RAINFOREST ALLIANCE CERTIFIED UGANDA SIPI FALLS ORGANIC— FULL CITY ROAST —
Sipi Falls, a scenic landmark in Uganda, plunges from the slopes of Mt. Elgon, a volcanic mountain in the eastern reaches of the country. Judging by its enormous base, it is thought that Mt. Elgon was once the tallest mountain in Africa. The ancient volcanic slopes are cool, tempered by altitude, primarily forest and refreshing streams, rivers and waterfalls.
The local people believe that God lives on Mt. Elgon, far beyond where people venture. If God is happy, they say, he brings rain. God has been happy for many years now; bountiful gardens cling to the mountainside.
Over the years, Kawacom (U) Ltd. has focused on quality and innovation in a continued effort to bring the best of Uganda’s coffee to the world. Our latest introduction to this drive is a pulpery near Sipi Trading Center, where centralized wet processing of coffee cherries guarantees consistent levels of quality and crop control. Additionally, the mill is equipped with a dryer which ensures optimal drying of the parchment, as well as a state-of-the-art retractable drying roof structure.
This higher quality coffee attracts both high value and increased demand resulting in an improved income to the farmers, who have also undergone training on coffee handling in the newly commissioned Farmers Training Center.
Sustainability and Certification: Pioneering as the first producer to export Organic and UTZ-certified coffee in Uganda, Kawacom continues to work with farmers and their communities to ensure quality and sustainable agriculture with the recent addition of Rainforest Alliance certification to this project, focusing on Washed Arabica coffee.
The coffee selection you will be enjoying this month represents the group effort of the Farmer Group made up of 6,970 small holder farmers. Their average farm size is a modest 1.89 hectares, and most are located at an elevation of 1,250 to 1,900 m. Their combined annual production is 192M of green coffee.
BOLIVIAN FAIR TRADE ORGANIC — VIENNA ROAST —
There are two coffee Coops in the Caranavi region of Bolivia, both founded in 2000, and both based on the principal of creating a market for small scale farmers while focusing on maintaining and caring for the natural environment where they live and work.
Coop 1 is AECAR, Asociacion Ecologico de Caficultores el Rosario. Coop 2 is known as UNION PRO-AGRO, or Union de Productores Agropecuarios, which is the larger of the two organizations, with 223 members. The average farm size in both Coops is very small, at 3 hectares. Located in a valley spread around the small city of Caranavi located 4 hours from LaPaz, each is responsible for exporting its own coffee.
Interestingly, the trip to Caranavi used to take 12 hours on the old road, nick-named “Highway of Death” for its frequency of accidents. Improvements now allow cruising down the eastern slopes of the Andes Mountains on a new smooth highway. However, most coffee producers rarely see more than just the city itself, as their small-scale farms are scattered over dozens of communities throughout the surrounding mountains and hillsides.
What do their efforts provide members of your favorite Coffee of the Month Club? You will appreciate the cup profile: Heavy, rich aroma; low acidity; smooth body; and a sweet milk chocolate flavor. The washed varieties are 70% Criollo and 30% Caturra.
INTERESTING . . . Most “bad” coffee is “bad” because of careless processing and sorting. Coffee that varies in size and moisture will roast unevenly, creating a poor cup of coffee, as the smaller beans roast faster than the larger ones. We’re proud to bring you only the very best coffee available — from around the world, to your home.
