Green coffee importer

Cameroon is a country located in Africa several latitude degrees south of the equator. It is referred to as “Africa in miniature” as the country is endowed with a scenic diversity ranging from the equatorial jungle and tropical rainforest in the south to vast savannas in the north. Coffee drinkers primarily associate Cameroon with Robusta crops that are grown everywhere. However, in the north-west of the country Arabica, which remains within the scope of our interest, is also grown.

Arabica was planted there at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries by German colonizers who brought the seedlings of Java Blue Mountain. The top quality of the coffee is reached on the slopes of the Mount Cameroon volcano and in the volcanic mountain range in the north-west of the country as a result of the interplay of three important factors: adequate humidity, altitude MASL and volcanic soil. The combination of these factors is reflected in the highest quality coffee that is characterised by excellent flavour.

Most of the plantations are small, home farms or even several trees grown by the family. Harvested coffee beans are delivered to local cooperatives whose employees peel, dry and sort coffee beans. These are exactly the places where we purchase our coffee.

Congo – is one of Africa’s biggest countries but is still remains the real heart of darkness. The country is simultaneously very rich and very poor. It is rich in enormous natural resources, e.g. cop, diamonds, cobalt, tantalum or coltan. Yet, the country’s poverty results the fact that a very modest part f the proceeds generated from the exploitation of natural resources goes to the inhabitants of Congo who live in grinding poverty, often in rural areas and extremely primitive conditions. Nevertheless, the people of Congo are really hard-working and open to foreigners. For the last several decades Congo has been experiencing internal turmoil, often ignited by the fight for an access to its natural resources.

Coffee is primarily grown in the province of North Kivu, located at the border of Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda. The landscape is mountainous and volcanic. The famous National Park Virunga, located in the neighbourhood of Goma, the capital of the province, is home to mountain gorillas and an active, still dangerous, volcano. The effects of the volcano’s eruption in 2002 are nowadays visible in most parts of Goma.

In the region of North Kivu both Robusta and Arabica, mainly the Bourbon type, are grown. Farms are typically small, family-owned and very modest. Farmers usually join cooperatives to share the cost of coffee processing machines. Thanks to the help of NGOs from all over the world, the quality of the produced beans has been systematically improving and more and more plantations are now able to produce speciality coffee.

Interestingly, coffee also contributes to the maintenance of the very fragile peace in this region of Africa. Demilitarised guerrillas are frequently encouraged to establish plantations, which appear to be a financially attractive alternative, enabling them to settle down, lead a normal life and stop killing for money.

Peru is a country situated in the Western part of South America, on the Pacific coast. It is the continent’s third largest country. The majority of its area lies within the equatorial climate zone – wet in the Amazon and dry-mountainous in the Andes. Since such climate conditions enhance coffee cultivation, no wonder Peru is one of the world’s most important coffee producers. Typically, small, family farms dominate in the region.

Peru is famous for ecological, pesticide-free coffee plantations. Owing to the exclusive use of natural fertilizers, ecological coffee from this part of the world shows excellent quality. Coffee is cultivated in Peru mainly in the regions of Cusco, Chanchamayo, Amazonas and Puno, and crops from each of these regions are characterized by distinct aromatic notes. Plantations are located at the altitudes ranging from 1500 to 2000 MASL, which makes the harvested beans very ripe and juicy.