Brazil Coffee Storage Will Raise Coffee Farmer Income
It appears that Brazil is going to copy a practice from United States agriculture, storing excess crop production. It is likely that Brazil coffee storage will raise coffee farmer income. Currently there is not enough storage capacity in the Brazil, the premier coffee producer in the world. The Brazil Ministry of Agriculture expects to increase available monies for coffee storage by nearly a billion dollars. The point is that coffee prices, just like corn prices, soybean prices, and wheat prices, tend to fluctuate. When a coffee farmer has no storage capacity he is forced to sell at harvest time. This is typically when he will get the lowest price for his crop. In the United States farmers are paid to hold corn and soybeans off the market. This helps stabilize crop prices for wholesale coffee and allows farmers to sell their crops at a later time and, usually for a better price. This is what Brazil plans to do. As with the US experience, it is likely that Brazil coffee storage will raise coffee farmer income.
The storage question is especially pertinent at this time. Coffee prices were near all-time highs last year. Since last year Arabica coffee futures have fallen by more than a third. This year is expected to provide a bumper crop in Brazil, which will tend to drive coffee prices even lower. Brazilian Agricultural Ministry estimates are that the country will produce just over fifty-two million bags of coffee in 2012, up from forty-nine million bags in 2011. At one hundred thirty-two pounds a bag that is an increase of four hundred thirty-five million, six hundred thousand pounds of coffee. Brazil coffee storage will raise coffee farmer income because coffee growers will be able to hold a significant part of their crop off the market, keeping prices from falling excessively. Price stability, as well as a good income for coffee growers, is the long term goal in Brazil. Boom and bust years do not lead to prosperous coffee growers. In fact, a boom and bust agricultural cycle tends to drive small farmers out of business and large farm businesses in to bankruptcy. The ability to store a reasonable fraction of each year’s coffee crop will lead to market stability just as Brazil coffee storage will raise coffee farmer income. Programs like this help farmers. Just recently we wrote about how credit unions support organic growers in Mexico . The supply chain, available credit, and government support can make the difference between success and failure for farmers of any crop.
From the viewpoint of the healthy organic coffee producer, storage is also a good idea. Although organic coffee commands a higher price, the market can be spotty. Brazil coffee storage will raise coffee farmer income in the organic market as well. Farmers will be able to wait for not only better prices, but better and more reliable buyers as well. The critical issue for organic coffee is that storage must be sequestered from that for regular coffee. The supply chain for organic coffee from bush to cup is such that regular coffee and organic coffee are never processed together, stored together, or roasted together.
Credit Unions Support Organic Coffee Growers in Mexico
The news tells us that credit unions support organic coffee growers in Mexico. How does this fit into production of healthy organic coffee, sustainable agriculture, and better living standard for coffee growers? In a way growing coffee on a family coffee plantation is an act of faith. Growers trust in the sun, the rain, and soil to produce good coffee year after year. Growers rejuvenate the soil with compost instead of synthetic fertilizers. They space their coffee among other plants in shaded areas of a mountain side. The pickers harvest the coffee just when it is ready and then organic coffee is processed separate from any non-organic coffee which the grower produces. The producer separates and dries the coffee beans and either roasts them himself or sells his crop to a middle man. At this point the act of growing coffee turns into the business of growing coffee. Farmers the world over must deal local and international markets for their products. A coffee drinker in New York, London, Berlin, or Tokyo may be willing to pay $5 for a cup of hot organic coffee on the way to work in the morning. But members of Panama organic coffee cooperatives may only receive two or three dollars a pound for their product if they can sell it at all. Often such coffee farmers will take bags of coffee to the local tienda (small grocery store) to sell or barter for goods. So, what does this have to do with how credit unions support organic coffee growers in Mexico?
