Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/737343
26 STiR coffee and tea / Issue 5, 2016 (October/November) The US Agency for International Development (USAID) an- nounced it will invest $3 million to accelerate a successful cof- fee development program in South Sudan. The funds enhance the capability of non-profit TechnoServe and Nestlé-Nespresso to train coffee 1,500 workers and build new wet mills needed to process the country's washed robusta for export. The $3.18 million is in addition to $138 million in humani- tarian assistance following three years of brutal fighting. It will be distributed over three years according to USAID assistant administrator for Africa Linda Etim. "In a severely conflict-affected country like South Sudan, it's important that we invest in people to help improve livelihoods, reduce extreme poverty, and give people hope about the fu- ture," she said. She said that Nespresso and TechnoServe have already achieved success in improving the livelihoods of South Sudan's coffee farmers, "USAID is planting seeds of hope at a very frag- ile and uncertain time for the people of South Sudan. We're encouraged to see a company like Nespresso investing in long- term growth in South Sudan." "This new partnership with USAID will be instrumental to accelerate the progress Nespresso and TechnoServe have al- ready made, working directly with South Sudanese farmers," said Nespresso c.e.o. Jean-Marc Duvoisin. "This funding in- jection will allow us to scale up the project and help an even greater number of farmers grow and sell high quality coffee for international export at a higher price, thus creating a better quality of life for farmers and their families." Coffee farmers are returning to their farms in the relatively peaceful Yei region southwest of Juba where warring parties have "terrorized and abused innocent civilians, especially women and girls," according to USAID. Food security conditions are "at their worst since South Sudan gained independence in 2011. Forty percent of the population now faces life-threatening hunger." "The program has helped us recover the coffee trees we had lost during the war; and since we started maintaining our trees and delivering to the wet mills our lives have completely changed," said South Sudanese coffee farmer Daniel Lomoro. "We can now afford to take our children to good schools and meet the basic needs of the family. This wouldn't have been possible without that technical support. Nespresso and TechnoServe have strengthened us and taught us to be self-reliant." USAID Funds Support South Sudan Coffee Industry Actor George Clooney, a spokesperson for Nespresso, has traveled five times to South Sudan and worked for many years to bring attention to the plight of Darfur. He told Bloomberg News that he very much favors the initiative. "Coffee farms have a great history of building peaceful pockets in very volatile areas. We drank our first cup this summer and it tasted just a little bit better knowing that it was from people who have worked so hard for normalcy and peace," he said. TechnoServe agronomist Jennifer Poni A Promising Beginning Nespresso's premier edition of Suluja ti South Sudan in single-serve coffee capsules was produced in such small quantities that only the loyal Nespresso Club members of France were afforded an opportunity to buy the first lot. Now the coffee is again available. South Sudan is one of the few regions in the world where cof- fee grows wild and this highly refined Grand Cru selection showcases the distinct flavor characteristics of its untamed heritage. This South Sudan coffee is a fully washed robusta with a bold, silky texture and intense aromas of dried cereals with a subtle woody note. Quantities are increasing thanks to collaboration between Nes- presso and TechnoServe, a non-profit that supports six farmer coop- eratives. Farm-level nurseries are raising trees for the future and three new wet mills will soon begin operations joining six already in operation and increasing capacity to provide sufficient quantities for export.