Sustainable Harvest

When I first heard the name “Parana’s Pioneer North” (Norte Pioneiro do Paraná), I thought, why exactly can a state call it self a pioneer, especially compared to the rest of economic powerhouse Brazil? By the end of five action-packed days there, I had a much better idea.

Parana state has 2.5% of Brazil's land, but produces 25% of the country's agricultural products, including 2 million bags of coffee.

I was in Brazil to visit suppliers in the state of Paraná, in the south of Brazil. My coworkers Oscar Gonzales and Olga Cuellar joined me as we toured around the region. Paraná is famous for being the southernmost coffee growing region in the world. It’s also what I’ve been calling “Brazil’s breadbasket”. The region has 2.5% of the country’s land, yet they produce 25% of the country’s agricultural products. They grow wheat, corn, soy, tomatoes, sugar cane, and coffee.

During our coffee farm visits, we learned about the unique location of Paraná. Around the world, the majority of coffee is found between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, and specialty coffee comes from altitudes above 800-1000 meters. However, Paraná lies south of the Tropics, and no farm there is above 950 meters.  And yet, as we cupped our way across the region, we found clean, sweet coffees with bright acidity that easily qualify as specialty. The high altitude requirement is a myth in Paraná. Here’s the reason why: we normally search out high altitude is because it slows down the bean maturation, allowing complex flavor compounds to develop slowly. But since Paraná is south of the Tropic of Capricorn, it experiences much cooler weather, but still has lots of sunshine year round, so coffee beans mature slowly. They develop even more slowly than in most coffee regions, taking up to 300 days for full bean maturation.

This colder climate is precisely the reason that Paraná is unknown in specialty coffee. In 1975, a brutal frost killed nearly all of the coffee plants in the state. Paraná went from being the highest volume producing state in Brazil to the lowest, dropping from 22 million bags to the 2 million they currently produce. Parana was practically written off as a coffee origin.

Coffee farmers in the region apply compost on their plants to provide nutrients and protect them from frost.

Some coffee farmers stuck around though. Instead of switching to growing environmentally-harsh sugar cane crops, they kept farming coffee, taking measures to protect against future frosts. Farmers now train their coffee plants’ roots to grow deep into the soil where the layers of earth offer protection from the cold.  Producers here are also realizing more and more that they have high quality coffee. We met a few cuppers who were eager to prove to us that they have great coffee, and equally eager to learn more about what the specialty market is seeking in a Brazilian coffee.

As I drove out of the coffee farms, headed back to the airport in Londrina, I realized that Paraná’s Pioneer North really is pioneering the state of Paraná back into the competitive coffee market. We’ll definitely keep our eye on this region and look forward to starting relationships with the enterprising producers we met there.

–Katie Gilmer, Relationship Coffee Manager, Portland

This year, as part of a grant from the Lemelson Foundation, Sustainable Harvest brought solar panels to five washing stations belonging to the Kilicafe Cooperative, whose membership spans 1408 coffee-producing families in the region. The goal of bringing renewable energy to these rural communities was to allow the washing stations to run the Relationship Information Tracking System (RITS). RITS is a cloud-based system that tracks coffee from farm to port. Using a computer, a receipt printer, and an internet modem, Kilicafe producers are revolutionizing coffee traceability and transparency in Tanzania. RITS is not only playing a key role in increasing coffee quality and efficiency at the washing station, it is also helping the washing stations to reduce their costs, thus increasing the amount the farmers are actually paid.

Installing solar panels at Pendo washing station, Kilimanjaro region

Sustainable Harvest interviewed the leadership at Kishisha washing station in Kilimanjaro region, one of the Kilicafe groups that installed solar panels this year. The chairman of the washing station says that they have seen an increase in farmer membership. He believes this is both because of the solar power and the RITS program which Kishisha became part of in 2011. ‘”Farmers hear about RITS, and they see RITS, and they are much more certain that their data is being stored safely compared to the paper-based recording system we used before.”

