I really do believe in trying to reduce food miles as much as possible but there are some food stuffs which simply cannot be produced in this country. There is the argument that if they cannot be produced in this country, they should be excluded from your diet if you’re a die-hard food mile reducer. But take coffee for example, it does not grow successfully in the UK and I for one do not plan to give it up just because it has to be imported, I would rather choose my coffee carefully and mindfully than go without.
Coffee is ever growing in popularity, just look at how many coffee establishments have sprung up where you live, Starbucks, Costa, Neros, to name just a few. We as a nation are now developing and refining our taste for coffee, almost as if it were wine, discerning between locations, even specific regions to suit our particular tastes.
One region in particular is rising in popularity for speciality coffee production - East Africa; Grumpy Mule’s Damian Blackburn comments:
“This year’s Great Taste Awards saw several coffees from Eastern Africa being highly commended. Of our award winners, two were from this coffee growing region. Our Rwandan coffee from the Musasa cooperative won a prestigious 3 Star Gold Award and our Fairtrade Organic Ethiopian Yirgacheffe was awarded 2 Star Gold. Notably, Café Direct’s Ugandan Fairtrade Organic also won 3 Star Gold reflecting the growing appreciation for the quality of East African coffee beans.”
So what are the reasons for these successes?
“The key factor is taste. The finest coffees from this region show characteristics such as a floral aroma and vibrant, citrus fruit flavours that make them stand out. This is down to a combination of climate, terrain and great care in the harvesting and processing of the coffee. The majority of these award winning coffees come from cooperatives of small-holder farmers who have benefited from pooling their resources and efforts together to produce great coffee and seek higher prices for their crop in return.”
The speciality food sector not only requires quality but also provenance. The liberalisation of the coffee industry in many East African coffee producing countries is allowing direct sourcing from known growers and cooperatives, rather than buying untraceable lots sold through Government auction systems. These direct relationships are encouraging farmers to improve the quality of their coffees.
Rwandan coffee is looking forward to a very bright future. Political stability, a reinvestment program and a focus on quality has led to a growing reputation among the coffee roasting community and it seems certain that coffee lovers will follow suit. This month, Rwanda is hosting the first Cup of Excellence competition to be held outside Latin America, showcasing the finest coffees that its farmers have to offer. The success of Rwandan coffee in the Great Taste Awards, combined with this distinguished Cup of Excellence event, is sure to raise its profile further.”
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