- Coffee with
“You can see that it’s working.”
Fulda, the garden of the Environmental Center, an oasis with fruit trees, birdsong, and a light breeze in the German summer heat of well over 30 degrees Celsius. I am sitting here in the shade with Paula Salazar from Naturland, drinking a cup of coffee (the classic Mount Hagen Arabica) while she explains to me something that we consumers hardly ever think about: Quality assurance in the Naturland supply chain.
Barbara Beiertz
From Colombia to Gräfelfing.
Barbara: Dear Paula, you told me how you went to the US for a short time after graduating from university (food technology) and discovered organic food in the supermarket for the first time. That was a turning point in your life…
Paula: Yes, I actually saw organic food for the first time in the USA. Back then, it wasn’t really a thing in Colombia. I was very curious and started researching on the internet: What is it? Where can you find it? And that’s how I found a degree program in Germany at the University of Hohenheim. Fortunately, it was in English – Organic Food Chain Management. It was a fantastic experience. That was my start in the organic food sector.
I also met my husband there; he is also from Colombia. At the time, we considered whether to go back or stay longer. We decided to stay. I started working for a company that imported organic food from Colombia, in the coffee sector. That was my first experience with quality management, import, distribution, and so on. Later, we spent four years in the UK and another four years in Mexico before returning to Germany in 2019.
B: You’ve been around a lot. And then you went straight to Naturland?
P: I had heard about Naturland during my studies. When we moved from Mexico to Munich, I wanted to find a job nearby and found one at Naturland in the processing and trade team. I applied, got the job, and have been with Naturland ever since.
B: As a coffee specialist?
P: Exactly, because I come from a coffee-growing region and grew up with coffee. For us, it was normal that when we were out with our parents on the weekends, we always had something to do with coffee and coffee plantations. At Naturland, however, my specialist products are not only coffee, but also cocoa and bananas, because I used to work with them in the past.
“We accompany the process until the product with the label is on the shelf.”
B: And what exactly are you doing there?
P: Our team supports processors and retailers along the entire value chain so that they can comply with Naturland guidelines. If they are not yet certified, we accompany them through the certification process. This means that we provide them with information about the standards they must meet. We have guidelines for processors, but also specific guidelines for individual products. They must be able to comply with these. We also check recipes, as all ingredients must be Naturland certified. We do this in collaboration with other departments, such as the certification committee.
We also support partners in their search for raw materials: If a raw material is no longer available, the processor needs an alternative, which must of course also be certified. This is a lengthy process, but we accompany it until the product with the Naturland label is on the shelf. This can sometimes take quite a long time. You always have to consult with lots of different people, going back and forth, but in the end it’s successful.
B: Do you also visit the producers?
P: Due to the distance involved with exotic products such as coffee, we don’t do this very often. But I had the opportunity to visit agave producers and a coffee trader in Mexico. Before we certify new producers, our colleagues from Naturland e. V. or freelancers in the respective countries always make an initial visit. This means that we first check the certification applications on paper: Which product they want to have certified by Naturland and whether the company is already certified organic. How long they have been certified organic, where they export to, and so on. Then there is a preliminary evaluation on site, followed by an annual inspection. This is carried out by independent external inspection bodies. The inspection reports then tell us whether the farms meet all our guidelines.
B: Does it often happen that they are not fulfilled?
P: That happens from time to time. But the thing is, we always try to do a thorough preliminary assessment. Otherwise, it would be far too much of an investment in terms of time and money for us if someone went through the whole process and wasn’t certified in the end. That’s why we request a lot of information right from the start and carry out a preliminary assessment or pre-evaluation. On this basis, we can assess whether it’s a good fit or not. And in this initial evaluation, we may also make suggestions for improvement, e.g., measures to improve biodiversity and water management. We then also advise on other crops that may be grown and on how to convert a farm to Naturland. Combining conventional and organic farming on one farm is not permitted at Naturland in order to avoid contamination. This is because, unlike conventional farming, Naturland does not use synthetic chemical pesticides. And sometimes, if it is a complicated processing procedure, we also take a look at it on site, if at all possible.
B: What does trade have to do with it? Or traders? Are they middlemen or wholesalers?
P: Both. The traders import and sell raw materials – green coffee – to the roasters. The roasters process and sell the product, which ends up in consumer packaging. However, there are also middlemen in the exporting countries who export coffee from various cooperatives, i.e., they collect the product and export it in large quantities.
B: And you make sure that what’s on the label is actually in the product? So that nothing is swapped out?
P: Exactly. We conduct a detailed supply chain analysis for the various processes that we have certified. This allows us to track the product flow, identify who transports Naturland-certified coffee from A to B, and determine where it was processed. We verify traceability based on shipping documents and other documentation. We do not only conduct retrospective checks, we are involved in the process. We often refer processors and traders who are already certified by us. If in doubt, we take samples and send them to the laboratory. But that only applies to individual cases. As a rule, our quality system is very good and works well. If it says Naturland on the label, it’s Naturland inside.
“Sometimes checks are difficult.”
