Grounds for Change: DA Launches Coffee Industry Development Office

Coffee has always been present in Filipino life, but the industry behind it has struggled to keep pace with the times. While cafés thrive in cities and demand continues to rise, local farmers face aging equipment, limited access to inputs, and uneven infrastructure. The result has been declining yields and a growing dependence on imports.

The Department of Agriculture is now moving to change that. Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has signed Department Order No. 06 establishing the Coffee Industry Development Office (CIDO)—a dedicated unit that will, for the first time, give coffee its own headquarters within the DA. Laurel describes the move as a shift from treating coffee as a minor crop to managing it with focus and strategy.

CIDO will take charge of planning programs, monitoring progress across regional offices, and ensuring that projects align with national priorities and development assistance. It will also consolidate funding streams that were previously scattered under different programs, creating a single channel for coffee development. Beyond administration, the office is expected to coordinate with local governments, universities, private firms, and farmer groups to modernize the sector and recommend reforms where needed.

The order is anchored on Executive Order No. 292, the Administrative Code of 1987, which empowers the DA to strengthen both domestic and export-oriented agriculture. For Laurel, the creation of CIDO is not just about structure—it’s about urgency. “We cannot keep talking about the promise of Philippine coffee while farmers grow older, yields stagnate and imports rise,” he said.

The establishment of CIDO marks a turning point. It’s a recognition that coffee is more than a sideline crop—it’s part of the country’s culture and economy, deserving of investment and attention. Whether this new office can deliver on its promise remains to be seen, but for now, it signals a clear intent: to give Philippine coffee a chance to reclaim its place in the market, and in the everyday lives of Filipinos.