In this episode, I sit down with Lalo Perez to talk about biological agriculture and how it differs from conventional coffee farming.
Lalo begins by sharing his background in coffee, and how a frustrating remark, that there is no good coffee from Mexico, sparked his journey into biological agriculture and led to the founding of his company, Biofilia.
We discuss what biological agriculture actually means, why it is needed, and how coffee farming must evolve in response to climate change. Lalo explains how farmers can make the shift in a practical and meaningful way, with a strong focus on bringing life back into the soil.
We also speak about the commitment I have made to the farmers we work with: within ten years, all the coffee I purchase must be grown biologically without the use of harmful fertilizers and agrochemicals.
All of them have agreed to take part in this transition, and we have launched pilot trials on six farms as part of what we call the "TW Biological Project". In these trials, we compare biological and conventional farming practices side by side in order to assess their impact over a three-year period.
Lalo and his team at Biofilia are key partners in this project, and we are working closely with them to implement trials on all the farms we collaborate with.
We talk about the changes we hope to see, and how we are working together to reach our long-term goals.
Music by my uncle, Jens Wendelboe.
