#the20/20project 2020project

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Nepal Update

The training has continued to progress over the last two months with the completion of training for 380 farmers. Our partners in Nepal also completed our baseline surveys with all of the farmers to allow us to measure our impact over the coming years. 

May is a big month at the nursery in Pokhara as thousands of coffee saplings will be distributed to the 380 farmers who have been part of the training so far. 

The preparation is in full swing, with the farmers preparing their land for the new saplings. The weather is also heating up making it difficult to keep the coffee saplings happy in the nursery. 

June will bring the rainy season- the perfect time for planting out. The plants will get three months of rains to help them establish their roots and settle in. The coffee saplings will be planted near or under the shade trees which were distributed to the farmers last year. These trees will shelter the saplings from the heavy rains and extreme heat of the sun allowing them to thrive. 

Shade trees will be important as the plants grow as climate change will increase the average temperatures. However, a number of studies have shown that even 50% of shade cover can cool the air around the coffee trees by up to four degrees celsius. In this project, we are using indigenous plants which help restore nitrogen into the soil. The coffee plants can then use this as a natural fertiliser. 

Each Farmer who has participated in the training will receive enough coffee saplings (50) to join a coffee cooperative. There is currently no coffee cooperative in the community which means one will be formed in the coming months. 

This cooperative will enable the community to collectively bargain for higher sale prices of their coffee and give them more access to bigger buyers. It also allows for the pooling of resources and sharing of knowledge. The 20/20 Project is investing in leadership training over the coming months to help these farmers manage and maintain the cooperative to keep it functioning efficiently. 

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Marco & The 20/20 Project

This month we chatted with Lorraine O’Hagen, the marketing manager from Marco Beverage Systems to talk about their exciting new product launch of the MIX Boiler and their partnership with The 20/20 Project.

The 20/20 Project and Marco first partnered in September 2016. Marco was one of the first sponsors at the project’s launch. Marco is a leading Irish owned hot water delivery systems company founded in 1980. Having grown significantly since then, Marco exports over 80% of its business internationally. Dedicated to providing excellent, reliable service with integrity and accountability. 

To mark the launch of their new MIX boiler, Marco has partnered with the 20/20 Project to directly support the community coffee project in Nepal.

This project in Nepal will see 380 farmers trained in coffee growing and climate-smart agriculture alongside the establishment of a coffee nursery, processing centre and a model training farm. The aim of this project is to equip farmers to create sustainable livelihoods for them and their families. 

The MIX, what does it do, why is it eco-friendly, and why that is important?

“An advanced multi-temperature, volume controlled machine, MIX is meeting the increasing demands of beverage preparation in the coffee and specialty tea sector. Available in above and below counter variants, MIX delivers three different programmable temperatures on demand with the added benefit of three independent volumes programmable by the user, while offering Marco’s renowned temperature precision and design aesthetic.

The MIX takes a significant leap in energy management. Unparalleled in terms of energy efficiency, the MIX is 70% more efficient than top international brands.

There is now a global awareness of the importance of environmental sustainability and brands should play their part in contributing to developing eco-friendly products where possible.”

Why partner with The 20/20 Project?

“Coffee grows in some of the most vulnerable environments. It is crucial for the industry as a whole to protect these areas and support those working at origin. The 20/20 Project is a sustainable programme that positively impacts the global coffee value chain and ultimately empowers farmers to produce quality coffee, enabling their families to break through the poverty line. All too often coffee farmers contribution to the coffee chain is not recognised. This sort of project allows their voice to be amplified. We are really pleased to have found such a project to partner with and really looking forward to watching these programmes develop and grow.”  

Why is it important for the coffee sector to give back to origin?

“The coffee chain begins at origin, without it there is no coffee sector. Quality coffee from origin has enhanced the industry. It is important the lives of the farmers are enriched in return and their value to the industry recognised.”

The 20/20 Project are delighted to be working with Marco and we look forward to this relationship continuing to develop in the future. 

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McCabe’s Coffee, new 20/20 Project partners.

We are delighted to announce McCabe’s Coffee as one of the latest 20/20 Project partners. McCabe’s coffee is a roastery based in Wicklow that has been roasting coffee since 1997. Originally started by Clive McCabe, it has since been taken over by his son Stephen. Stephen originally qualified as an architect but then took over the roastery when his dad retired. McCabe’s now deliver specialty, hand roasted coffee all across Ireland. I caught up with Stephen last week to ask him a few questions about his love for coffee and also about what he has planned for McCabe’s...