If may just take a few dollars, pesos, Bolivares, Colones, or Balboas to buy seed, replace a broken hoe, buy sacks to store coffee, and pay for transport of coffee to a place where the farmer can sell at a better price that on his mountainside. But, all too often, small operation campisinos (farmers) on their fincas (farms) do not have sufficient capital. Many countries and aid agencies sponsor micro loan programs for these farmers. The farmer receives loans of a little as $100 or its equivalent at the start of the growing season and pays it back after selling his harvest. The way that credit unions promote organic coffee growers in Mexico is simply a wider spread and more efficient means of accomplishing the same purpose. Easy credit for credit union members in Mexico translates into better profits for the farmer who is responsible for the aroma of organic coffee coming from your cup every morning. The program in Mexico was started with $4 million in seed money from the US Agency for International Development. The focus is to find out the best means of financing organic coffee farmers and improving their return on investment and way of life.
Now that credit unions promote organic coffee growers in Mexico, coffee farmers in the areas involved can focus on producing the best organic wholesale coffee and not worry so much about finding the extra peso or two needed to fix a broken tool or buy bags into which to pack their coffee. The intent is to stabilize the production system and help farmers achieve a reliably higher return for their work.
How credit unions promote organic coffee growers in Mexico goes to the heart of the organic system of production by rewarding those doing the work of producing a good product and protecting the environment at the same time.
For more useful information about organic coffee please visit www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org .
Chiriquí Highlands Coffee
Some of the best coffee in the world comes from the volcanic soil of Panama, Chiriquí highlands coffee. Coffee from the region around Boquete and Volcan, Panama produces awarding winning regular coffee and healthy organic coffee as well. Chiriquí is the largest province in Panama and its leading agricultural producer. From the coastal lowlands to the base of the Cordillera Central Panama grows tomatoes and corn, onions and lettuce. It raises cattle, chickens, and pigs. And, in the rich volcanic soil of the Chiriquí Highlands coffee plants grow in the shade of natural forests and rows of plantain interspersed between rows of coffee plants. The highest point in the central spine of mountains in Panama is Volcán Barú. This 11,398 foot volcano last erupted significantly around 500 AD. It relieved itself of a mountain side worth of material, throwing boulders and rocks tens of miles. The resulting volcanic ash provided a fertile location for the luxurious plant growth that coffee planters found when they arrived at the end of the 19th century.
Although coffee is grown throughout the highlands of Panama, Chiriquí highlands coffee from the flanks of Volcán Barú is famous for its flavor and aroma. The Caldera and Chiriquí Rivers drain the watershed of the dormant volcano. In the rainy season sportsmen brave Class IV rapids on the Little Chiriquí. The Western flank of the mountain hosts Volcan and the village of Cerro Punta. The eastern flank hosts the expat mecca of Boquete. Coffee farms dot this region, interspersed between natural forests, other crop lands, and pastures where cattle and horses graze. Much of the coffee grown in this region has traditionally been grown using sustainable, organic practices. It only requires organic coffee certification for these growers to have a product that passes organic standard for sale in Europe, the USA, or Japan.
A Latin American agency headquartered in Lima, Peru has certified a large number of Chiriquí highland coffee producers. Bio Latina certifies agricultural products and processes throughout Latin America. They certify on behalf of agencies across the globe. With Bio Latina organic coffee certification Chiriquí highlands coffee producers can sell their products in the USA, Europe, and Japan. They also certify for companies such as Starbucks. In order for these coffee growers and processors to pass certification they must refrain from the use of herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and excessive synthetic fertilizer. They must also refrain from using the same storage and shipping facilities as are used for non-organic coffee.
For anyone seeking a reliable source of high quality wholesale coffee or wholesale organic coffee, the Chiriquí highlands coffee is a good choice. Wholesale coffee from Panama can be obtained through Panama Natural Organic Coffee. Simply contact us at www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org for more insights into some the best coffee in the world, Chiriquí highlands coffee from the volcanic soil at the base of Volcán Barú. For organic coffee chocked full of organic coffee antioxidants contact us at Buy Organic Coffee .org. You will be glad that you did.
