personal coffee passport

For Rijkswaterstaat, the executive body of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure

 
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Your coffee: a traceable blend of coffees with impact

 
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Rwanda

FARMS: Abakundakawa Cooperative

LOCATION: Rushashi, Gakenke district, Rwanda

CULTIVARS: Arabica Bourbon types: French Mission, Jackson, Mbirizi, Pop 3303/21

EXPORTER: MISOZI Coffee Company Ltd.

IMPORTER: This Side Up Coffees

ROASTER: Zwarts Coffee (Amsterdam Roasters)

OPERATOR: Selecta Netherlands

Indonesia

FARMS: Assosiasi Petani Kopi Manggarai (ASNIKOM)

LOCATION: Rende Nao, East Manggarai (Flores), Indonesia

CULTIVARS: Unique robusta varieties derived from uncontrolled cross-pollination

EXPORTER: Ontosoroh Coffee

IMPORTER: This Side Up Coffees

ROASTER: Zwarts Coffee (Amsterdam Roasters)

OPERATOR: Selecta Netherlands

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Ethiopia

FARMS: Limmu Kossa Family Estate

LOCATION: Jimma, Ethiopia

CULTIVARS: Local varieties selected on productivity, strength and micro-region fit, called: 74165, 75227, 74140, 74110, 74112 and 5227. Limu Kossa is located in the highlands where the coffea arabica species evolved

EXPORTER: Own export license

IMPORTER: This Side Up Coffees

ROASTER: Zwarts Coffee (Amsterdam Roasters)

OPERATOR: Selecta Netherlands


Due to the logistical impacts of the post COVID-19 and the Ukrainian war, since June 2022, both Uganda and India have been added to the mix to secure stability of delivery, taste and impact to coffee farmers through the Rijkswaterstaat contract.

 

UGANDA

FARMS: farmer owned farms and microstations

LOCATION: Ovuru Village, Paidha, Zombo District, Uganda

CULTIVARS: Predominantly SL 14.

EXPORTER: Zombo Coffee Partners Ltd.

IMPORTER: This Side Up Coffees

ROASTER: Zwarts Coffee (Amsterdam Roasters)

OPERATOR: Selecta Netherlands

india

FARM: Venkids Valley Estate

LOCATION: Kandankolli Village Karnataka, Coorg, India

CULTIVARS: Coffea canephora (robusta): congensis and old peredinia

EXPORTER: South India Coffee Company

IMPORTER: This Side Up Coffees

ROASTER: Zwarts Coffee (Amsterdam Roasters)

OPERATOR: Selecta Netherlands


About the Rwandese coop

Abakundakawa is a good example of how Rwandan rural society is managing to deal with the horrors of the past in a hopeful and inspiring way. During the genocide, many Rwandan women lost their husbands and were forced to take care of not only their own but many orphaned children. These women started to organise themselves in special women empowerment organisations, but in recent years have also learned that the label “produced by women” has a marketable value, and now sell their coffees separately at a premium. This in turn has sparked a discussion among traditional households (with husbands) about ownership of the coffee trees. In Rwandan smallholder families, the coffee trees are owned by men - but if women receive a premium for their produce, it can benefit all financially to pass some of this ownership to the women in the households. This development is slowly but steadily helping Rwandan women’s emancipation and position in society underway. 

 
 

About the Indonesian farms

The regency of East Manggarai (also known as Flores) is one of the poorest regions of Indonesia. ASNIKOM is a locally owned cooperative and produces both arabica and robusta coffees. For its robustas, it has won several prizes and is renowned as one of the cleanest and nicest out in the world. They use the same standards and machinery for robusta as they do for arabica, leading to a spicy, very full bodied robusta that is pleasantly bitter because of its caffeine content, sweet chocolaty and very clean. It is a robusta that clearly can change the bad reputation this variety has.

About the Ethiopian estate

Limu Kossa was founded by Giday Berhe. He started his coffee career as a trader in 1993 in Jimma. He then opened a wet and dry mill station with the aim to supply the central coffee market with quality coffee. In the early 2000s, he decided to establish his own farm in the village of Galeh in Jimma and from the outset establish meaningful relationships with neighbouring smallholder producers. Not only does he spend much of his profit on health care and schooling for the community, he actively teaches the farmers to upgrade their farms and techniques to eventually be able to process and export their coffee for high premiums as well. His commitment to produce quality coffee while at the same time supporting his local community has even granted him the title of "Abba Ollie" or “he who uplifts”.

