Juan Isaza

7-2 Final Project Milestone Four

Southern New Hampshire University

Outcomes Draft
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Outcomes

Efforts

A company created by the people for the people—that is the FNC in a nutshell. Thus, it

is a company that is culturally aware and is deeply engaged at the civil level. The coffee region

of Colombia is a landscape that is truly expressive of the terroir. Combined efforts, from both

humankind and nature, have created what many believe to be the best coffee in the world

( RefRnce). For these reasons and many more, the coffee region of Colombia has been added to

the World Heritage List of Cultural Landscapes by the United Nations Educational, Scientific,

and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (UNESCO, 2017). Thus, only 102 different properties

have been added to the prestigious list (UNESCO, 2017).

The Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia is one that is deeply rooted by coffee (primary

product of the FNC); the reflection is seen in the coffee plants, deep in the mountains, and is also

seen in the architecture of the small towns and urban centers. These elements adhere to the

adaptations made by the FNC and the people which have contributed to several special

topographical conditions (Ministry of Culture, 2009).

The coffee culture can be observed throughout the rich and diverse reflections of cultural

heritage, for it is deeply intertwined in the region’s music traditional trades, cuisine, legends, etc.

The business established in the region demonstrates a clear picture of how a company can be

deeply engaged and culturally aware in its practices. Efforts across multi-generations combined

with the accompaniment of the FNC permits survival through economically difficult

circumstances all throughout a region that is isolated and rugged. Thus, the coffee culture has

been developed into one that is economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable; for it
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positions its main source of income as one of the most valued commodities in the world

(Ministry of Culture, 2009). The operations of the FNC demonstrate a certain consistency and

certain conditions that are hardly found anywhere else in the planet (Ministry of Culture, 2009).

The FNC acts as an entity which has become a dependent body for the coffee growers of

Colombia; for it has created a plan that is deeply rooted amongst their livelihood. The plan

consists of three main components. The first component involves characterizing the coffee

culture landscape. The process involves defining the value of the landscape and identifying the

factors affecting the value of the region. The second component is the provision of regional

management tools. This part of the program involves arming the land with essential tools and

proper management; which include institutional structures and norms. The third part, the more

tactical factor, provides the people strategies, objectives, and action plans for development, as

well as conservation plans and follow-up assessments (Ministry of Culture, 2009).

The cultivation of coffee throughout the farms of Colombia has become the main source

of income for more than half a million families (Department of Environmentally and Socially

Sustainable Development, 2002). The process begins with hand-picking the coffee beans at their

perfect ripeness, which are then washed and dried. Next, the coffee is processed, selected, and

commercialized by the FNC. But, the efforts of the FNC go far beyond commercialization. The

entity also represents the interests of the coffee growers; thus, it provides technical assistance,

quality control, research, publicity, and other public services. In addition, the FNC acts as the

primary management entity that supports social infrastructure projects and well as environmental

projects, and economic and social development (Ministry of Culture, 2009).

The potential outcome most desirable of these cultural awareness and civic engagement

efforts is improving the life quality of coffee producers and their respective families. What is
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desired most is to continue acting as the body responsible for maintaining a fair market price for

the coffee growers. The FNC can continue guaranteeing the purchase of all coffee provided by

the growers, for as long as they meet the high-quality standards. For which the FNC provides

the necessary training, tools, and methods to comply with such standards.

Alignment

All of the efforts mentioned above are in direct alignment with the corporate mission,

vision, and values. Thus, the mission of the FNC is to “work for the well-being of Colombian

coffee growers through an effective, democratic, and representative organization.” To maintain

the effective and federated representation, it elaborates a democratic system with checks and

balances. Members of different branches of the federation are elected every four years and are

elected by the coffee growers. Thus, it is the duty of the elected representatives to remain

transparent regarding all actions and advances in all existening issues (Federacion Nacional de

Cafeteros de Colombia, n.d.).

A unique vision: “To consolidate the coffee growing families’ social development, while

guaranteeing the sustainability of coffee growing business and the positioning of Colombian

Coffee as the best in the world Governance” (Federacion Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia,

n.d.). It is the continuous commitment to policies and actions (social, economic, and

environmental) that allow the coffee growers and their respective families to attain a higher

standard of living; which is all driven by their coffee business (Federacion Nacional de Cafeteros

de Colombia, n.d.).

Impact
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What the FNC has pioneered over the years is a remarkable feat. Thus, there is no other

institution that is paralleled to the FNC. Thus, the federation has coordinated national policy, it

has improved cultivation practices through its cutting-edge and internationally renowned

research facility, it has instituted and maintained the most rigorous set of standards in the world.

What is perhaps a more remarkable feat is the company’s ability and willingness to heavily

invest in the benefit of the public in urban and coffee growing areas. The institute has built

thousands of schools, hundreds of hospitals and clinics, and funded numerous infrastructure and

road projects. The ongoing efforts are the instrument in achieving higher human development

found in the coffee growing regions (Department of Environmentally and Socially Sustainable

Development, 2002).

All of these feats are possible because of the market success that the FNC has found.

Thus, the institution has achieved a transparent price where farmers receive 70-75% of the FOB

price (Department of Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development, 2002). Though,

the percentage is dependent on the exporter and the intermediaries utilized, it is one of the higher

rates in the world (Department of Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development,

2002). The constant high rate has been achieved through the consistency and quality of the

coffee. Thus, the last 30 years have seen productivity increase by nearly 100% (Department of

Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development, 2002).

The alignment of the civic engagement and cultural awareness along with corporate

mission, vision, and values have a direct impact on the exposure of the corporation and its

profits. Over half billion dollars have been invested by the coffee growers on the promotional

strategy. Thus, the brand development is a byproduct of a well-knitted coffee industry; for

which it differentiates them apart from the rest of coffee producing countries. The exposure
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continues to improve the overall image of the country and has improved corporate exposure and

profits. But, there is some concern that suggests the institution may have lost touch with the

direction of the market; for it has failed to create initiatives of strategic commercialization. The

FNC has failed to create resonating opportunities purposed to capture more existing value

(Department of Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development, 2002). Though, it

could be agreed that the marketing approaches executed by the FNC are unparalleled and stand

apart from other players within the coffee world (Department of Environmentally and Socially

Sustainable Development, 2002).

References
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Department of Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development. (2002). Colombia: Coffee

Sector Study. Colombia Coffee Sector. Retrieved from

https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/14436/246000CO0white1nucci1et

1al01PUBLIC1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.

Federacion Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia. (n.d.). What We Do. Retrieved from

https://www.federaciondecafeteros.org/particulares/en/que_hacemos/

Ministry of Culture. (2009). Management Plan. Coffee Cultural Landscape. Retrieved from

file:///C:/Users/jeisa/Downloads/Mgmt1121-2009.pdf.

UNESCO. (2017). Cultural Landscapes. Retrieved from

https://whc.unesco.org/en/culturallandscape/