Haitian coffee growers on the comeback trail

Paul Smithson

03/11/2011 12:46:51

Supplies of Haitian coffee look set to rise as the country’s farmers turn their attention back to growing coffee beans, reports The Miami Herald.

Brits may be more accustomed to filling their espresso machine with products from Colombia or Brazil, but their Central American neighbour also once had a flourishing industry.

The newspaper noted that Haitians switched their attention to cash crops and charcoal production when the price of coffee dropped. But that trend has now reversed, as the global supply of coffee beans has shrunk while consumption has picked up, allowing the price to rise again.

Thiotte farmer Archange Mardi described how farmers had not previously realised that coffee was the nation’s biggest resource, but that sentiment is beginning to sink in.

Anthony Vinciguerra, director of St Thomas University’s Center for Justice and Peace, told the publication: “Haitian farmers can produce great coffee as long as there is an export chain that works and that can get them a fair price.”

One organisation that is using Haiti’s re-emergence as a coffee resource for the country’s own good is Alltech, according to the Lexington Herald Leader.

Chris Gayton, product development manager at the group, explained that the money raised from selling Haitian coffee has helped kickstart a significant number of community infrastructure projects, which have been vital in getting the nation back on its feet following last year’s devastating earthquake.

He stressed that the potential for sales growth is “immense” and hailed the “outstanding” quality of Haitian coffee.