Coffee regions

I am attending the North American Ornithological Conference in Veracruz, Mexico.  Coffee breaks are catered by Consejo Regulador del Cafe Veracruz, the organization that regulates and certifies “Cafe Veracruz” labeled coffee, guaranteeing origin and quality.

Veracruz state is on the Caribbean coast of Mexico, and is divided into three growing regions, as shown in this map (click to enlarge).

One of the farm requirements is for coffee (arabica only: typical, bourbon, or Mundo Novo) to be shade grown (how much I don’t know).  There are several vendors selling these coffees as well, but so far I’ve only seen ground coffee, and would rather not bring that home for a review.  The coffee we’ve had on breaks has been quite good.  If I do find whole beans, I’ll snap some up for a report.

I’ve seen several posters on coffee and birds, and talked to several people very involved in both research and the certification process.  I will have much more information in the weeks to come as I synthesize what I learn.  More later.

On Sunday, August 6, the New York Times business section had an excellent article on coffee growing in Rwanda (stable, no registration link).  The article gives background on how financial help from U.S. AID, via the PEARL Project I’ve written about before, has helped bring about a vast improvement in the quality of Rwandan coffee, and brought hope and economic vitality to a country in which nearly a million people were killed by genocide.

The article notes that it is the Rwandan government’s goal to make all coffee produced in the county specialty coffee by 2008.  This means no more cheap, C-grade beans purchased by the big four, higher prices paid for the beans which go directly to the farmers and their communities (lessening the need for exploitation of the environment), and even more attention to sustainable growing methods. The article included interviews with Intelligentsia’s Geoff Watts, Thanksgiving’s Paul Katzeff, Green Mountain’s Lindsey Bolger, and Thousand Hill’s Stephen Coffey.  It also tells a few amazing personal stories.  A very good read, take a look.

The situation and the role of coffee: Nicaraguan coffee made recent news, with a story on how organic coffee is losing its appeal to Nicaraguan coffee farmers. About 10% of the country’s coffee exports are organic, but producers feel there isn’t enough of a price premium to make the lower yields and extra effort (and certification costs) to produce organic coffees worthwhile.  Higher demand and increased volume of organic coffee worldwide has lowered prices, and according to the article, farmers are sometimes only receiving $1.05/lb for organic beans.

Nicaragua has suffered through civil war and natural disasters.  In 1998, Hurricane Mitch devastated the region and displaced many coffee farmers.  Coffee is an extremely important export crop, and 200,000 Nicaraguans depend on the industry.

Birds in coffee-growing regions: Organic and shade coffee are crucial for biodiversity in this country. Many of North America’s breeding birds — such as Blue-winged Warbler, Least Flycatcher, and the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler — winter in Nicaragua.

In addition to migratory birds, coffee-growing areas of Nicaragua are critical to resident birds. They are included in the North Central American Highlands Endemic Bird Area (EBA).  EBAs are designated by BirdLife International as areas which have a high percentage of species with restricted ranges.  This EBA is given urgent conservation priority, and the account states, “The montane forests are especially affected at 1,000-1,800 m by the growing of coffee without shade trees.”

About Nicaraguan coffee: Coffee in Nicaragua is often grown under dense shade.  Coffee is usually wet-milled at the farm. The profile of coffee from this country is best described as very approachable, clean, and with good balance. Kenneth Davids of Coffee Review considers Nicaraguans “subtle, suave, and lyric.”

The C&C tasting panel and I have tried several organic Nicaraguan coffees: from Heine Brothers, Great Lakes Roasting Company, and the Counter Culture Matagalpa Cafe San Ramon listed below.  These coffees are classic coffees, friendly and subtle,  medium-bodied and straight-forward. They are not especially complex, and serve as great all-day coffees that would be excellent introductions to tasty, sustainable coffee for your Folger-swilling friends.

My favorite Nicaraguan is the Counter Culture; note that they also market the Matagalpa San Ramon as one of their shade-grown Sanctuary coffees, available at retail outlets such as Whole Foods. There are delicious hints of chocolate in this coffee, which is especially good in any kind of immersion brewer, such as a french press.  Counter Culture has a strong relationship with growers in this region through the Sister Communities of San Ramon. The farm, Finca Esperanza Verde, has an ecolodge and a butterfly farm, and like the rest of the area, is a great birdwatching destination.  The Counter Culture involvement is a perfect model of relationship coffee.

I’d like to occasionally profile a coffee-growing country, where the current situation merits special attention from coffee consumers, whose purchase of sustainable coffee from the country can provide extra benefit.  I’ll try to include these items: the current status, why your purchase will help, cultivation and characteristics of coffee in the country, and some links to sustainable coffees.  You can usually expect the C&C tasting panel to follow up with a review of one or more coffees from the country.

