunities for Panama??s coffee exports to China. It can be anticipated that the development of Panama coffee tropical forestry case will help expand the market for Panama??s coffee in China and globally.