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.
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Figure 1 Panama National Coffee Day on October 1, 2024
was held in District of Capira
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Figure 2 Mr. Adolfo Perez, Deputy Minister of Ministry
of Agriculture of Panama (right), Mr. Ivan Moreno Melendez, President of the
Coffee Association of Panama (middle) and Professor Liu, Chuang(left) at the
coffee exhibition
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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 4 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
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.