News & Insights
The Savane Zombi Cooperative can be found in the Central Plateau region of Haiti. The cooperative has seen unique success in recent years, after they produced a coffee which received a cupping score of 91, an incredibly high benchmark for specialty coffee. In season after season, they continue to produce incredible coffee, all of which is processed by hand.
Welcome to the second annual “State of the Bean” newsletter, which gives me a chance to look back on our coffee program, and share what’s coming in the future.
You've heard of natural coffee and washed coffee. Maybe even anaerobic coffee... but have you ever wondered what all these terms mean? It's actually quite simple once you understand the anatomy of a coffee cherry. The method for moving from fresh cherry to coffee bean makes profound differences to the flavor, acidity and body of the coffee.
Rwandan coffee is now a favorite in the specialty coffee industry, but that wasn’t always the case. At the turn of the century, the country’s industry had to restart, essentially from scratch. The Rwandan government made a choice to compete in a different market and invest in specialty coffee. Today, specialty coffee is a crucial part of the country’s economy, which has grown 7-8% per year since 2003. One washing station at the forefront of this change is Kilimbi Washing Station.
Over 100 species of coffee grow in the wild today, but only two dominate the market. Arabica (probably what you’re drinking now) takes about 60% of the market, and Robusta takes the other 40%. As climate change troubles both of these crops, especially Arabica, two other alternatives have been discussed by academics and producers: Liberica and Excelsa. In fact, this is not the first time these species have saved coffee from ecological disaster.
This is the second year we have purchased the Development Lot from Unblended Coffee. This company is one of our long time partners, and a consistent provider of our Colombian coffee. Beyond producing excellent coffees, they are doing excellent work in the region, and their signature Development Lot is a centerpiece of the work they do.