Panama Organic Coffee Cooperatives
The highlands of Panama are idea for growing organic coffee. However, the indigenous areas do not support large coffee farms. Rather families grow coffee using sustainable techniques that have served them well for generations. These families sell their products through Panama organic coffee cooperatives. Not only does this give indigenous Panama coffee farmers more access to world markets. Panama organic coffee cooperatives commonly gain their members a better price for their healthy organic coffee . Panama comarcas are administrative regions within the country. These regions have large indigenous populations and are to a degree self-governing. The three large comarcas in Panama are Emberá-Wounaan, Kuna Yala, and Ngöbe-Buglé. They are the size of provinces and have the same administrative functions. Two smaller comarcas, Madugandí and Kuna de Wargandí, are located in Darien and Panama provinces and are equivalent to a city or county in function. To a degree life in the comarcas of Panama goes on much as it has for centuries, even before the arrival of Colombus on Panama’s shores in the first years of the 16 th century. The historic cooperative lifestyle of the peoples of the comarcas of Panama makes Panama organic coffee cooperatives a natural means of selling products to the outside world.
Panama organic coffee cooperatives produce some the world’s best organic coffee. The aroma of organic coffee from Panama takes second place to no one in the world. Panama organic coffee contains the same organic coffee antioxidants found in other regions of the world. With organic coffee certification Panama organic coffee cooperatives can sell guaranteed organic coffee to the USA, Europe, Japan, and throughout the world. Much of the coffee grown in the comarcas of Panama is shade grown organic coffee . Natural habitat is spared and virtually no insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, or synthetic fertilizers are used or ever needed on these lands. However, in order to demonstrate to foreign buyers that coffee grown by Panama organic coffee cooperatives is indeed organic a certifying agency is required. In Panama this is often Bio Latina.
Bio Latina is an agency headquartered in Lima, Peru. Its people certify agricultural production and processing throughout Latin America. With Bio Latina organic coffee certification Panama organic coffee cooperatives can sell certified organic coffee throughout the world. Bio Latina certifies for the United States Department of Agriculture, the Japanese Agricultural Ministry, the European Union, Starbucks, BioSuisse, the Smithsonian Institution Bird Friendly program, Global G.A.P., Stop Climate Change, and UTZ.
A coffee farm in the highlands of Panama in one of the comarcas is often a natural paradise. It is often remote and hard to reach. Thus, when dealing with individual coffee farmers in these areas and, in fact, when dealing with Panama organic coffee cooperatives in these areas a buyer or wholesale coffee will do well to contact a local agency or an agency with local, Spanish speaking, representation. If you would like to buy organic coffee consider dealing with a Panama organic coffee cooperative for excellent quality and a fair price. Contact us at BuyOrganicCoffee.org for assistance.
Central American Wholesale Organic Coffee
If you are looking for healthy organic coffee in bulk consider Central America. It is closer to the US than other coffee growing regions and produces large amounts of both regular and organic coffee. Leading coffee producers in Central America are Guatemala which produces 250,000 metric tons a year followed by Honduras which produces 210,000 metric tons a year. The little country of Panama produces a significantly smaller amount of coffee than its larger neighbors but wins prizes for the quality of its organic coffee. Coffee farms in Central America grow Arabica varieties. Central American wholesale organic coffee can be found throughout the region although finding smaller producers requires knowledge of each nation and a facility in speaking Spanish.
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Central American Coffee Production – 2007 – UN Food and Agriculture Organization |
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| Country | Metric Tons of Coffee Produced, 2007 |
| Honduras | 355,000 |
| Guatemala | 252,000 |
| Costa Rica | 124,055 |
| El Salvador | 95,456 |
| Nicaragua | 90,909 |
| Panama | 12,346 |
As an example of the availability of Central American wholesale organic coffee we use the smallest producer, down South on the isthmus that connects Central to South America. Panama is best known for its canal that connects Atlantic to Pacific. Its official second language is English and Panama never saw a recession in and after 2008. It has the fastest growing economy on the continent and a large expat, English speaking population. Panama grows the bulk of its coffee in the province of Chiriquí. Many growers have received Bio Latina Organic Coffee certification. Bio Latina certifies on behalf of the United States Department of Agriculture, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, the European Union, and many US based coffee houses. The coffee growing culture around the towns of Boquete and Volcan consists mostly of small to medium-sized family owned and operated coffee farms. Sustainable agriculture is part of the tradition in this region thus the process of certification for many of these growers was largely a matter of demonstrating what they have done for generations. Both growers and processors/roasters in Panama have organic coffee certification so that the buyer is assured that sustainable organic procedures are followed from the coffee farm to the processed bag of organic coffee. Organic coffee is kept separate from regular coffee when both are grown by the same grower. Equipment is either separate or is properly cleaned before processing and storing of organic coffee.