Why did you decide to partner with the 20/20 Project?

We used to work with other charities but we felt we never had a direct link to where the money was going. The 20/20 project is a fantastic way to have a direct link to a coffee community in its infancy. Working with Kyle has been great fun, from hulling the first sample of Nepalese coffee on our boardroom table prior to roasting to seeing photos of the project each step of the way. It is great to see exactly how we and our customers are helping to grow a small community of coffee growers at the foothills of the Himalayas!

How did you get interested in Coffee?

My interest in coffee grew from my Father's passion for freshly roasted coffee. Clive, was in the tea and coffee business for many years before he took early retirement and started roasting in the garage of a our family home in Wicklow in the late 90's. There was always great coffee in our house and we drank it black made from filter or cafetiere. Coffee would arrive at the house in sacks from around the world so from my teenage years I was enjoying the delights of central American and African filter coffees.

Where is the best coffee you ever had?

I have a particular fondness for Guatemalan coffee. I love the deep chocolate notes and  smooth body without an overriding acidity. Kenya and Ethiopia are also up there and a wonderful original Mocha Matari from Yemen a few years ago. We also had an amazing natural Costa Rican at the Aquiares estates in Costa Rica in January so yes, it’s hard to pick a favourite!

What is your vision and mission for McCabe's?

The company has grown well over in the last few years and we invested in new roasting and packing machinery last year. This together with a strengthening brand and excellent customer service will allow us to continue to grow over the next few years while concentrating on the speciality market and looking after the customers we work with.

Why did you decide to set up in Wicklow?

I grew up in Wicklow and when the garage got to small we moved to a small industrial unit in 2009 and then to a bigger unit in 2013. We get a lot of support from businesses in Co. Wicklow and Dublin and with the high population in this area we are well positioned to deliver freshly roasted coffee to the end user quickly.

What do you look for in a coffee when you are sourcing it?

We care a lot about coffee and we want our passion and love for the product to go all the way back to the farm it came from. We like to work with farmers who only grow high altitude Arabica varietals and hand-pick the coffee so they can be more choosy about the quality. We like to work with experimental farmers who are keeping up to speed with current trends and are interested in new processing techniques. We like to visit the farms we buy from and have been to Costa Rica and Kenya in the last 2 years. We have formed strong relationships with these farmers and we can get updates direct from the farms we source from.

What’s your favourite style of coffee?

I like a flat white made from espresso coffee. This has gained in popularity over the last few years. Originating from Australia and New Zealand this is great drink with a double shot of espresso and finely textured steamed milk. The subtle notes of the origin coffee or coffees can be tasted with good roasting techniques and because there is only a small amount of milk it does not mask the beautiful flavour of the coffee but blends with it instead.

What are your views on the sustainability of the coffee sector? Do you think enough is being done to ensure smallholder coffee farmers are getting an equal share of the value chain?

One of the biggest problems with sustainability is the demand for coffee over the space available. As China and India join the 'latte revolution' the demand for high-quality Arabica increases. The latest thinking is to look at cross-breeds of Arabusta but matching the taste profile of Arabica is yet to be mastered. We saw and tasted examples of this in Costa Rica.

Global warming, increased rainfall and the 'El Nino' effect are all having a negative impact on coffee growing. The end result is that we may need to get used to paying €4 or more for a daily fix!

Do you think it's important to your customers that coffee is ethically produced? do you see this as a rising trend or not?

This  is important to our customers. They appreciate the effort we make to travel to origin to see first-hand the living and working conditions of growers and pickers.  Organic coffee is growing in popularity and the strict regulations they impose is a good thing to ensure standards are being met all the way through the production chain. I think customers are not generally fixated on whether the coffee is fair trade, organic or rainforest alliance but are pleased when they see we can offer a coffee within their budget that also ticks these boxes.

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So there you have it, watch this space for more 20/20 Project partners and updates on our work. You can find out more about the 20/20 Project on www.2020project.ie. We will also be at the World Barista Championships in June so call by our stall and say hello! You can also get in touch with us here - info@2020project.ie