in 1942, the government decided to regulate the export of coffee and protect the small and marginal farmers by passing the coffee vii act of 1942, under which the coffee board of india got established, operated by the ministry of commerce and industry. the government dramatically increased their control of coffee exports in india and pooled the coffees of its growers. in doing so, they reduced the incentives for farmers to produce high-quality coffee, so quality became stagnant.