I will start with East Timor, half of one of the easternmost coffee-growing islands in Indonesia.

Situation: Once a Portuguese colony, which was invaded by Indonesia in 1975, only a few days after declaring independence. For over 20 years, conflict and clashes gripped the island as the Timorese resisted the Indonesians.  East Timor joined the UN as an independent nation in 2002, but clashes continue, currently involving violence between eastern and western soldiers that is at a crisis stage requiring international intervention. Some background can be found at BBC News.

The role of coffee: East Timor’s economy has been crippled by the ongoing fighting, and its people are among the poorest in the world.  Coffee is one of the most important mainstays of the East Timorese economy.   In 1994, with help from USAID, the Cooperativa Cafe Timor was organized, and is now the largest single-source producer of organically certified coffee in the world. It has 20,000 farm families and employs another 3,000 local people during processing time, about 25% of the population! Starbucks has been a major customer of East Timor coffee; it was used
in their Arabian Mocha Timor blend, which is currently listed as out of stock.  May and June are harvesting time for coffee in East Timor, and the current wave of violence has nearly stopped production, with coffee not making it to the processing mills, many of which are unmanned due to the fighting.

Coffee Review notes: “Buying a Timor coffee at this moment in history means making a small but valuable gesture of support for one of the many peoples of the world caught up in sectarian and political conflict.” Not only does buying specialty coffee from East Timor help the people, it will also help the environment, adding value to biodiverse farmland when so much forest and farmland was napalmed and destroyed in the war.

About East Timor coffee: There are two main growing regions in East Timor, Aifu and the higher altitude Maubesse. The bean grown most often in Timor is a natural hybrid between arabica and canephora (robusta), often called Hibrido Timor or some variation (it is also used to cross with the Caturra variety to make Catimor, which is higher yielding than either parent, but not as good as either one; more on botanical varieties here).

East Timor has some rugged terrain and a very hot climate.  Coffee is always grown under shade, the only way the plants would survive.  Coffee is grown on small plots, in a primitive and nearly wild state. Because the farmers have not been able to afford chemicals, East Timor coffee is organic.

Coffees are wet-processed in the new mills.  However, the 2006 crop is in question due to the current civil unrest described above, and it may be that coffee that comes from East Timor from this season will be in limited supply and dry processed.

Variously described as sweet and nutty, medium-bodied, with a sweet cedar finish, cleaner than Sumatrans, with more acidity than Javas, and generally clean and mild. You can read some reviews of older crops at Coffee Review.

Map image: pbs.org.

Since shade certification is not available for coffee grown outside of Latin America, it can be helpful to understand coffee cultivation practices in the Old World. (Click on the Coffee Regions category for other posts in this series.)  This can help consumers choose sustainable coffees.  Certified organic is a good choice where available, although in many Asian countries, it is grown organically by default because small farmers cannot afford chemicals and fertilizers (“passive organic”) and may not be certified.

The whole concept of “shade grown” and what it means to biodiversity is different in Asia (and other Old World countries) than it is in Latin America, in particular as it relates to birds.  But as always, coffee grown in situations amongst a diverse variety of other trees and shrubs will mean a higher diversity of other organisms, and a closer match to native ecosystems. If anybody has further information on biodiversity issues in Asian coffee plantations, drop me a line at coffeehabitat AT gmail.com.  Meanwhile, let’s look at coffee growing methods in some major Asian countries.

Sumatra – Sumatra grows a lot of robusta, but the arabicas grown in the mountainous regions are some of the most distinctive in the world.  The best are from northern Sumatra, and marketed as Lintong or Mandheling. They are often grown in the shade, and/or organically. The Gayo region in Aceh Province, in the far north, tends to be small-farm holdings, also often shade or organically grown.  On the other hand,  Sumberjaya is a coffee-farming area within Lampung Province in southern Sumatra, and is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots.  About 60% of this once-forested area has been converted to coffee plantations.  Sun coffee is more common in the south, and state-run plantations tend to clear forest and create sun monocultures.

Smithsonian (certifiers of Bird-Friendly coffee in Latin America) is now doing research on biodiversity in Sumatra coffee farms.  Info on the coffees from Coffee Review.

Papua New Guinea. PNG is the eastern half of this large island; the western half, Irian Jaya, is Indonesian. PNG is often considered one of the “last frontiers” of intact, biodiverse rainforest, with many endemic species. Coffee is an important export crop, and much of PNG coffee is rustically grown in the highlands, and organic beans are readily available.  Aim for these small-holding coffees if available from a specialty roaster.  Estate coffees may not be grown as sustainably.

