STiR coffee and tea magazine

STiR coffee and tea 27 What could possibly go wrong? Roasters who source direct pride themselves in identifying a quality partner. At origin the two parties are on their best behavior. Buyers see for themselves tidy farms, well- maintained processing equipment, and reassuring labor, sanitation, and environmental practices. Growers appreciate the recognition and financial incentives as they lock in the deal. All that is left is to load and ship the coffee. What could go wrong? Consider Nicaragua. Transportation is paralyzed. The economy is at a standstill. An entire harvest is going nowhere. Escalating violence and political unrest in Nicaragua crested early this spring at the peak of coffee export season. Supplies still cannot safely reach the docks and buyers are wary of visiting farms. Thousands of students protesting the administration policies of President Daniel Ortega took to the streets in confrontations that led to loss of life. The violence forced the Alliance for Coffee Excellence, sponsors of the Ni- caragua Cup of Excellence which was judged in April in Matagalpa, to ship winning coffees to the US prior to the auction date. "Merchants who deal on a daily ba- sis with Nicaraguan shippers will have a better handle on the situation, when and where coffee stops flowing and what ports are still open," said Lutz. Burundi is more typical. "Burundi is a difficult origin to get right. Upstream stewardship has improved significantly, but transport, storage, and government auctions all conspire to obscure trace- ability and limit greater development," according to Lutz. "The recent opening of individual washing stations to independent market- ing has provided an opportunity to source higher quality pieces and to prepare more consistent lots," according to Lutz. "I remember situations where we had to send our own staff from Nairobi to ensure that the coffee loaded were the right lots," he said. Andi Trindle Mersch, director of coffee at Philz Coffee and a former cof- fee trader with Atlantic Specialty Coffee in Oakland, says she is "a big believer in the value added by importers. In addi- tion to logistics expertise and economy of scale advantages, importers expertly and efficiently navigate customs and un- derstand changing government require- ments, according to Trindle Mersch. Especially now with the FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) rolling out in phases and undergoing version chang- es, she suggests most buyers in the US at least need to rely on importers and exporters to understand and educate around these requirements.

• Cover