We introduce: Yenni is our OUC – agronomist, who has supported the Orang Utan Coffee project since day one. With more than 14 years of experience managing crop production, soil control and soil management to maximize plant nutrients and soil health. Yenni is also a certified inspector for organic certification.
As senior agronomist for the Orang Utan Coffee, she is collaborating with farmers to assist them in assess crop production, sustain soil health, tree productivity and quality. Together with the Orang Utan Coffee field team, she routinely conducts various trainings and instructs partner farmers on good agricultural practices, which includes maintaining an Internal Control System team in each farmers’ group to help safeguard and minimize risks, promote operational efficiency and encourage adherence to policies, rules, and regulations.
What is your view regarding climate change?
It has impacted the productivity and quality of the coffee because changes in rainfall and extreme weather conditions, such as high temperatures, reduce the process of fruiting and ripening of coffee cherries. Which in the end not only causes losses to farmers, but also disrupts commodity supply chains around the world.
What do you think about organic farming?
Organic farming is the most important tool to support environmental sustainability in coffee production in the long run. Its practices include crop rotations, inter-cropping, symbiotic associations and organic fertilizer enhance soil fauna and flora, improve soil formation and structure with the aim to create more stable systems. In turn, nutrient and energy cycling is increased and the retentive abilities of the soil for nutrients and water are enhanced, compensating for the non-use of minerals fertilizers.
Organic farming lowers the risk for the environmental pollution and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it does not pollute, it increases soil fertility, diminishes soil erosion, and protects wildlife. That way, it ensures the land can be used for generations to come without exhausting the natural resources.
In your opinion, what are the challenges for farmers these times?
The challenge for farmers is to increase the productivity of their agricultural land, to produce quality agricultural products in a sustainable manner, in the changing climate!
What do you like most from work as senior agronomist in Orang Utan Coffee?
The direct interaction with the smallholder farmers, the implementation of training, assisting them in daily work, the joint discussion and finding solutions together as well as the endeavor to always do the best work. I am proud to be part of Orang Utan Coffee team, who understand and support each other’s work.
We still have some hard work ahead of us, but it is rewarding!