B: As a coffee drinker, you don’t think about any of that. You think about cultivation and maybe roasting, but not everything in between. I find that fascinating. You say that, as a rule, it all works very well, but in Mexico, for example, there are obviously many cases of crime involving drug cartels, etc., which also have a major impact on farmers. Do you also have to deal with corruption?
P: Of course, there are also difficulties. A lot depends on the domestic political situation in the country. Often, inspectors cannot move freely around the country to carry out pre-evaluation and on-site support, for example. Looking at it from here, from behind a desk, you think: OK, that’s doable. But in some coffee-growing regions, it’s really difficult. In Mexico, for example, coffee farmers often live far apart. The transport routes are long and they often encounter criminals on the way – it’s a very unpleasant situation.
B: Do you occasionally visit some of the producers?
P: Every now and then, I also travel. Two years ago, I visited a producer of agave syrup. It was a wonderful trip because you get to see how the raw materials are grown when you are in direct contact with the producers. Agave, for example, needs eight years of care before it can be processed. You change your perspective, which I really like.
Ecuador is not Germany.
B: What is the biggest challenge for you?
P: One major challenge – but also one of our distinguishing features – is that Naturland’s guidelines are strict. We are the only organic association that also checks social standards on site. In the Global South, our ideas often do not match the realities of life on the ground. This is where we also do valuable educational work, because we explain how important fair wages and occupational safety measures are. Smaller farms in particular often have a harder time. We are accommodating, often give more time, and work closely with other departments at Naturland – with the social department and with International Member Support. We also accompany and advise farms even before the certification process begins. We try to find good, practical solutions together.
Another challenge is time. Our work often takes several months to a year before we can certify a business. At the same time, we hear from retailers that they want goods. This often causes conflicts, but it is more important to us that the conditions on site are right.
Since Naturland certifies products all over the world – currently in almost 60 countries – we face a number of challenges. Compliance with our guidelines must be ensured. And that’s why we have to work with many teams and people from different cultures. Although it is very interesting and enriching, working with people in different languages, cultures, time zones, and legal systems can also be challenging.
It's a challenge - but it's worth it.
B: That’s understandable. On the other hand, it’s also good that there are international guidelines.
P: Yes, of course, that’s true. We have general guidelines that we maintain at the same level in almost 60 countries, and we check and expect them to be met. It’s good that we can guarantee that the products all meet the same standards. But of course, it’s often difficult. A farmer here in Europe has different conditions than one in Mexico or Ecuador. We make an important contribution in countries where social conditions are not such a high priority.
B: What do you enjoy most about your job and your daily work routine?
P: My work contributes to the environment. It may not be immediately apparent, but it has a positive impact in the long term – for maintaining healthy soils, for the environment, and for the lives of local people. It is worthwhile.
“I'm not tired.”
B: One of the topics we are addressing in this series of interviews is “confidence.” Because so many people are exhausted by all the crises and don’t want to hear anything more about climate change, for example – keyword: Green fatigue. Do you feel the same way?
P: Well, not me personally. I’m not tired. Because I don’t think you can just say, “That doesn’t affect me” – even if things are happening far away. I try to shop consciously, ride my bike, take the train. You can achieve something with small steps. That’s actually everyone’s responsibility: We all want to be healthy, but in order to be healthy, we also have to eat healthily – and our food comes from the soil…
B: And your work contributes to this, even if it takes a long time. I believe that if you manage to do something meaningful in your career, or something you are passionate about, then you will never tire of it. That’s why I find it so exciting to talk to you. There is hardly any other organization that works so intensively to bring about change, to change the way crops are grown. But I think very few people realize how much work it takes to maintain Naturland’s high standards.
P: I think that in recent years, Naturland has become better known. And many end consumers value the label as a sign of quality. But when you ask them what it actually means, people don’t really know what we do. Nevertheless, what began 40 years ago – as the wish of five people – has now become so stable and large over the years because people can see that it works well and is effective.
B: Which is very good news. Unfortunately, there is far too little of that… Do you think coffee prices will fall again?
P: I don’t think so. And I don’t think it would be right either. I know that everyone wants coffee at low prices. But if you really look at what goes to the producers, it’s so little… It would be nice if everyone earned money from it – not just the retailers.
“Together we can do it.”
B: When you see all these difficulties and injustices, is there a trick you use to motivate yourself?
P: Well, I always try to stay positive. When difficulties arise, I seek dialogue with my colleagues. We have a very good team with whom you can discuss everything very easily.
B: Together we can do it?
P: Together we can do it, yes. And I try not to take things personally.
B: If you were to start over again today – with your studies and so on – what would you do differently?
P: Wow, that is good question. Well, I’m actually happy with what I’ve done so far. Maybe it would be the decision to be here or in Colombia. Of course, I miss it – my family is too far away. But so far, I’m very happy. Maybe I would also go more in the direction of cultivation, I can imagine that.
B: Was it a conscious decision for you to go organic, to eat organic food back then in the USA? Was that an aha moment?
P: When I understood the difference between organic and conventional farming and what that could mean for Colombia – which was completely new to me – something just clicked. And I stuck with it.