Whether one is looking for a cup of coffee with wonderful organic coffee aroma coupled with organic coffee antioxidants or Central American wholesale organic coffee produced in forested highlands of Central America, Panama organic coffee fits the bill. Our organization, BuyOrganicCoffee.org, can help arrange shipment of individual bags of organic coffee or tons of green organic coffee beans. There are roasters in Panama that can process organic coffee grown there and bag it according to specifications. If your interest is in purchasing Central American wholesale organic coffee from Panama or anywhere else in Central America feel free to contact us at Buy Organic Coffee today. You will be glad that you did.
Aroma of Organic Coffee
Just what is responsible for the wonderful aroma of organic coffee? Volatile aromatic compounds in healthy organic coffee are responsible for the aroma that helps wake us up each morning and gives us a boost during the day. Interestingly most of these compounds and much of the aroma of organic coffee is lost in making instant coffee. So, even though one can purchase instant organic coffee, the aroma is sadly missing. The taste of sweet versus sour or bitter versus salty comes from the tongue. However, much of what we perceive as taste is heavily influenced by the aroma of what we eat or drink, including the organic coffee in our cup every morning. This is because we experience smells (aroma) two different ways. What is obvious to everyone is that we sense aromas in the air that passes into our nose. However, we also sense aromas from food and drink that pass through the back of the throat. This retro-nasal sense of smell picks up drink and food at a much closer range and can be a much more powerful factor in our sense of smell.
Just how many compounds contribute to the aroma of organic coffee? Research has indicted close to a thousand different aromatic compounds in roasted and brewed coffee. The ability to sense the presence of an aromatic compound depends upon how much is present, its concentration, and how much is required to cause the lining of the upper part of the nose, the olfactory epithelium, to note its presence and send a signal to the brain. This later factor is referred to as the odor threshold of a compound. The general consensus of researchers is that several volatile organic compounds in high concentration in authentic organic coffee and with low odor thresholds are responsible for the aroma of organic coffee or regular coffee.
The chemistry of just how volatile organic compounds contribute to the aroma of organic coffee is complex. Many aromatic compounds as well organic coffee antioxidants are present in the coffee bean when it is picked. However, it is roasting that converts chemicals in the coffee bean by breaking them down into constituents or combining them with other chemicals. The list of amino acids, phenols, hydroxyl-acids, phenolic acids, alicyclic compounds, 70 pyrazines, heterocyclic compounds, sugars, and lipids as well as the list of interactions between compounds is something that only an organic chemist could love.
The descriptions of the aroma of organic coffee sound like those of a wine connoisseur. There are no fruits or nuts in Panama mountain grown organic coffee , for example. However, such award winning coffee may be described as having a honey-like, buttery, spicy, caramel like, or fruity aroma. This aroma of organic coffee comes from specific volatile organic compounds present in coffee when grown or produced during roasting. A compound known as 4-Vinylguaiacol is typically responsible for a spicy aroma while 4-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl- 3(2H)-furanone is responsible for a caramel like aroma. Not surprisingly an aroma of vanilla comes from a chemical called Vanillin. Unless you are an aspiring organic chemist you can ignore the chemistry involved. Here are the take home points. If you like the aroma of organic coffee, skip the instant. If you like a stronger, caramel-like, and roasted aroma, go with a longer roasting process. And remember, there is no perfect aroma or combination of volatile chemicals in coffee that we should all prefer. People experience aromas differently. The sense of aroma starts when volatile compounds touch the olfactory lining the sense of aroma. The complex experience of mixed aromas is experienced in the brain. Having said that, buy organic coffee , enjoy organic coffee, and save the planet.
