LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Lovers of coffee have met in the Valley.
Michael Harris Conlin, president and CEO of Henry and Sons with Mokhtar Alkhanshali, president and CEO of Port of Mokha visited the Benguet capital to continue to advocate stability in the coffee industry.
Mokhtar, the man behind the best-selling book “The Monk of Mokha,” was invited by Henry and Sons to the Philippines to encourage farmers and the youth to continue planting coffee trees with the mission to create a sustainable coffee economy in the country.
Conlin, who heads the coffee company has been moved with Mokhtar’s passion and determination and wants Filipinos to draw inspiration from his story.
Mokhtar shared struggles he had to endure to help the farmers in Yemen improve the quality of their coffee and how he risked his own life to let the world have a taste of the rich flavors of what is now known as the Port of Mokha coffee.
At the Valley, both advocates met with La Trinidad Mayor Romeo Salda for a tour at the Benguet State University-Institute of Highland Farming System and Agroforestry with its Director Dr. Andres Basalong.
Projects under the Foundation of Sustainable Coffee Excellence, a non-profit organization established by Henry and Sons has pledged projects which will provide livelihood necessities to local farmers with the end goal of bringing to the country a more solid and sustainable coffee industry.