DEMAND FOR RWANDAN SPECIALTY COFFEE ON THE RISE

UNCLAS KIGALI 000193 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/C SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV EAGR ETRD RW SUBJECT: DEMAND FOR RWANDAN SPECIALTY COFFEE ON THE RISE ¶1. Summary: Ambassador hosted an event February 24 for a visiting delegation from the Specialty Coffee Association of America, which represents the USD 20 billion U.S. coffee industry. This first annual coffee event showcased the exceptional quality of Rwandan specialty coffee and marked the beginning of this year's coffee harvest, expected to double for the third consecutive year. Members of the Rwandan government, media, private sector, and the diplomatic community joined representatives of the coffee industry in recognizing the achievements of the Rwandan coffee industry. In just five years, since 2001, Rwandan coffee has become one of Africa's great success stories and a major export, generating high demand in the international market and translating into a better quality of life for Rwandans. End summary. High U.S. Demand for Rwandan Specialty Coffee -------------- ¶2. Opening the event, Ambassador remarked that the U.S. has been in partnership with Rwandan coffee investors and cooperatives to expand the production and export of specialty coffee through a comprehensive USAID-funded set of programs. This partnership between the two countries has produced a remarkable level of achievement in the Rwandan coffee industry. ¶3. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters recently introduced a line of "Special Reserve" coffees appealing to the most discriminating coffee connoisseur. The first coffee to be marketed as "Special Reserve" was the Rwandan Karaba Bourbon, described as "an extraordinary discovery that pairs classic East African attributes with unexpected depth and body." It sold out within days of going on the market. Starting mid-March 2006, Starbucks for the first time will showcase a Rwandan coffee (Blue Bourbon) for two months in its "Black Apron Exclusives" line, a category of coffee reserved for the "best of the best" coffees, in 5,000 retail outlets across the U.S. Launched in April 2004, this premium line features rare, fine coffees in limited quantities. Thousand Hills Coffee Company, established in 2004, sells Rwandan coffee exclusively and aims to support social initiatives, such as schools and community centers, with some of its profits. ¶4. In a February 20-24 visit to Rwanda to congratulate and thank the Rwandan farmers for their Blue Bourbon coffee, Starbucks presented 20 cows and 300 goats as a direct premium to the top coffee producers in the Western Province who produced the coffee for its "Black Apron Exclusives" line. Starbucks hopes that Rwanda will become a regular producer for its "best of the best" coffee promotions. Development of Specialty Coffee Industry -------------- ¶5. Until recently, Rwanda did not produce high-quality coffee. Farmers produced low-grade beans as their main cash crop, and the sector is only now recovering from the devastation in 1994. Thanks to the support of USAID, Rwandan coffee farmers began producing high-quality coffee for the first time in 2001. Today, Rwandan coffee has become known as one of the "the best of the best" coffees in the world. In 2005, Rwanda exported 1,100 tons of high quality coffee, earning top prices for the coffee growers. These coffee revenues have resulted in better health care, education, and housing in coffee farming communities, giving Rwandan farmers hope for a better future. ¶6. USAID-Rwanda estimates it has invested over USD 10 million in promoting and developing the Rwandan coffee industry since 2001, building and rehabilitating coffee washing stations, training farmers, training "cuppers" (coffee tasters),organizing cooperatives, encouraging banks to invest in coffee washing stations, and improving rural infrastructure. USAID has also been encouraging farmers and coffee washing station operators to maintain good discipline and a good eye in picking the best coffee cherries to meet the challenge of maintaining the high quality of coffee. According to USAID, the investment has paid off, with Rwanda now producing one of the world's best coffees, which has helped reduce poverty and improve the livelihood of over 200,000 people in the rural areas. We anticipate this increase in prosperity will also mitigate against traditional rural conflicts. Rwandan Coffee in the U.S. -------------- ¶7. Rick Peyser, President of the Specialty Coffee Association of America and Director of Vermont-based Green Mountain Coffee, provided a sense of how quickly and strongly the demand for specialty coffee has been growing in the U.S. In 1990, there were approximately 2,250 outlets for specialty coffee in the U.S. Today, there are 20,000 outlets. In 1992, Starbucks had only 165 stores; today, it has over 9,000 stores worldwide, with over 100,000 employees. He noted that specialty coffees are now taking up more shelf space at the expense of larger, mass-market brands, but that maintaining the competitiveness of specialty coffee requires a lot of energy, time, and discipline. ¶8. Thanks to USAID, he said, cuppers have been trained to improve the quality of coffee, and the quality of Rwandan coffee is on the rise. He noted that just last week, Rwandan coffee was featured as the very first offering in a new "Special Reserve" program launched by Green Mountain Coffee that brings in limited supplies of very high quality coffee. Prior to the arrival of the shipment, the coffee was already sold out. Government Initiatives to Promote Industry -------------- ¶9. Minister of State for Commerce Protais Mitali recounted the long coffee tradition in Rwanda, which started in 1902 when the first coffee plants were introduced by German missionaries in the southwest of the country. Since then, coffee has played a prominent role in the socio-economic development of Rwanda as a major source of income for rural families and a major source of foreign currency for the country in general. He noted that Rwanda has natural features conducive to the production of high-quality coffee beans, including high-altitude coffee growing zones, predictable rainfall, and fertile volcanic soil. ¶10. Mitali noted that Rwanda recently launched a major quality improvement program, focusing on boosting production and quality, to ensure that its natural potential is fully exploited. He said that the dissemination of modern coffee production and processing methods to producers will ensure that the natural quality of beans produced by Rwanda's farmers is preserved. He added that the Rwandan coffee sector is committed to improving the industry at all levels, from production to primary and secondary processing, through education on ways to improve production and investment in coffee washing stations. ¶11. Recognizing that the American market offers numerous advantages, both in terms of quality demand and social responsibility, the Rwandan government, in cooperation with USAID and other partners, would like to launch the "Cup of Excellence" program in Rwanda, he said. Under this program, a select group of national and international cuppers select the very best coffee produced in a country in a particular year. The Rwandan coffee industry has already approached the U.S.-based program about setting up a program in Rwanda and is looking for funding. He thanked USAID for its support of coffee cooperatives and private investors in increasing production of specialty coffee and promoting it in the U.S. market. Comment -------------- ¶12. In 2005, Rwanda exported an estimated USD 35 million in coffee exports worldwide, including USD 5 million in coffee, mainly specialty coffee, out of a total USD 6 million in goods to the U.S. Of the USD 35 million in coffee exports, specialty coffee exports worldwide generated approximately USD 3 million in revenues, double that of 2004. As Rwanda's number one agricultural export, coffee is playing a significant role in Rwanda's economy, representing approximately one-third of the total value of Rwandan exports. Rwanda's emergence on the international market as an exporter of "specialty coffees" could lead to a dramatic increase in Rwanda's economic growth and development. Despite recent budget cuts in its Development Assistance funds and a recent decision to phase out the critical Title II food aid program (Food-for-Peace),USAID foresees continued, albeit reduced, support to the Rwandan coffee sector in upcoming years, focusing on applying best practices throughout the country in production and processing techniques, as well as assisting the GOR in its effort to double the number of coffee washing stations. ARIETTI