Buy Organic Coffee
For the best combination of coffee flavor, healthy antioxidants, and purity buy organic coffee. When you buy organic coffee you help the environment and family coffee growers in remote parts of the world. Healthy organic coffee has fewer, or none, of the hundred and fifty or so contaminants found in regular coffee. What it still has are the natural chemicals that help prevent Type II diabetes and reduce the incidence of prostate cancer, colon cancer, and endometrial cancer. All of that from a good cup of organic coffee.
When you buy organic coffee make sure to look for evidence of organic coffee certification on the package. USDA organic coffee is certified by the Department of Agriculture or one of their affiliates. For example, an agency in Lima, Peru certifies much of the organic coffee and other organic food production throughout Latin America. Bio Latina organic coffee certification means that someone from their agency has personally visited the coffee farm or plantation where your coffee originated. They have also certified processing, storage, and shipping. This is no mean feat as much of the organic coffee in Latin America is grown on mountain slopes as steep as 70 degrees. Certifying organic coffee from a small grower or cooperative may mean flying to Bogota, Colombia, driving all day through mountainous terrain and then going by burro or on foot through a cloud forest to the coffee farm. It also means not only speaking Spanish but also any of a number of regional indigenous dialects.
When you see a USDA seal or seal of a certifying agency such as Bio Latina on the package when you buy organic coffee you can rest assured that you are getting organic coffee. Organic coffee is grown using sustainable agricultural practices. Growing Shade grown organic coffee helps preserve natural habitat for birds and small animals. The use of natural composting and spacing of plants helps avoid the use of toxic herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides that can too often be found in regular coffee. For a coffee grower to maintain his certification he must demonstrate on a regular basis that his growing practices, processing, storage, and shipping all conform to organic standards. He may not comingle regular coffee with organic coffee, for example. Some the best coffee in the world, such as Panama mountain grown organic coffee, is grown by families that have used the same patient and careful growing techniques for generations. Many of these growers did not have to change their way of growing coffee in order to obtain and maintain certification. They simply needed to demonstrate how they have grown and processed coffee for generations.
If you would like to buy organic coffee from Panama, or anywhere in Latin America, check with us at BuyOrganicCoffee.org. We can ship selected fine organic coffee directly to your home. If you are interested in wholesale coffee from Latin America contact us at BuyOrganicCoffee.org. We speak Spanish as well as English and at BuyOrganicCoffee.org we speak organic coffee as well.
Authentic Organic Coffee
A European research project will soon help decide if you are drinking authentic organic coffee, wine, or olive oil. Because of the higher price that healthy organic coffee and other organic products command there is always the risk of fraudulent packaging of normally grown coffee or other products. According to press reports a research group at the University of Copenhagen is set to develop procedures for identifying the origin of food and drink items and finding out if they contain non-organic substances such as synthetic fertilizer, herbicides, insecticides, or fungicides. The researchers will test for impurities which will help assure the consumer that his coffee or other product has been grown and processed using organic procedures. In addition they intend to be able to determine the region in which a product was grown as well. This would be accomplished by measuring trace elements that vary in composition from place to place about the globe. However, it is not as though no one is checking to verify that products such as organic coffee are, indeed, organic.
As an example of organic coffee certification, Bio Latina of Lima, Peru, sends employees throughout Latin America to verify that growers and processors are actively following sustainable growing practices and not mixing organically grown coffee or other products with their normally grown cousins. Agencies throughout the world rely on organizations such as Bio Latina to verify organically produced products. The United States Department of Agriculture, the Japanese Agricultural Ministry, the European Union, and many other accept Bio Latina certification of organic coffee and other products grown throughout Latin America. For a consumer who is aware of who reliably certifies coffee it is an easy task to look for a label confirming Bio Latina organic coffee certification.