The benefits of installing solar power at these washing stations have extended far beyond their initial intentions. Joanice Kileo, Kishisha’s secretary, describes how having power 24 hours a day encouraged them to install two lights at the washing station, one in the office and one by the processing machine. Now they can process coffee after dark, whereas before they had to leave coffee to soak overnight because it was difficult to analyze the quality of the cherry. Having solar power is helping Kishisha maintain and improve their quality standards. “We also don’t have to give our night guard a torch anymore” claims Joanice, a fact which is saving them nearly $30 a year; these small saving add up to more money going back to the farmers each year.

Solar panel installation complete at Umoja Ilela washing station, Mbinga region

Perhaps the most interesting development to come out of the new solar panels is that the washing station started to provide free phone charging for all 213 of their members. Lameck Kileo, Kishisha’s accountant, describes how previously, their producers would have to travel into the village and pay 200 Tanzanian Shillings (approximately 10 cents) every time they wanted to charge their phones. News spread fast that the washing station is now providing this service for free; Lameck saw new faces at the washing station this year and believes this will boost membership in the future. “If we were given a grant to attach to the main grid now, we would still use the solar power because it is much more reliable and there is no monthly bill, which would have to be deducted from the farmers’ final payments.”

It’s not just Kishisha witnessing these benefits. According to a survey Sustainable Harvest conducted last month, all five washing stations are providing free phone charging services to their communities, and have also purchased lights that run on the solar energy. This is particularly important in Mbinga in southern Tanzania, since coffee reception and processing is nearly always done after dark, which in the past has negatively impacted their coffee quality. Staff at Kihuka washing station in Mbinga described how solar power is saving them significant sums of money on purchasing kerosene for the lanterns traditionally used to provide light during processing hours. When asked what they would be willing to pay for the solar kit had they taken out a loan, the Umoja Ilela washing station told us 4,000,000Tsh, (approximately $2500). This amount is actually higher than the monetary value of the panels they were given and goes to show  how important having access to electricity is for these rural communities.

- Carly Griggs, RITS Program Manager

To read an English version, click here.

Este año, Claudia Aleman, la Coordinadora de Relacion Directa para Sustainable Harvest, basada en nuestra oficina en Lima, Peru, ha visitado la cooperativa Bagua Grande en la provincia de Utcubamba, Peru. Allá visitó Aroma de Café, una pequeña cooperativa que opera bajo la cooperativa Bagua Grande, y quién produce café particularmente especial.

El año pasado tuvimos la experiencia de probar frutas y catar cafés de diferentes regiones de Perú durante LTC. Fue una experiencia increíble y los participantes quedaron impresionados con los cafés, pero fue uno en particular el que llamó la atención de varios tostadores.

Este café era de la familia Quispe, ellos son 13 hermanos, 9 hombres y 4 mujeres, que llegaron a este caserío luego que su padre saliera de Cajamarca, durante la sequía de 1985, en busca de nuevas tierras. En esta búsqueda llega a la provincia de Utcubamba, al caserío de San Antonio, cuyo bosque y tierras fértiles lo animaron a vender su ganado en Cajamarca, y comprar 2 hectáreas para cada uno de sus hijos. A pesar que en aquella época no existían carreteras, por lo que tenían que trasladar su café a lomo de burro por un sendero de 4 horas, la belleza y riqueza del lugar hizo que se quedaran.

Miembros de la familia Quispe

Con el paso de los años se organizaron en una cobase para incorporarse a la cooperativa Bagua Grande. Ya han pasado 9 años desde su creación, y gracias a su excelente trabajo, cuidado por sus bosques, y compromiso de la calidad, este grupo de productores ha logrado tener mayor reconocimiento.

En el año 2010 ganó como el mejor café de la región Amazonas, y gracias a su gran organización también han logrado adquirir fondos para implemtación de biohuertos para el cultivo de hortalizas, créditos para abonos, construir un almacén comunitario, hacer renovación de plantones, entre otros. Estos fondos los completan con sus propios recursos, porque son concientes que ellos deben también reinvertir en su comunidad para salir adelante.

Es una comunidad muy gentil y entusiasta, en nuestro recorrido de más de dos horas, subiendo y bajando pendientes bien pronunciadas, toda la familia nos acompañó, hijos, esposas, hasta los miembros más antiguos, todos con la misma fortaleza y energía. Mikol con sus nueve años, y con Sarita a cuestas, siempre anduvo a paso firme, en frente mío y de Stacy, y Michael de 6, no paraba de correr y enseñarnos los árboles y regarlarnos flores.

