The First NFT for the Future of Coffee
Posted on March 13, 2021
One of the most significant threats for the availability of coffee in the future is that younger generations are not attracted to stay in agriculture because they do not consider coffee production as a stable source of income and see that the effort and hard work of their parents or grandparents is seldom financially rewarded.
The first-ever NFT for the future of coffee is the by-product of the drawings of tens of kids in Nariño, that took part in an initiative on the future of coffee, nature and sustainability, organized by Fundación Germinar as part of the program “Coffee for Peace” in the department of Nariño, Colombia.
The objective of Fantine, through this NFT, is to support the coffee school for kids of Fundación Germinar that includes barista and coffee taster trainings.
By engaging kids since an early age in coffee related trainings, workshops and activities, they become interested in coffee production and its quality, which allows them to see the opportunity that specialty coffee represents as an important source of income for their families. This prevents young people from abandoning agriculture as a livelihood option. The average age of coffee growers is over 55 years old, and fewer and fewer young people continue to grow coffee due to low margins and the mounting challenges of the industry.
Why an NFT for the present of coffee?
One of the most significant threats for the availability of coffee in the future is that younger generations are not attracted to stay in agriculture because they don’t consider coffee production as a stable source of income. They see that the effort and hard work of their parents or grandparents is seldom financially rewarded.
Coffee producers too aren’t exactly encouraging their children to get their hands dirty in coffee’s arduous work. On the contrary, they wish to provide a very good education for their children so that they can take up positions that allow them a stable and well-paid life, often far away from their parents’ fields and coffee plantations.
Fortunately, this is not the case for all kids and young adults in coffee producing areas. Some of them have been inspired by what they experienced when their family decided to switch to producing specialty coffee.
That’s the case of Maria Fernanda, a 9-year-old girl from Tablón de Gómez, Nariño, who has been a regular assistant of the events for kids organized by the Germinar Foundation. According to Maria Fernanda’s own words: “I want to have a beautiful farm with a big central de beneficio“. In these coffee gatherings, kids share their feelings, dreams and objectives for their future, and play educational games to increase their awareness on topics such as environmental protection and personal health.
This NFT is the by-product of the drawings of tens of kids in Nariño, who were invited by Fundación Germinar as part of the program “Coffee for Peace”. The objective of Fantine, through this NFT, is to support the coffee school for young adults of Fundación Germinar that includes barista and coffee taster trainings.
The NFTs’ hype is real, they seem to be everywhere at the moment.
Whether you hate them or love them, or even if you still find it hard to understand NFTs’ value, the truth is that they can be a huge source for good.
NFTs enable people and companies to convert art and ideas into meaningful global action targeting social, humanitarian, or environmental issues such as the sustainability of coffee production. It also helps to raise awareness in new groups of people.
We believe there is too much talking about issues going on in the coffee industry, and still plenty of room to bring real change. We reckon this is a great opportunity for any coffee lover who enjoys a great cup of coffee to take real action.