EP 1087 Part 2 of 5 | Where Did the Money for Benecke’s Unpaid Coffee Go? (Lee Safar) | Map It Forward
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Episode Description
This is episode 2 of a five-part solo series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward examining the Benecke Coffee controversy following our previous series with producer cooperatives in Peru and Honduras.
In this episode, Lee Safar follows the coffee, and then follows the money.
The Peruvian cooperatives say they continued shipping coffee after payments slowed because Benecke repeatedly assured them payment was coming. COMSA says 12 containers worth approximately US$2.7 million remain unpaid.
J.J. Darboven has confirmed Benecke was its supplier and says all Benecke invoices it received in 2025 were paid in full and on time.
That raises the central question: if downstream buyers paid Benecke, what happened before the money reached the cooperatives?
Lee examines the documents needed to trace individual shipments, why receipt and payment dates matter, the role of brokers and the insolvency administrator, and the difference between money received before and after insolvency proceedings.
Until specific coffee lots, invoices, receipt dates and payments can be matched, major questions remain about where the payment chain actually broke.
In Part 3, we ask: who knew what, and when did they know it?
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.