The Project

Aims and objectives

Sorting coffee cherries - Indonesia

Mould formation on coffee can result in both spoilage and OTA formation (depending on the fungus involved - see OTA-producers in coffee). Fungal infection can occur during both the processing and storage stages of the commodity chain. In light of this, key objectives under the project have been to:

• Identify OTA producing fungi and define mould formation mechanisms;
• Identify critical control points and investigate potential risks throughout the coffee production and processing chain;
• Evaluate optimal drying conditions and technologies;
• Apply internationally-agreed principles of food hygiene, and a HACCP-based approach, to food safety throughout the coffee production and processing chain;
• Develop the necessary tools to assist all actors along the coffee chain reduce both mould formation and OTA production;
• Build the analytical capacity and capability required to support national programmes for prevention and control of OTA-contamination of coffee.

By developing best practices that will help minimise levels of OTA contamination throughout the production, processing, handling, and transportation of coffee, the project also hopes to impact positively on the earnings of producers, and to improve the amount of good quality coffee available to the market. However, continuing low prices for coffee on the international market since the late 1990s have meant that farmers are often less motivated to dedicate more time and resources in the handling of their coffee, and to the application and uptake of new recommendations.

Solar dryer trials - Côte d'Ivoire

The project is thus attentive to the fact that any recommendations to farmers and traders must be sustainable in the light of the current coffee crisis. The project has therefore emphasised socio-economic analyses of coffee chains and low technology equipment, and their viability for use by small-holder farmers under financial pressure. Similarly, the project has examined local post-harvest processing practices in order to ensure that any recommendations for changes in practice can be made with reference to an informed critique of indigenous practices, and thus have value.

Securing improved quality through the application of best practice also minimises any potential health risk to consumers by ensuring that any agreed minimum limits on OTA exposure can be met.

In order to ensure dissemination of outputs from the project, a key objective is the publication of an industry-wide Code of Practice on reducing OTA in coffee. The European coffee industry produced a Code of Practice in 2002 designed to assist operators throughout the chain to apply good practices in the prevention of OTA contamination and formation, and this will be updated with recommendations and results from the global project.

A further key objective is to assist national bodies in developing appropriate and targetted training for OTA reduction programmes and strategies. Indeed, the project was designed around a two-step approach where a number of core project countries (Brazil, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, India, Indonesia, Kenya and Uganda) would build up local expertise, followed by wider dissemination to other producing countries, and the development of ongoing national training programmes. To facilitate this a comprehensive electronic training and resource tool is being developed under the project. This will be freely available by the end of the project as a CD-ROM, as well as online, in three languages: English, French and Spanish.