 
 

ABOUT THE UGANDAN FARMS

Zombo operates unlike any other value chain we work in. Not only do the farmers own the microstations themselves (not indirectly through a cooperative) but Zombo as an exporting entity is aiming to be 25% farmer-owned by 2028. Andy Carlton, one of the founders, is somewhat of a development guru it turns out. He introduced microstations or micromills to many parts of Africa (including to CPNCK in Congo: Ngula is one of his creations) after Indonesian example - these are small, affordable mills that are operated not by large coops or single farmers, but by villages of up to 200 people. As such, Zombo is a hybrid of a private company, farmer cooperative, milling station, NGO and exporter - what a model!

ABOUT VENKIDS VALLEY

Venkids Valley Estate is run by husband and wife Pavan and Shilpa Nanjappa who started their coffee journey in 2013 when they inherited Pavan’s late father’s estate. Their first harvest was a mere 480 kilos but they approached coffee growing in a fresh way. They grow both arabica and robusta varieties, meticulously block planted with single varietals. It was their robusta that especially caught our attention: at various official cuppings at SCA events, not one jury member could not determine that they were tasting a robusta, confusing the Nanjappa’s coffee with a monsooned arabica. The Venkids Valley farm is home to over 40 varieties  of jungle trees, where the coffee is shade grown. Spices such as pepper and cardamom, and fruits including oranges and avocados are also grown. Between 50 - 60 varieties of resident and migratory birds and the scattering of wild bees balances the eco - system. The region boasts of fertile soil, diverse vegetation and balanced climate.  

 

The Rijkswaterstaat Blend - coffee specs

what to taste for

Aroma: chocolate, dried berries, slight citric notes, spices.

Body: round mouthfeel with a thick body.

Acidity: hint of orange, grape.

Aftertaste: white pepper, almond, honey.

PROCESSING your coffee

The Rwandese coffee is a washed arabica coffee. The combination of altitude and processing results in a fresh, citric and fruity profile, with lots of sweetness and a hint of acidity. The Indonesian coffee is a natural processed robusta, giving it a very round, sweet and spicy taste, without the hints of tar and rubber so often associated with this type of coffee. The Ethiopian coffee is a washed arabica, with a tea-like body with hints of sugar cane and honey. Adding to the mix since June 2022, the Ugandan coffee has a similar flavor as the Rwandan coffee, and the Indian coffee resembles the Indonesian coffee.

ROASTING YOUR COFFEE

Zwarts Coffee uses modern, highly energy efficient hot air roasters with an inbuilt afterburner, leading to lower CO2 emissions than conventional roasting. The machinery uses state of the art roasting software, controlled by a skilled roast master. The roast time is around 10 minutes. After the first crack, the coffee is roasted for a remainder of 25% of the time. All three the coffees are roasted separately, and mixed afterwards, to obtain the best flavor through the individual roast profiles and guaranteeing full traceability from bean to cup.

 

PRICE BREAKDOWN

€5.24 per kg

is what the farmers get (average of the three origins) for the green coffee price in Rotterdam. This is for growing, harvesting, milling and exporting the bags. Proof and exact price build-ups can be found below.

€1.10 per kg

importing fees for This Side Up. This includes quality control, financing, running joint projects and sales.

€0.09 per kg

shipping from the Rotterdam warehouse to the Zwarts’ Coffee roastery in Amsterdam.

€1,72 per kg

roasting loss. When you roast green beans, around 15-20% of the mass evaporates. This means that 1kg of green coffee turns out to be 800grams of roasted coffee, which you need to “fill”.

€2.95 per kg

Remuneration for the roasting of the coffee. This means running the factory, roasting the coffees to their best quality, paying off the machinery, packaging the coffees and more.

€11.10 per kg

Total price for which the coffees leave the roastery, to be handled by Selecta.


