CEBU CITY – A Filipino-owned coffee chain is encouraging the revival of the coffee farming in the country’s mountain areas, noting that more players in the coffee industry are sourcing their coffee bean supply requirements from local coffee growers, many of which are located in the uplands.

Figaro Foundation, corporate social responsibility arm of Figaro Coffee Systems Inc., is contemplating the production of organic gourmet coffee in the Philippines, a possibility that could be easily realized if the country’s coffee farming business is revitalized.

Figaro’s Marketing Services Manager Johanna Clavecilla said except for their decaffeinated drinks, all of the products being served in the company’s 70 outlets nationwide use coffee beans sourced from local coffee growers.

In a related development, the Department of Agriculture 7 announced it has allotted an estimated R1.2-million to boost coffee production in Negros Oriental province.

The DA 7 said the funds will pay for 50 kilograms of coffee seeds to be distributed to coffee growers, 20 bags of organic fertilizers and farm tools for clearing and rejuvenation of land in the province.

“Unlike perhaps 10 – 15 years ago when it was unheard of, coffee shops now have become an everyday phenomenon for Filipinos. More players are coming in and there is more room for growth for coffee farming currently,” Clavecilla told Manila Bulletin in an interview here.

She revealed that Figaro is set to pioneer the selling of organic coffee products in the country even as market feasibility research is now being conducted by the company.

She pointed to a company-initiated study which, she said, indicates that there is a growing consumer demand for organic beverage products in the country as well as overseas.

Clavecilla the plan to commercial produce organic coffee might take a while, but it already working closely on this with a German-based consultancy agency.

Unlike in Western countries, she said, it may take time for organic coffee to gain acceptance in the Philippine market since it is more costly to produce compared to regular coffee.

Clavecilla said at present, only a few coffee farms in the Philippines are working on organically-produced coffee beans but majority of these products are being exported.

"We started thinking about the concept of an organic coffee less than five years ago but we are still making studies if there is a market at all for such a product," she said, adding that getting international accreditation alone for it would mean preparing for a mountain of documentary work and huge investments.

But if and when organic coffee is to be rolled out commercially in the country, Figaro will be the first coffee chain in the Philippines to offer such a product, Clavecilla assured.