March 7-8 CRS staff and partners from the region will participate in the Producer Roaster Forum (PRF) in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
March 7-8 CRS staff and partners from the region will participate in the Producer Roaster Forum (PRF) in Guatemala City, Guatemala. PRF is the foremost regional event in coffee, bringing together coffee producers, roasters, and industry stakeholders to address real issues, drive innovation, and facilitate green coffee sales. Previous editions were held in El Salvador, Brazil, Honduras, and Colombia. This is the first time Guatemala will host PRF, a significant milestone for one of the most important sources of specialty coffees in the world.
Celebrating 10 Years of Blue Harvest. We’re thrilled to use the forum to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Blue Harvest in Central America. Blue Harvest is a partnership led by CRS to invest in farming practices that protect springs, rivers, and aquifers that secure the availability of drinking water in downstream communities. Blue Harvest was launched in 2014 to scale up restoration, protection, and regenerative practices in the territories where coffee is produced in Central America. Blue Harvest promotes water and soil conservation practices in critical watersheds, and supports farmers to increase yields, improve quality, and to gain access to high-value markets. Blue Harvest is the application of Water Smart Agriculture in critical watersheds.
Launching Blue Harvest in Guatemala. This milestone will also mark the official launch of Blue Harvest in Guatemala, through the Horizons Initiative. Horizons, a 10-year, $50 million initiative funded by the Howard G. Buffet Foundation (HGBF), aims to regenerate, and rejuvenate over 35,000 hectares of agricultural landscapes in Guatemala's Western Highlands. Working with a wide network of coffee cooperatives, associations and other key actors in Huehuetenango and San Marcos, regenerative coffee systems will be critical to Horizon’s success.
Blue Harvest Partnership.
Blue Harvest Partnership: Since its launch, Blue Harvest has been supported by Keurig Dr. Pepper, the Inter-American Development Bank (BID), the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the US Department of State, USAID Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA, CRS private funds, the Shockwave Foundation, Coca Cola, and other partners.
In the spirit of PRF, Blue Harvest is a global collaboration of producers, mills, exporters, roasters, and retailers.
The participation of CRS’ staff and partners will highlight the breadth of the Blue Harvest partnership and will showcase the exciting innovations and impacts achieved through the Blue Harvest approach.
If you are attending the PRF, stop by booth 13; we would love to chat.
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Unlocking Value Through Regenerative Agriculture
One of the most important questions facing the coffee sector is whether regenerative agriculture can deliver measurable economic value. The evidence emerging from Blue Harvest suggests it can. Participating farms reported an average yield increase of 49%, income gains ranging from 43% to 52%, and significant improvements in nitrogen use efficiency. These results suggest that healthier soils can support stronger farm economics while reducing reliance on costly external inputs, creating value for producers, cooperatives and supply chain partners alike.
Water Security Is Coffee Security
Water is one of the most critical resources underpinning the future of coffee. Coffee processing water use has been reduced by 76%, saving more than 40 million liters of water annually. At the same time, partnerships among cooperatives, communities, and local organizations have helped improve water access for 50,000 people. These results show that investments in water stewardship can generate benefits that extend beyond the farm, supporting both community well-being and long-term supply chain resilience.
A Climate Solution Rooted in Working Landscapes
Using the Cool Farm Tool, Blue Harvest Regenerative has documented greenhouse gas emission reductions of more than 50% through improved nutrient management, agroforestry systems, enhanced soil cover, and better management of coffee processing byproducts and wastewater. At the same time, coffee cooperatives and community groups are helping protect and conserve more than 260,000 acres of critical landscapes. Together, these results show that regenerative approaches can deliver climate benefits while supporting productive coffee landscapes.
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A Shared Opportunity for the Coffee Sector
The experiences emerging from Honduras and Nicaragua suggest that productivity, environmental stewardship, and economic opportunity are not competing goals, but are essential parts of a resilient whole. When producers, cooperatives, companies, and communities work together, these outcomes reinforce one another. As the coffee sector looks ahead, regenerative agriculture offers a pathway toward stronger farms, healthier watersheds, lower emissions, and more resilient supply chains. Across Central America, producers are showing that resilience is not only a response to climate challenges—it is an opportunity to build a stronger future for coffee.