Esta cobase bautizada con el nombre de Aroma de Café, esta formada por los hermanos Quispe y 6 vecinos  más, todos ellos con los mismos valores y principios de respecto al medio ambiente. Por eso se puede ver como después de estos años, el bosque sigue presente, imponiéndose grandes árboles, de hermosas flores color violeta, rosado, blanco, asi como moras, papayas, y frutas nativas. Se puede ver como los cafétales están bañados de esta naturaleza, que embriaga el aire, y alimenta el espíritu.

–Claudia Aleman, Lima, Peru

Para la versión en español, haz clic aqui.

This year, Claudia Aleman, Sustainable Harvest’s Relationship Coffee manager based in the Lima, Peru office, visited the Bagua Grande Cooperative in the Utcubamba Province of Peru. While there, she had a chance to visit Aroma de Café, a smaller cooperative that operates under the Bagua Grande umbrella cooperative, which produces some particularly special coffee.

At Let’s Talk Coffee 2010, we had the opportunity to sample the fruity and flavorful coffees of some of Peru’s different regions. This was an incredible experience and all of the participants were greatly impressed with the coffees. One in particular caught the attention of several roasters and Sustainable Harvest staff.

This coffee was from the Quispe family, which is made up of 13 siblings (9 brothers and 4 sisters) who came to the village of San Antonio after their father left Cajamarca during the drought of 1985 in search of new lands. San Antonio’s fertile lands encouraged him to sell his cattle and buy property in the area. With this land, the Quispe family began to grow coffee–an especially difficult process considering much of the territory had no roads to speak of. Their father had to transport the harvest by donkey, which took over four hours each way. These difficulties, however, were unmatched by the beauty and fertile conditions of the region, which convinced the family to stay.

Members of the Quispe family

With the passing of the years, the different members of the family became part of a  cooperative named Bagua Grande. In the nine years since, thanks to their excellent work, good care of their trees, and uncompromising quality, this group of producers has received great recognition within the specialty coffee community.

In 2010, Bagua Grande was awarded the honor of producing the best coffee in the Amazon region. Thanks in part to its recognition and popularity, the cooperative has been able to implement organic family gardens, fertilizer credits, a community store, plant and tree reforestation projects, and more.

The community itself is very friendly and enthusiastic. In our two-hour visit climbing and descending the steep slopes, we were accompanied by the entire Quispe family: children, spouses, even the elderly members, all with the same strength and energy. Nine-year-old Mikol always walked at a steady pace in front of us and six-year-old Michael never stopped running and showing us different trees and flowers.

The cooperative Aroma de Café is named for the coffee’s aroma, and was formed by the Quispe brothers and 6 neighbors who share the same values and respect for the environment and community. We could see the results of this attitude as we walked around the farm: even after many years of coffee production, the forest is still present, with its imposing trees and beautiful pink, purple, and white flowers, along with berries, papayas, and native fruits. All of the plantations are bathed in this nature, which permeates the air and feeds the spirit.

–Claudia Aleman, Lima, Peru

Rweyemamu and I recently spent two days conducting a hands-on workshop in organic compost and micro-organisms for more than 60 farmers in the Mkabogo and Kibwigwa villages.

Most of the coffee farmers here in East Africa face major challenges in obtaining enough nutrients to supplement their coffee plants. Most smallholder farmers rely on chemical fertilizer for nutrients, which is expensive and difficult to acquire. But if these farmers know how to produce their own organic fertilizer, they avoid those setbacks. The compost is made up of resources already available at the farm, so it is readily accessible and much cheaper. Using it also conserves and improves the soil structure, contributing to healthy plant life.  Knowledge of micro-organisms goes hand-in-hand with composting, because the micro-organisms quicken the decomposition process in the compost heaps.

We have found that farmers really appreciate learning about the technology, and our trainings have become very popular. In total, we have trained 500 farmers from Mkongoro, Kalinzi, Mkigo, Rusaba, Matyazo and Mkabogo villages, and currently more than 50 farmers have compost heaps in their farms. They have realized that their questions about how and where to get fertilizer will soon be history!

Enjoy the photos of the latest training.

Many thanks,

- Thangale Thangale, Africa Program Chief Agronomist