Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/658240
32 STiR tea & coffee industry international / Issue 2, 2016 (April/May) Side-by-side coffee farms illustrate the benefits of good farm practices. Source: Paul Stewart TechnoServe Best Farm Practices Make a Big Difference Countries that will require industry support to increase arabica production. Producing Countries with Potential Source: Paul Stewart TechnoServe Paul Stewart, Technoserve controlling the ripening time of the fruit, the size of the plant and adaptations to difficult conditions. Knowing the plants' genetics is a vital requirement for obtaining a high-quality product, according to Illy who explains that caffeine content, thickness and solu- bility of cell walls that affect the extrac- tion are all aspects directly or indirectly controlled by the plant's genes. Schilling said the first of the new gen- eration coffees will be sent to Kenya and Brazil for field trials this year, a process that will take a decade before there are sufficient numbers of trees to significant- ly increase production. In the meantime "there are many improved varieties that already exist but aren't widely accessible to farmers," said Schilling. So WCR is proposing a simple solution, a coffee seed catalog like the seed catalogs used by corn and wheat, bean and grain farmers for generations. Each seed type will be verified by WCR at nurseries where their genetic purity will be controlled. The result will enable a professional coffee seed to emerge like those supporting other crops. Countries with promise During the coming year STiR Tea & Cof- fee will continue to explore global produc- tion of arabica country by country. In this issue see, pg. 36 Yunna: Ara- bica Supplier to the World?. It seems fitting that Ethiopia holds great promise in meeting arabica demand. Aaron Davis has studied Ethiopia more closely than the Surry suburbs that are home to Britain's magnificent Kew gardens. Ethiopia likely holds the key to the future of arabica. It is after all the birthplace of arabica, the fifth largest exporter with as much as 70% qualifying as spe- cialty grade. The country is fortunate to have climate mitigating options at a time when rainfall is decreasing and the average air temperature is steadily rising. The globe may be warming but Davis believes success will be at the farm level. Multi-location variety trials of Metu, Agaro and Jimma cultivars are yielding excel- lent insights, with Metu showing the greatest resistance and yield. On-farm adaptations show promise. These include mulching, terracing, irrigation, pruning and shade. Upslope planting is critical in many regions with the majority of coffee planted at 1500 to 1800 meters increasing in elevation to 1900 to 2300 meters. Paul Stewart regional director of the TechnoServe's coffee initiative offers an ad- ditional and potentially game-changing solution. TechnoServe develops business solu- tions to eradicate poverty. Stewart is upbeat about Ethiopia's greatest natural resource — its people. Ethiopia reports a very low yield per hectare due to inefficient farming practices. TechnoServe partnered with multi-national coffee companies to establish field-based classrooms and demonstration plots, locally recruited farmer trainers and self-selected "classes" of 30 to 40 men and women farmers. The $9 million invested to date in digital technology and training 200,000 workers has yielded a significant return, said Stewart. "An investment of $70 million in agricultural extension training in Ethiopia over the next decade could increase coffee exports by 3 million bags," he said.