coffee-ota.org
coffee-ota.org is concerned with a mycotoxin, hazardous to human health, that can sometimes be found in coffee – ochratoxin A (OTA). It is a project website for a (now concluded) global initiative that addressed this problem, and developed solutions and prevention strategies for coffee farmers, buyers and exporters looking to produce a safe, quality commodity.
Against a backdrop a global coffee crisis, manifested by historically low prices, we worked to develop suitable recommendations and strategies. Coffee farmers continue to face critical decisions whether to commit scarce resources to coffee. Previous low prices have forced changes in practice, and agronomic inputs, good husbandry and processing techniques have often been withdrawn or suspended. There are clear challenges. Any recommendations must be accessible, achievable and sustainable for small-holder farmers, processors and national programmes alike. Only in this way can we hope to achieve a positive social impact by improving coffee quality, with minimal additional cost.
The website is also a training resource, providing information and material to guide national institutions in preparing their own training activities in preventing mould formation and OTA contamination in coffee. This downloadable training tool is a comprehensive package containing core presentations themed by topic, each with a variety of digital support material (including documents, photos, bibliographies, exercises and links) that allows users to adapt and build training material so as to reflect their own specific needs and circumstances.
The website will be of use to anybody concerned about OTA, wanting to know more about it, and how best to prevent, or reduce, its incidence in coffee.
