Coffee as a livelihood support for small farmers

Coffee production as an income-generating project has been promoted by the Nepalese government with the collaboration of international development agencies. Those areas of Nepal with suitable climate and geography have the potential to grow high-quality Arabica coffee for the international market. This research examines the possibilities of organic coffee production as a livelihood support for small-scale farmers in Hamsapur village in Nepal. Using value chain analysis, coffee producers and collectors were interviewed, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with key informants. Findings showed that local farmers have great interest in coffee production; however, the income generation promises have not been realized because of insufficient quality, a lack of transparency in the local coffee market, and organizational issues. Analysis showed there is a need for alternative business relationships with producers along the coffee value chain that result in greater benefit to farmers. Reprinted by permission of the Editorial Board of the Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education, the official peer-reviewed, refereed publication of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education. Permission to reprint is granted to the International Bibliography of the Social Sciences for indexing and archival purposes.