Hand Crafted Haitian Coffee || Savane Zombi Cooperative

February 20, 2026Nathanael Curtis

Photo Courtesy of Cafe Kreyol

After World War II, Haiti was the world’s third largest producer of coffee. At the time, coffee made up a major part of the economy, with 80% of the workforce in agriculture. However, political and environmental tragedies have severely harmed the industry in the last century, and today, it is the most poverty stricken country in the Western Hemisphere. Especially since 2021, when gang violence thrust the country into an acute humanitarian crisis. Against this backdrop, Cafe Kreyol has spent the last decade bringing Haitian coffee to the specialty market and investing in farmers. We love working with Kreyol, and this year we’re excited to offer a Haitian coffee for the second year in a row, Savane Zombi.

Savane Zombi Cooperative

The Savane Zombi Cooperative can be found in the Central Plateau region of the country. 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, which brings in significant revenue for their community.

This is especially impressive, because the cooperative operates out of a rather humble facility. You won’t find industrial depulpers at Savane Zombi. Instead, every single cherry is washed by hand. They produce about 50,000 pounds of green coffee per year, and their small staff handles every single cherry.

Joseph Stazzone, President and Post-Harvest Process Technician at Cafe Kreyol, attributes a number of factors to their success. First and foremost, he had nothing but praise for the cooperative’s leadership. A woman named Marianne Merisier oversees fermentations, pH testing, and drying. According to Stazzone, she runs an incredibly organized ship. Because Zombi is a relatively new cooperative, she’s been able to implement new procedures from scratch, rather than having to reform an older operation.

While they may not have a sophisticated operation, they began implementing pH testing six years ago with the help of Cafe Kreyol. This quality control step has allowed for more consistency in their final product, by giving them a benchmark to hit.

Another secret to Savane Zombi’s success has been the small inclusion of the catimore variety. Most coffee grown in Haiti is a variety called Blue Mountain, which is actually a sub variety of typica. Blue Mountain is widely known for having a mild taste, without much bitterness or a strong acidity. This variety makes up most of Savane Zombi’s product, but they also add a little bit of catimore, which adds a crisp lemongrass acidity to the final cup. This inclusion brings a really surprising character and depth of flavor to the offering.

Humanitarian Crisis in Haiti Today

It’s impossible to talk about Haitian coffee without mentioning the abject crisis the country faces. Gangs have overrun the streets after President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in 2021. Today, half the country faces acute hunger and violent gangs have destroyed infrastructure and taken control of the region. Not to mention, continued fallout from storms and the pandemic has only worsened the situation. Because of this, Cafe Kreyol hasn’t even had boots on the ground in years, instead relying on previously established infrastructure to continue operations.

In speaking with Stazzone, his view of the situation was honest and grim. According to him, if the violence had broken out just five years earlier, they likely wouldn’t have been able to start any of their projects. Currently, their work in Haiti is in survival mode, just trying to maintain what they already started. “Kreyol’s goal was to improve the lives of a significant amount of people, and we’re seeing that,” he said.

Partnership with Cafe Kreyol

We’ve worked with Cafe Kreyol for about three years now, and we love their mission, as well as every coffee we’ve ever sourced from them. Savane Zombi might be our favorite yet, combining a unique story with a truly great cup of coffee.

Savane Zombi is available for retail online and in store. Make sure to check out our product page for details on the roast profile, and swing by the cafe to try it on pour over.