How we work
We support coffee and cocoa producer organizations to become professional businesses by offering a customized and holistic three-way approach to all our projects and initiatives.
Technical assistance
By providing technical assistance through training and consultancy assignments we help coffee and cocoa producer organizations become sustainable businesses and reliable supply chain partners.
Before starting a project, we analyze the current and local situation, possibilities and needs. We then create a plan together with the producer organization, aiming to strengthen their internal capacity for organizations to be able to stand on their own feet in the long run.
This approach is divided into three pillars. They can be used together for the highest impact, as well as separately
- General training on any aspect related to coffee and cocoa trade for both individual organizations or groups.
- Individual advice and support for organizations to strengthen their position.
- Coaching and implementation of a developed action plan with an individual organization.
We offer the following training modules:
0. Business Management: what is your business about and what is important?
- Organization: How is a coop organized and what should be the priorities?
- Administration: Why and what is important in the administration of your organization?
- Product: Why and what are the important details about your product: it is never just ‘coffee’ or ‘cocoa’.
- Promotion and Marketing
- Price: Product pricing, price negotiation and Price Risk Management
- Exporting: The required documents, instructions, insurance, amongst others, to export coffee directly
- Contracting: What are the different types of contracts, and what do the different terms, and definitions mean?
- Finance: What are the different types of finance, options and the documents required.
Together with the organization we analyze their current level of knowledge and provide individual advice and a plan of action for them to further strengthen their organization and/or specific activities. This is often related to a specific topic within the coffee and cocoa trade with a clear objective to be reached within 1-3 months.
Coaching and implementation is a long-term trajectory in which we, along with the organization, undertake a full business analysis. Based on this, a unique and holistic plan of action is developed taking into account access to finance and markets, quality improvements, capacity building, sustainability and diversification.
BEYCO Access to market and access to finance
Beyco is owned and developed by Progreso since 2018. In 2024, Beyco expanded from only coffee, to providing services to cacao farmers as well.
It is the first independent digital coffee and cacao trading platform that allows farmers and producer organizations to have full ownership over their data.
Its aim is to directly (digitally) connect coffee and cacao buyers, sellers and impact investors from all around the world to establish sales, sign export contracts and trade their coffee. The platform furthermore facilitates traceability and transparency in the coffee and cacao value chain.
By trading on the platform, a commercial and financial track record is created and the data is stored safely and can be shared with partners and other Beyco users with flexible and customizable levels of visibility. The recently added financier profile will further aid financial institutions in understanding risks, selecting verified prospects and providing credits, whereas the farmer app and dashboard will continue to give access to both online and offline information to farmers.
Beyco in short:
Progreso Fund
The Progreso Fund facilitates high-risk initial microcredit with loan ticket sizes below the threshold of social lenders. We are able to mitigate these risks through the insights and understanding obtained from our technical assistance activities. This way, we can support producer organizations that have the potential to grow, but do not yet have access to finance. Through the Progreso Fund they are able to start trading and build a track record.
Furthermore, by connecting them to the most reliable markets they are able to grow even further in market share. Once they have a track record, we link them to social lenders for further continuation of their business path.
Interested in finding out whether your organisation would be eligible for support from the Progreso Fund? Email us at admin@progreso.nl
Howwework
We support coffee and cocoa producer organizations to become professional businesses by offering a customized and holistic three-way approach to all our projects and initiatives.
Technical assistance
By providing technical assistance through training and consultancy assignments we help coffee and cocoa producer organizations become sustainable businesses and reliable supply chain partners.
Before starting a project, we analyze the current and local situation, possibilities and needs. We then create a plan together with the producer organization, aiming to strengthen their internal capacity for organizations to be able to stand on their own feet in the long run.
A. General training on any aspect related to coffee and cocoa trade
B. Individual advice and support for organizations to strengthen their position
C. Coaching and implementation of a developed action plan with an individual organization
While the three steps together create the highest impact, it is possible to pick & mix. Our program is tailored for each organization and depends on the local situation and possibilities. We always analyse the current situation and plan together with the organisation depending on their needs. Our intention is always that internal capacity is strengthened so organisations can stand on their own feet.
can be conducted with individual organizations, but it can also be conducted in groups.
0. Business Management: what is the business and what is important.
1. Organization: How is a coop organized, what is important within an organization
2. Administration: Why and what is important in the administration
3. Product: Why and what is important to really know your product. It is never just ‘coffee’ or ‘cocoa’.
4. Promotion and Marketing: what to think of and why
5. Price: Pricing the product, negotiation and Price Risk Management
6. Exporting: Everything related to exporting coffee directly, required documents, instructions, insurance etc.
7. Contracting: what are different types of contracts, incoterms, definitions etc related to contracts.
8. Finance: What different types of finance exist, options and required documents for finance
For individual advice and support we analyze with the organization what their current level of knowledge is, and we make a plan of action to further strengthen their organization and/or specific activities. This is often related to a specific topic within the coffee and cocoa trade with a clear objective to be reached within 1-3 months.
is a long-term trajectory in which a full business analysis is done with an organization and a holistic plan of action is developed to support the organization to becoming a professional business. These projects are unique for every organization, taking into account access to finance, access to markets, quality improvements, capacity building, sustainability and diversification.
BEYCO Access to market and access to finance
Beyco is owned and developed by Progreso since 2018. It is the first independent digital coffee trading platform that allows farmers and producer organizations to have full ownership over their data.
Its aim is to directly (digitally) connect coffee buyers, sellers and impact investors from all around the world to establish sales, sign export contracts and trade their coffee. The platform furthermore facilitates traceability and transparency in the coffee value chain.
By trading on the platform, a commercial and financial track record is created and the data is stored safely and can be shared with partners and other Beyco users with flexible and customizable levels of visibility. The recently added financier profile will further aid financial institutions in understanding risks, selecting verified prospects and providing credits, whereas the farmer app and dashboard will continue to give access to both online and offline information to farmers.
Beyco is the first online coffee trading platform developed by a foundation. Beyco optimizes coffee trading activities and creates transparency on indicators that both buying and selling parties agree such as quality, certification, precise origin, and farmers involved in these trades within the global supply chain, while providing access to finance for producer organizations related to their green coffee contracts. Next to Beyco platform we have a Beyco farmer app and dashboard, which work both offline and online.
Beyco is active for 4 years now and over 400 cooperatives, 50 service providers/traders, 160 buying organizations and several social lenders are actively using it.
Beyco in short:
Traceability
Build up a track record and generate trust among all stakeholders in the supply chain.
Access to markets
Find new sellers or buyers and digitise existing connections.
Independent
Beyco is owned by Progreso Foundation, an independent, non-profit organization
Efficiency
Get access to a real-time overview of available coffees, your purchases and sales.
Access to finance
Have coffee export contracts financed easily.
Transparency
Decide which information you want to share and with whom.
Progreso Fund
The Progreso Fund facilitates high-risk initial microcredit with loan ticket sizes below the threshold of social lenders. We are able to mitigate these risks through the insights and understanding obtained from our technical assistance activities. This way, we can support producer organizations that have the potential to grow, but do not yet have access to finance. Through the Progreso Fund they are able to start trading and build a track record.
Furthermore, by connecting them to the most reliable markets they are able to grow even further in market share. Once they have a track record, we link them to social lenders for further continuation of their business path.
Interested in finding out whether your organisation would be eligible for support from the Progreso Fund? Email us at admin@progreso.nl