Brewing a Brighter Future: Celebrating Africa Month with Ethical Sourcing and Delicious Coffee
May is Africa Month, a time to celebrate the continent’s rich heritage, vibrant cultures, unity and of course, its incredible coffee! Here at CoffeeMM, we’re passionate about both delicious coffee and ethical sourcing practices for our coffee beans. This Africa Month, we’re combining these passions through our advocating for empowering small-scale African coffee farmers and bringing you the unique flavours that their dedication cultivates. CoffeeMM’s vision is to give coffee farmers more direct access to consumers with their “route to market” initiative and each bag of coffee beans sold takes us one step closer to achieving it.
A Celebration of African Flavours
Africa is the birthplace of coffee, and the continent boasts a diverse range of bean origins, each with its own distinct flavour profile. From the bright acidity and floral notes of Sidamo Abyss to the bold and vibrant Burundi Kayanza roast with an acidic kick and hazelnut aroma, every cup is an adventure for your taste buds.
CoffeeMM curates a selection of exceptional African coffees, allowing you to explore these unique flavour profiles. Each time you enjoy one of the following unique flavour profiles you are supporting the very origins of this delicious beverage.
Sidamo Abyss
The history of coffee in Ethiopia, and the world in general, stretches back centuries, with legend attributing its discovery to a goat herder named Kaldi in the Keffa region, a zone in the South West of Ethiopia. According to the legend, the goat herder discovered the stimulating effect of coffee after noticing how much more energised his herd of goats became after consuming the red berries from a specific tree. Curious, the abbot at the local monastery made a drink with the berries and noticed how much more alert he was after consuming the drink. And so our beloved beverage coffee, enjoyed worldwide today, was discovered.
Our Sidamo Abyss beans are ethically sourced from the ancient Ethiopian highlands, and offers a captivating balance of floral aroma and a smooth, full-bodied cup. Expect a balanced cup with moderate acidity, full body, and an African kick, perfect for an espresso brew.
Murchison Mist
Another important producer of coffee beans in Africa is Uganda. They are the 8th largest coffee-producing country globally and second in Africa. The Bagada people were known to grow coffee plants in their household gardens. Coffee plants also held cultural significance for the Buganda Kingdom and was widely used for traditional ceremonies.
Most coffee production in Uganda occurs on small, family owned farms less than a hectare in size, giving it an immense potential to produce high quality, small lot specialty coffees. The ripe coffee cherries are handpicked which allows for greater selectivity when harvested. This is one of the reasons why we have chosen Mt Elgon origin beans as one of CoffeeMM’s gourmet coffees.
The Ugandian Mt Elgon beans used in our Murchison Mist blend, grown in the lush highlands of Uganda, are renowned for their well-rounded and approachable flavour profile. You can expect a smooth and inviting taste accented by a captivating hazelnut aroma, perfect for enjoying any time of day.
African Alchemy
Another CoffeeMM favourite is our Kenyan African Alchemy beans. Nestled on the slopes of Kenya’s majestic Mount Elgon, these beans boast a vibrant and complex profile. Expect a lively dance of sweet fruit notes, hints of earthiness and a clean, refreshing finish.
Kenya’s coffee story, surprisingly, starts about a thousand years after Ethiopia’s. Despite sharing a border with Ethiopia, the first Bourbon coffee seeds were said to only be planted in Kenya in 1893 by French missionaries. Substantial coffee cultivation only began in the 1950’s while under British colonial rule. While British rule exploited local resources for profit, it also introduced methods that instilled high quality production which Kenyan coffee beans are still known for today. In 1930 though, with the introduction of the Coffee Act, control of coffee was put back in Kenyan hands, making Kenya an important role model for empowering coffee farmers.
Burundi Kayanza
Another African neighbor and one of CoffeeMM’s premium coffee bean producers is Burundi. Our Burundi Kayanza beans are grown on the lush slopes of Burundi’s Kayanza region. The premium Arabica beans from this region boast a cupping score of 85. Expect a vibrant cup with a strong, acidic kick, balanced by a captivating hazelnut aroma.
Burundi, where coffee has been a mainstay of the economy since the 1920s, is dominated by smallholder farmers, with over 700,000 families involved. Accounting for roughly 90% of its export earnings together with tea, coffee is the lifeblood of Burundi’s economy. Their coffee history, however, is filled with challenges and intertwined with political instability. Burundi’s coffee farmers face a perfect storm of challenges, according to a UNCTAD report. Unpredictable weather patterns, aging coffee trees often more than 40 years old, declining soil quality and a lack of proper farming techniques threaten the future of this vital sector. Despite all these challenges, they produce high quality coffee beans used in our premium Burundi Kayanza coffee beans.
Beyond Flavour: Ethical Sourcing Makes a Difference
While we celebrate the delicious flavours of African coffee, we also recognize the challenges faced by many small-scale coffee farmers. Unequal bargaining power, limited access to resources, and volatile market prices can significantly impact their livelihoods. This is why we choose our coffee suppliers carefully, always keeping our vision of empowering small scale farmers in Africa in mind.
Brewing a Brighter Future with Coffee for Change
This Africa Month, we invite you to join us in our creating a more intentional relationship with your daily brew. By choosing to support CoffeeMM, you are actively taking us closer to our vision of empowering small-scale coffee farmers. CoffeeMM’s “route to market” initiative aims to address the challenges that coffee farmers face giving them more direct access to consumers are more power within the distribution channel.
Here’s how you can participate:
- Explore our African coffee selection: Discover the unique flavours and origins we offer.
- Contemplate your cup: Before you take your first sip, take a moment to reflect on the journey from green coffee bean to cup, and the different relationships that exist at each level.
- Spread the word: Share your love for African coffee and ethical sourcing with your friends and family.
Together, we can brew a brighter future for African coffee farmers, one cup at a time.
Celebrate Africa Month with CoffeeMM!