Last week, Producer & Roaster Forum (PRF) announced that it had confirmed a three-year multi-event Diamond Sponsorship with Mayorga Coffee. This sponsorship is the largest of its kind for coffee industry events held in producing countries.

Going forward, Mayorga Coffee will be the Diamond Sponsor for the next six PRF events (two per year). This will include PRF El Salvador, which will take place on 16 and 17 March 2023.

This sponsorship will support the strategic growth of PRF, and means that it can continue to host world-leading coffee industry events at origin. Read on to learn more about the sponsorship and what this means for PRF.

For more information about Producer & Roaster Forum, visit the PRF website.

Behind the sponsorship

As a world-leading coffee industry event held at origin, PRF partners with brands whose vision aligns with its wider strategy. The belief is that by continuing to work with Mayorga in the long term, PRF will be better equipped to support coffee farmers and drive green coffee sales. 

Alongside this, the event will continue to serve as a platform for producers to lead key industry discussions – rather than being passive recipients.

PRF has worked closely with Mayorga Coffee for a number of years. The company has sponsored the last three events: Guatemala in 2019, Honduras in 2021, and Colombia in 2022. 

Henry Wilson is the founder of PRF and Perfect Daily Grind. 

He says: “I enjoy working with Martin, as he constantly pushes us to be better, to do more for PRF, and to keep a focus on championing the work of coffee professionals in producing countries.”

This sponsorship has been confirmed ahead of PRF’s return to El Salvador. The first PRF event was held here in 2016, at a dry mill in the town of Los Naranjos. 

Challenging traditional dynamics

Both PRF and Mayorga Coffee have a focus on championing Spanish-speaking Latin America as a knowledge centre within the coffee industry, as well as challenging traditional dynamics between roasters and producers.

This is something that CEO Martin Mayorga has long since been vocal about. Martin has spoken at past PRF events on prevalent issues in the coffee industry, and frequently talks on other platforms about controversial topics that are often left unaddressed. 

“The supply chain is more segmented than ever,” Martin says. “The only way to understand the realities of the industry is to make sure that the relevant parties engage in the dialogue.”

For Martin, PRF presents an unmissable opportunity to address socioeconomic issues in coffee-producing countries, including poverty, a lack of education, and exploitation.

“In my opinion, PRF is the best event for this engagement,” he says.

Henry explains: “We want to shift the narrative towards empowering the farmer. PRF treats them as professionals and entrepreneurs, giving them the chance to network and display that expertise.

“We want to bring their voices to the table,” he adds. “They should be active in important sector-wide discussions, and help lead the way for the coffee industry.”

The Beca Mayorga

As part of the sponsorship, investment will be guaranteed for the Beca Mayorga – the event’s producer scholarship programme. 

At PRF Colombia, Mayorga Coffee sponsored tickets for around 500 producers who met certain criteria. Priority candidates included smallholder farmers, young coffee producers, and women in the coffee sector.

By working more closely with Mayorga Coffee in the years ahead, the programme will be able to scale and grow to reach more professionals in coffee-producing communities.

Earlier this year, Martin said that the aim of the scholarship is to “provide these producers with the tools that they need so they, as well as future generations, can contribute to closing the inequality gap in the sector”.

“It’s great to have a roaster support PRF with such significant investment,” Henry says. “It reflects Mayorga Coffee’s focus on highlighting leadership and knowledge in coffee-growing communities across Spanish-speaking Latin America.

“A long-term sponsorship like this means we’re able to build a long-term plan for scaling the impact of PRF,” he concludes.

PRF El Salvador will take place at the Salamanca Exhibition Centre in San Salvador, El Salvador on 16 and 17 2023. This venue is the largest exhibition and convention centre in the city.

The event expects to welcome thousands of attendees, including coffee professionals from Central America, international coffee roasters, and other industry leaders.

Watch the video below for a recap of PRF Colombia:

Want to learn more about Mayorga Coffee? Visit their website here. 

Photo credits: Mayorga Coffee

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