Paul Verbunt Coffee joins OGCV as a Platinum Member Paul Verbunt has been working in the Dutch coffee industry since 2004 and is still amazed by it on a daily basis. ‘Coffee is the most popular beverage on earth, and yet we know so little about it. My roots are in the wine trade, and there is so much more knowledge about for example the botanical varieties of wine than coffee. I set myself a quest to find the finest flavors in coffee’. Paul has travelled extensively through all coffee regions and buys coffee directly from the producers. In August Paul decided to join OGCV because he believes it is ‘the only program that actually puts more money in the farmer’s pocket’. Paul will visit the OGCV project in Kenya in September with InterAmerican Coffee (Germany). www.paulverbunt.com
NEWS FROM OUR GLOBAL COFFEE VILLAGE Hamburg, Sept. 2011 - www.ogcv.org
Next to this, the project
First update from the OGCV project assisted ADIESTO in organizing support of the in Huehuetenango, Guatemala Since the project launch in the end of 2010, the local farmer organization ADIESTO that forms part of the project has undergone considerable changes. Following a thorough diagnosis questioning all potential administrative and accounting weaknesses, ADIESTO was supported in a restructuring process that helped the organization in becoming more efficient and making it now compliant to all fiscal obligations. Thanks to this and by employing a well-trained accountant, BANRURAL granted a credit supporting the farmers in the harvesting period between December 2010 and March 2011. The subsequent credit in May 2011 is already five times higher, and allows supporting 387 coffee growers in the maintenance of their fields.
European Union: in the framework of a rural development program, the EU financed the purchase of wet processing units (Eterna No. 2,5). 12 units could be set up, and each supports a farmer community benefitting of this investment. In total, 88 farmers can now take advantage of the enhanced processing equipment and thereby refine the quality of the beans they produce. OGCV furthermore strengthens two Women Groups in the region, dedicated to the topic of Food Security. They are supported by means of working capital for the purchase and sale of dairy products, allowing them to establish small businesses. Seed for corn and vegetables additionally enables them to produce food in their own fields, and thus contributes to the food security of these peasant families in the area.
Arrival of OGCV Kenya AA Plus Iyego in Hamburg In July 97 bags of Kenya AA Plus Iyego (the Kenyan partner farmer organization of OGCV) arrived at the warehouse of InterAmerican Coffee (Germany) in Hamburg. This top grade is produced by smallholder farmers of the Muranga region that are part of the project. The coffee was meticulously cupped by the traders of IAC. Sander Reuderink (Quality & Trade): ‘The coffee has an excellent acidity with good blackcurrant flavor – one of the most sought-after characteristics of Kenyan coffee. I think this coffee will work very well in most filter preparations as well as single-origin espresso when roasted in the right profile’. The Iyego lot was sold out within a month after arriving in Hamburg. With the new harvest starting in November fresh coffee from the OGCV project shall become available in the first quarter of 2012. The project has started well: at the moment, the base line study analyzing the exact framework conditions is conducted. Updates soon!