Java – Most of Java grows robusta, after arabicas were wiped out by rust many years ago. Arabicas are grown in eastern  Java in a volcanic region where four farms originally established by the Dutch government (Kayumas, Blawan, Djampit, Pancoer) are part of the “government”  estate, which produces about 85% of Javan coffee, and which is considered superior to private estate coffee.  This volcanic valley is forested, and I have seen coffees from these estates marketed as shade grown.

Sulawesi (Celebes) – Best beans come from a mountainous region called Toraja, which is also marketed as Celebes Kalossi. Coffee in this area is frequently grown under shade.  A little background from the U-Roast-Em blog.

Timor/East Timor – Coffee is a critical crop in this very poor country, it is home to a cooperative that is one of the largest single source producers of certified organic coffee in the world (both arabicas and robustas are grown organically). Coffee grows under a tall canopy of shade on old plantations, and much is literally wild.  Recently disease has severely damaged or killed a common shade tree species in Timor, and alternatives will need to be planted; meanwhile, coffee yields are reduced. Purchasing specialty coffee from Timor supports struggling farmers after a battle for independence, and environmental restoration.

Vietnam – Vietnam is the epicenter of robusta production, funded at a furious pace by the big corporate coffee buyers, which helped create the “coffee crisis” (more background on the coffee crisis here, with many links). Forests are cleared for these sun coffee monocultures. More than 182,000 acres of forest have been cleared in Dac Lac province alone; water shortages and soil erosion have been problems in coffee-growing areas.

A small percentage of the crop is arabica, and there is some effort to increase that percentage.  It’s difficult to recommend Vietnam coffees if one is concerned about biodiversity, considering that forest may still be cleared for arabica coffee start-up plantations. It’s a tough call, because encouraging sustainable practices in this country facing difficult times could be beneficial.

India – Indian coffees are often grown on terraced mountainsides. Indian arabicas (about half the crop) are known as “plantation coffee,” while the robustas are “parchment coffee.” Most is grown in the Karnataka (Mysore) region, but Kerala and Tamil Nadu (Madras) are other main regions.  Most of India’s shade coffee comes from Karnataka, but the majority of India’s arabicas are shade grown.  Article on Indian eco-friendly coffee growing from INeedCoffee here and some reviews of Indian coffees from Coffee Review here.

One interesting type of coffee from India should be mentioned. Monsooned coffees are green beans left exposed to monsoon rains in open warehouses.  The beans turn tan colored, the acidity is reduced, and the beans are sweeter, according to the hype.  For the full story, read “Daddy’s socks or fancy cheese” at Coffee Review.

Since shade certification is not available for coffee grown outside of Latin America, it can be helpful to understand coffee cultivation practices in the Old World.  This can help consumers choose sustainable coffees.  Certified organic is a good choice where available, although in many African countries, it is grown organically by default because small farmers cannot afford chemicals and fertilizers (“passive organic”) and may not be certified.

The whole concept of “shade grown” and what it means to biodiversity is different in Africa (and other Old World countries). Many Eurasian breeding bird species winter in Africa, but the most species are not found in tropical forests, but scrub savannas north of the equator, areas that do not coincide well with coffee-growing regions.  Thus the issues are not quite the same as in Latin America, but generally the most biodiversity is preserved on small farms, in diverse mixed crop farms, and farms that do not use chemicals.  If anybody has further information on biodiversity issues in African coffee plantations, drop me a line at coffeehabitat AT gmail.com.

Coffee originated in Africa, and today Africa still produces some great high quality arabica (Coffea arabica) coffees.  Africa is also the source of a lot of cheap robustas (Coffea canephora), which is also the easier variety to grow in the sun.  Sun plantations are more likely to be monocultures, and by virtue of that harbor less biodiversity.

The following countries produce primarily or entirely robusta coffee. Coffees from these sources are likely to be of lower quality, or not grown in a sustainable manner.  I would avoid them: Angola, Benin, Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea,  Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo, Uganda, Zaire.

The following countries grow Arabicas, or both varieties. Links provide more growing, historical, or quality information. A star (*) indicates the best bets in sustainable coffees.

*Burundi — Nearly all arabica. Most is grown in full shade, and most is organic, since farmers cannot afford chemicals.  Coffee is a major export crop for Burundi.  A specialty coffee marketed as Ngoma is traditionally grown and especially sought-after.  Bird info for Burundi.