Another safeguard already in place is the vigilance of the growers of organic products. A recent example is a law suit filed against an individual in California who was selling coffee labeled as Kona Coffee. As it turns out, to be labeled Kona coffee, which is grown in Hawaii, the coffee needs to be 100% Hawaiian grown. The coffee growers in Hawaii are a relatively small group and they noticed that someone, that was not a Hawaiian producer, was selling bogus coffee and sued to stop him. Organic Kona coffee is a unique product and its producers are a vigilant lot. Growers and processors of authentic organic coffee everywhere are interested in keeping fraud out of their trade.
For the average person who wants to make sure that he is drinking authentic organic coffee the quickest and easiest method is to only buy certified USDA organic coffee in the USA or coffee certified by the corresponding responsible agency the nation in which you live. If you have serious doubts about the validity of an organic coffee label speak to the vendor. It is also possible to check with the USDA itself or the Consumer Protection Agency. Organic coffee brings the consumer the same healthy antioxidants that are found in regular coffee but without the up to 150 impurities that can be found in regular coffee. Make sure that you are drinking authentic organic coffee. Check the label first and look for evidence of USDA or Bio Latina certification. If you are looking for Panama organic coffee, or coffee grown throughout Central or Latin America ask us at BuyOrganicCoffee.org. about purchasing for home use for purchasing wholesale coffee from growers that we deal with face to face.
Wholesale Panama Organic Coffee
An often overlooked coffee producer, Panama grows excellent regular and healthy organic coffee . Wholesale Panama organic coffee is readily available from the long list of organic growers in Panama. Panama grows its coffee in the Chiriquí highlands in the West of the country. The rich volcanic soil, shady mountain slopes, and frequent cloud cover help produce award winning coffees even though Panama ranks very low in tons of coffee produced. The country is a transportation hub for the Americas. It is known for the Panama Canal connecting the oceans and is the isthmus that connects Central to South America. Shipping is easy via Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, the various ports on the entrances of the Panama Canal, and the Pan American Highway that heads north out of Panama City over the Bridge of the Americas.
Coffee is grown on the slopes of the Cordillera Central of Panama, its mountainous spine. This mountain range is an extension of mountains of the American West. Central Americans refer to life at this altitude as living in the land of Eternal Spring. There is relief from the coastal heat but nighttime temperatures rarely reach as low as 50 degrees. Although the region is ideal for growing coffee it was not used as such until the beginning of the 20 th century when a number of families entered the region around today’s towns of Boquete and Volcan. The same families produce shade grown coffee today as growers have left much of the natural habitat in place. These growers have used sustainable growing procedures for years. So, it was easy for many to obtain Bio Latina organic coffee certification . Bio Latina certifies growers for the United States Department of Agriculture as well as the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, and agricultural authorities in the European Union and Canada. The highlands of Chiriquí are a great source of wholesale Panama organic coffee.
A North American or European coffee chain looking for dedicated organic coffee growers could do worse than use wholesale Panama organic coffee. Coffee growers such as Kotowa have won international honors for their organic coffee. Coffee from Panama has the same excellent organic coffee antioxidants and health benefits as any of the best organic coffees grown worldwide. In addition shipping is easier and quicker from Panama than from many remote coffee growing regions of the world. English is commonly spoken in Panama and agents such as BuyOrganicCoffee.org stand ready to assist buyers in arranging dedicated contracts with growers and setting up storage and shipping. Although it is more common to ship green coffee beans and roast close to the point of sale it is absolutely possible to roast and bag processed wholesale panama organic coffee in Panama before shipping.
Coffee from Panama can also be shipped directly to your home anywhere in the world by the postal service. Panama organic coffee has the organic coffee antioxidants that help reduce the incidence of type II diabetes as well as colon and prostate cancer. Sustainable techniques used to produce wholesale Panama organic coffee help consumers avoid the 150 possible contaminants found in regular coffee. If you are looking for a bag of safe organic coffee or wholesale Panama organic coffee, contact BuyOrganicCoffee.org today.