We talk a lot about shade-grown and agroforestry coffee here at Yallah, but these growing methods can have a huge direct effect on the amount of water available for the growing coffee trees.
Jonny, founder of Ugandan coffee exporter Agri-Evolve, has seen this in action with great success. Agri-Evolve has spent $30,000 investing in their water treatment facilities at the wet mills there. And he talks us through their process.
So, if you want to be conscious of your coffee’s water usage next time you grab a cup of the good stuff, here are the top three things you can do to make an impact:
1. Buy shade-grown or agroforestry coffee that encourages rainfall and water retention.
Description
A partnership to be proud of, this Brazilian coffee has been purchased directly from Eduardo Ferreira's agroforestry farm 'Pedra Preta.' Eduardo has a bold vision for his grandfather’s coffee farm; regenerative farming that protects the local flora and fauna whilst improving the coffee quality. Ambitious? Absolutely. We hope that this is the beginning of a long and rewarding relationship with Pedra Preta farm.
2. Purchase coffees from mills where water usage is circular through treatment and filtration. Like our Trust coffee, Midnight Flyer.
Description
We are proud to be partnering with Omwani to support a seedling nursery through the purchase of this coffee. This sweet and chocolatey coffee from Uganda is everything we look for in a Trust coffee; delicious, sustainable and supports producers directly. Midnight Flyer is so named for the race undertaken to get the cherries to the washing station after being hand-picked from the trees. During the harvest, the washing stations in this region are often a hive of activity at night. The cherries are picked by day; it’s crucial they get processed as quick as possible in the cool night air before they get spoiled by the blazing sun the following day. It’s a long day of work, but so worth it for the amazingly consistent quality of the coffees from here. Each kilo we purchased of Midnight Flyer has provided 3.5 coffee seedlings for a nursery in the Rwenzori mountains, in partnership with Omwani Coffee Company and Agri Evolve.
OUR PACKAGING
3. Buy natural or honey processed coffees where there is far less water used in the post-harvest process.
Description
Welcome back El Salitre! Our favourite hidden gem from Costa Rica is finally here. The Alvarado family have once again given us a wonderfully complex coffee; fruity
and syrupy flavours of pomegranate grenadine with a delicious floral note of rooibos tea. It’s easy to see why we are roasting this coffee for the third year in row.