Cameroon — Mostly (>80%) robusta.  Most arabicas grown in the west, northwest, and east at high altitudes. There are Important Bird Areas in these regions. Choose arabica coffee from Cameroon, which is grown in small mixed plots (shade) or harvested nearly wild, and without the use of chemicals.  Bird/birding info for Cameroon.

*Ethiopia – Nearly all coffee in Ethiopia is grown in shade, either as ”forest coffee,” nearly wild, or ”cottage coffee,”  interplanted with other crops without the use of chemicals.  Some is now being grown on plantations.

The two main growing regions are Harrar, the province east of the capital of Addis Ababa, and Yirgacheffe in southwestern Ethiopia (also known as Sidamo).  Both regions grow coffee on small plots using traditional methods, and there are Important Bird Areas in these regions. Bird/birding info for Ethiopia.

Kenya – Grows Arabica almost exclusively, but rarely grown in shade. While it may be that the growing areas are not along migratory routes, and shade trees are less important to birds there, monocultures of anything are generally not good for any type of wildlife, and replace native habitats. Large estates generally use a variety of herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, and fertilizers. Bird/birding info for Kenya.

Madagascar — Both arabica and robusta are grown. Interestingly, Madagascar has 55 endemic species of coffee, including a bean without caffeine.  This island is one of the richest areas of biodiversity on earth, and has been severely deforested, and the farming of coffee was a major reason.  Unless you can determine the specific origin and growing practices of a Madagascar coffee, I’d avoid it.  I’ll try to dig deeper into this situation.  Bird/birding info for Madagascar.

Malawi —Arabicas are grown in several regions.  Due to the steepness of the terrain, coffee in Malawi is usually grown on terraces, using organic mulches to prevent erosion, and usually without pesticides.  It is sometimes grown interplanted with bananas, but it is often in fairly sunny conditions, or under bananas.  Bird/birding info for Malawi.

*Rwanda – Only arabicas are grown.  After the genocide and political unrest, various organizations have been helping to repair the Rwandan coffee industry (see my review of One Thousand Hills here, with accompanying links). Rwandan coffee is generally grown in small mixed plots with little or no chemical inputs.  It is often grown on steep slopes.  Bird/birding info for Rwanda.

Tanzania — Grows both arabica (70%) and robusta. When coffee is grown in shade, it is under banana trees. Most arabicas are grown in the north, near the Kenyan border, on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru (they may be called Kilmanjaros, Moshis, or Arushas).  Coffees called Mbeyas or Pares are Arabicas grown in southern Tanzania, between the rift lakes of Lake Tanganyika and Lake Nyasa.  With snow caps on the mountains diminishing (global climate change is a factor), farmers are struggling with irrigation issues.  Quality has been declining, but some organizations are working at reviving Tanzania’s coffee industry. Full post on Tanzanian coffee here.  Bird/birding info for Tanzania.

Zambia — All arabica, of variable quality.  Some avoid buying Zambian (and Zimbabwean) coffee because proceeds have been known to end up fueling the bloodshed in the Congo. Bird/birding info for Zambia.

Zimbabwe — Mostly Arabicas, grown on medium to large farms, mainly in eastern Zimbabwe bordering Mozambique, in the Chipinge region. Some avoid buying Zimbabwean (and Zambian coffee because proceeds have been known to end up fueling the bloodshed in the Congo. Bird/birding info for Zimbabwe.

Extensive information on African birds can be found at the African Bird Club web site.

“One Thousand Hills” Rwandan coffee, available through Michigan State University. MSU’s Institute of International Agriculture’s project PEARL — Partnership to Enhance Agriculture in Rwanda through Linkages — is helping Rwandans after the 1994 genocide rebuild by organizing coffee cooperatives, and teaching them skills in coffee production and marketing.  A portion of each sale goes back to PEARL. The genocide resulted in plantations being abandoned, and in many cases widowed women left to try to earn a living.  The cooperatives producing One Thousand Hills are 30 to 50% women.

Unfortunately, PEARL is funded by USAID, and the project has recently had its budget cut in half.  Read more about this crisis and steps being taken to insure the livelihoods of Rwandan coffee farmers — and our enjoyment of Rwandan coffee — can continue at portafilter.net.

Rwandan coffee has never been particularly notable (Rwandans being tea drinkers themselves), without much adherence to quality control. PEARL offered expertise in all aspects of sorting, washing, processing, and cupping, vastly improving the quality of the coffee.

Grown on small farms, in mountainous regions. Bourbon varietal. Medium roast, a clean, bright, smooth cup that I enjoyed very much.  Fair Trade.