Producer Roaster Forum (PRF)
Sources: PRF Article — Sicafe as STE Host Sponsor (November 28, 2022); Producer Roaster Forum (website, 2026)
The Producer Roaster Forum (PRF) is Latin America’s largest specialty coffee trade event, designed to connect coffee producers directly with roasters and importers from around the world. It is backed by PDG Media and its publication Perfect Daily Grind (multilingual, covers the full supply chain from farm to cup).
PRF’s stated mission: connect industry actors at origin, drive green coffee sales, and “level the playing field” between producers and buyers.
History and editions
PRF’s inaugural edition was held in El Salvador in 2016. Subsequent editions have taken place in Honduras, Brazil, Guatemala, Colombia, and El Salvador again. The 11th edition (PRF El Salvador 2026) was held March 26–27, 2026 at the Hilton Hotel, San Salvador.
Format
PRF combines a two-day main forum with a pre-event Sourcing Trip Experience (STE). All tickets include:
- Convention floor access (exhibitors, green coffee producers, equipment vendors)
- Conference talks and panels with simultaneous English ↔ Spanish translation
- Immersive workshops, cupping sessions, and competitions
- Coffee bars (espresso, filter, cold brew)
Sourcing Trip Experience (STE)
A structured 3-day immersive visit where a carefully selected group of roasters and buyers spend time at one or more producer operations before the main forum. STE tickets include main PRF admission; transport handled by host producers after confirmation; travel insurance proof required.
Contact: tati@producerroasterforum.com
Typical STE activities:
- Farm and nursery visits covering different producer profiles, growing zones, and variety selections
- Wet and dry mill tours (depulpers, fermentation tanks, sorting machinery)
- Cupping sessions run by the producer
- Round tables on sector challenges from producer and roaster perspectives
- Networking with logistics partners, importers, and international roasters
- Organized dinners featuring local dishes
PRF’s own copy describes the STE as designed for buyers “looking for an experimental lot for the next Brewers Cup or a new base coffee for their espresso blend” — directly targeting the profile of roasters Kaiserblick wants to reach.
Scholarship program
PRF funds 350 free admissions per edition for producers, sponsored by Diamond partner MTPak Coffee. Applications are open to small producers, young farmers, women in coffee, and producers with innovative or inspiring stories. This keeps PRF genuinely producer-inclusive rather than a buyer-only trade show.
Competitions
PRF hosts four official competitions. Competitions are open to applications months before the event; capacity is limited.
| Competition | Sponsor | Focus | Key prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Roasting Championship (4th edition) | Cropster | Roast profile development and consistency | Nucleus Link + Cropster vouchers |
| Cold Brew Championship (7th edition) | Toddy | Extraction technique and signature beverages | Toddy Brewer + cash prize |
| Global Cupping Championship | PDG Media | Sensory precision under time pressure | PRF cupping spoons + merch |
| Soil of Excellence (coffee) | Belco | Regenerative agriculture; soil health + cup quality | Differentiated lot sales via Belco + EU market access |
| Soil of Excellence (cacao) | Nahú | Regenerative cacao; same model as coffee category | Same model |
Soil of Excellence is the most strategically relevant for Kaiserblick: it explicitly recognizes producers practicing regenerative farming and connects winners with Belco as a European commercial channel.
Conference Program (PRF El Salvador 2026 — Day 1 confirmed speakers)
- Otto Cabrera — “Thermodynamics of flavor: roasting protocols for infused and co-fermented coffees” (Maillard reactions, first crack, aromatic stability in innovative processes)
- Tulio Lozano — “Soil chromatography as a practical tool for organic and regenerative transition” (qualitative soil chromatography; mapping the pathway to organic certification)
(source: Producer Roaster Forum (website, 2026))
Global Coffee Awards
The evening of Day 1 features the annual Global Coffee Awards (GCA) ceremony — a three-course dinner at the PRF venue culminating in the announcement of “Best Roaster in the World.” Organized by PDG Media. Separate tickets required; black tie optional.
Key partners
- Algrano: Runs a sample matchmaking station at PRF helping producers present green coffee offers to buyers with clear pricing, logistics, and contact data. A PRF webinar (“Muestras que conectan”) by Algrano’s Luiza Pereira explains that most samples fail not because of quality but due to missing commercial information.
- PDG Media / Perfect Daily Grind: Organizational backbone; runs the GCA and provides global media coverage.
- Cropster: Equipment partner for Global Roasting Championship; Nucleus is the roaster equipment partner.
SICAFESA and PRF
SICAFESA (Sicafe) has participated in PRF since the inaugural 2016 El Salvador event. In March 2023, they served as a Host Sponsor for STE at PRF El Salvador 2023, hosting a selected group of international professionals across their farms in Apaneca and Santa Ana for three days.
Relevance for Kaiserblick
PRF is a high-value channel for connecting Salvadoran producers with international specialty roasters and importers in a direct-trade context.
Near-term (PRF 2027 or next ES edition):
- Attend as exhibitor or green coffee bar sponsor (Espresso Bar / Brew Bar) to put Kaiserblick coffee in front of hundreds of roasters and producers from across the world
- Register Kaiserblick coffee on Algrano ahead of PRF and use the matchmaking station to present lots with full commercial info to roasters met at the event
Medium-term:
- Apply for Soil of Excellence once regenerative farming practices are documented — a win opens a direct Belco trading relationship for European green coffee sales
- Explore STE Host Sponsorship once farm operations mature; this is the format SICAFESA has used to build long-term international buyer relationships since 2016
Participating in a future PRF could accelerate European buyer relationships without requiring attendance at larger and more expensive shows like World of Coffee.