by J. Michael Wheeler
From the New York Times 9.13.07
They travel directly to the coffee farms in places like Yemen, Guatemala, Burundi, and Rwanda seeking out extraordinary beans for extraordinary cups of coffee. “We’re finding flavors we’ve never ever tasted before, different fruit and floral flavors from really pristine, clean coffees,” George Howell, who runs George Howell Coffee Company, is quoted in the New York Times article To Burundi and Beyond For Coffee’s Holy Grail (9.13.07).
The Times reports that a new breed of coffee hunters whose business model is “direct trade” – and direct communication – between the buyer and grower is in stark contrast to the prevalent model in which international conglomerates buy coffee by the steamer ship, through brokers, for the lowest price.
“Direct trade” is the most popular name of the style of business practiced by these coffee companies, known as roasters. It means, most simply, that the roasters buy their beans directly from the farms and cooperatives that grow them, not from brokers.
Coffee tasting competitions are becoming increasingly important in connecting roasters with growers. The annual Cup of Excellence competitions take place in eight coffee-growing countries. These “Coffee Olympics” are blind tastings that can last as long as 10 days. The organizers then auction the coffees online to bidders around the world.
Read the New York Times article…