EP1669 Part 4 of 5 | Brokers, Pressure and Conflicts in the Benecke Case (Lee Safar) | Map It Forward

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Episode Description

This is episode 4 of our five-part solo series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward examining the Benecke Coffee controversy following the Peru and Honduras cooperative series.

Lee Safar turns to one of the least understood parts of the coffee supply chain: brokers and commercial intermediaries.

Brokers can connect cooperatives with international buyers, negotiate terms, facilitate communication and help coordinate contracts. But when they are commercially connected to multiple parties in the same transaction, difficult questions can arise about whose interests they ultimately serve.

In this episode, Lee examines allegations from the Peru side that brokers pressured cooperative managers not to speak publicly, discouraged some cooperatives from registering as creditors, continued receiving commissions while cooperative payments remained outstanding, and may have had commercial relationships with Benecke and J.J. Darboven.

These allegations remain unverified and the brokers contacted by Map It Forward have not responded.

The episode asks what brokers knew about Benecke’s financial position, what due diligence they performed, what they told cooperatives once payment problems emerged, and whether their incentives created conflicts of interest.

In Part 5, we bring all the pieces together and ask: what still doesn’t add up?

Connect with Lee Safar here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leesafar/

https://www.instagram.com/leesafar

Editorial Note: This episode forms part of Map It Forward’s ongoing examination of the Benecke Coffee controversy. Some claims discussed in this series remain disputed or have not yet been independently verified. Map It Forward has sought comment from relevant parties and will continue to update its coverage if additional information or evidence becomes available. Where allegations, interpretations or claims are discussed, they should not be understood as findings of legal liability or wrongdoing.

If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series.

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About Map It Forward

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