Not Your Average Cup of "Joe"
Rwanda
August 14, 2007
For the first time in Africa, a prestigious honor for the world's finest coffees - the Cup of Excellence - will be awarded in Rwanda. The award is presented by the Alliance for Coffee Excellence, Inc. (ACE), a United States based non-profit organization. With support from USAID/Rwanda, the competition will improve the lives of farmers, spur economic growth and place Rwandan coffee on the international map.
Throughout the month of August Rwandan farmers will vie for the esteemed award. Winning coffees will be cupped (tasted) at least five separate times during the rigorous competition and judged by national and international juries. Only the country's ten best coffees will be selected on August 31, 2007, but the country will garner recognition for its burgeoning industry.
The Cup of Excellence marks another milestone for Rwandan coffee. In 2000, the country did not export any specialty coffee. But, thanks in large part to USAID funded programs 3,000 metric tons of specialty coffee were produced in 2006. Export revenue from this sub-sector grew from zero dollars in 2002 to $8.5 million last year. Coffee is the country's largest export earner and specialty coffee contributes to the industry's growth and sustainability.
Rwandan coffee has been featured as a "Black Apron Exclusive" by Starbucks and praised as the "best of the best" by Green Mountain Coffee.
USAID/Rwanda previously provided $10 million over six years to help develop this specialty agribusiness. More recently, USAID renewed its commitment to the industry's growth by funding Sustaining Partnerships to enhance Rural Enterprise and Agribusiness Development (SPREAD), a five-year, $6 million project dedicated to improving value chain management. SPREAD works to better the industry's links "from the seed to the cup."
One of SPREAD's objectives is to map the coffees of Rwanda. Similar to wines in France, the regional taste characteristics of coffees will be identified. This will allow consumers and buyers to select coffees from specific areas of Rwanda and know exactly what to expect.
Demonstrating coffee's significance to Rwanda's economy, $300,000 came directly from the African Global Competitiveness Initiative (AGCI) in 2006. The AGCI recognizes the importance of regional and international trade in economic development and poverty reduction and the initiative is designed to promote the export competitiveness of African countries. The quality and unique characteristics of Rwandan coffee made the country an ideal location to receive AGCI funds in order to improve the abilities, skills and market knowledge of private sector enterprises.
Through financial and technical assistance, USAID programs have helped establish farmer cooperatives and improved the lives of their members, built coffee washing stations, trained world class cuppers (professional coffee tasters) and marketed Rwanda's premium coffees in the global market.
The first annual Cup of Excellence in Rwanda was planned in collaboration with OCIR Café, the country's national coffee board. The competition will encourage the production of the highest quality coffee and directly link Rwandan farmers to coffee connoisseurs worldwide.
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