The contracts - proving the price

When you treat your partners as equal entrepreneurs and pay them accordingly, you’re proud of this relationship and you might as well show it all. Attached the buying contract for the three farms, which correspond to the prices allocated to the farmers + exporting partners in the three respective countries. A little legenda:

  • €1,00 is $1,08 (2019 contract)

  • 1 kg is 2,2 lbs (American pound)

“During the entire term of the Agreement, the coffee producer shall at all times receive at least the applicable Fairtrade Minimum Price per pound minus 25% + the applicable Fair Trade Premium per pound + the applicable Organic premium per pound (Organic Differential) + the additional RWS premium per pound (towards a living income) of ad. $ 0.30.” - Rijkswaterstaat, 2020 Programma van Eisen.

Taking this calculation, for the arabica coffees (Rwanda and Ethiopia) we have a Fairtrade Minimum Price of $1.40/lbs, minus 25% + the applicable Fair Trade Premium ($0.20/lbs) + the applicable Organic premium per pound ($0.30/lbs) + the additional RWS premium ($0.30/lbs) = $1.85/lbs or €1.71/lbs or €3.76/kg.

For the robusta coffee (Indonesia) the Fairtrade Minimum Price is $1.05/lbs, minus 25% + the applicable Fair Trade Premium ($0.20/lbs) + the applicable Organic premium per pound ($0.30/lbs) + the additional RWS premium ($0.30/lbs) = $1.59/lbs or €1.47/lbs or €3.24/kg.

Ethiopia, Limmu Kossa Estate

2018/2019 HARVEST

Paid price (in contract) of $2.00/lbs for Grade Four Natural Arabica coffee. This amount is paid directly to the estate, which has its own exporting license. Converting to euros, this is €1.85/lbs or €4.07 per kg, meeting the RWS arabica minimum price by a clear margin.

2020/2021 HARVEST

After (unfortunately) skipping a harvest due to the COVID-19 pandemic, trade commenced again in 2021. The farm had in the gap year a solid buyer from the US, limiting the effects of TSUs incapability of proceeding with a purchase. The paid price (in contract) was again $2.00/lbs for Grade Four Natural Arabica coffee. This amount is paid directly to the estate, which has its own exporting license. Converting to euros, this is €1.85/lbs or €4.07 per kg, meeting the RWS arabica minimum price by a clear margin.

2021/2022 HARVEST

The paid price (in contract) was again $2.20/lbs for Grade Four Natural Arabica coffee. This amount is paid directly to the estate, which has its own exporting license. Converting to euros, this is €2.04/lbs or €4.48 per kg, meeting the RWS arabica minimum price by a clear margin.

Rwanda, Abakundakawa (coop) and Misozi (exporter)

2020 REFORESTATION PROJECT

In 2020, This Side Up paid $9,435.00 for the reforestation project, executed by agronomy firm Bunga Bunga Ubutaka in 2019 and 2020. It consisted of reforesting 11 hectares of land owned by the Abakundakawa cooperative, where a full fletched agroforestry model was implemented. This model plot serves as a testing and inspirational plot for the cooperative members to grow coffee in a more nature inclusive way, moving away from a “clean” monoculture approach. This Side Up bought 50 bags of 60kg (3000 kg) in the 2019/2020 contract and 320 bags of 60 kg (19,200 kg) in the 2020/2021 contract. $9,435.00 divided by 3,000+19,200 kg = $0.42 per kg paid reforestation premium for the farmers.

2019/2020 HARVEST

Paid price (in contract) $3.20/kg for 2019 harvest for Grade A3 Natural Arabica coffee. This contract includes both the Abakundakawa Cooperative that hires the exporting services of Misozi (also on contract). Adding the $0.42/kg premium, the figure ends up being $3.62 per kg, or €3.51 per kg.

Due to the delays as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, this coffee has been supplemented with the high-end Rwandese specialty coffee of Roots Origin Ltd. - presenting also the purchasing contract for the 2019 harvest above. The price paid for this coffee is $7.10 per kg, or €6.57 per kg, being safely within the price margins set out by the RWS arabica minimum price framework. The supplementation of this coffee will last for the final months of 2020, before the new crop arrives around November 2020.

2020/2021 HARVEST

Paid price (in contract) $3.70/kg for 2020 harvest for Grade A3 Natural Arabica coffee. This contract includes both the Abakundakawa Cooperative that hires the exporting services of Misozi (also on contract). Adding the $0,42/kg premium, the paid price per kg ends up at $4.12/kg. This comes down to €3.81 per kg.

2021/2022 HARVEST

Paid price (in contract) $4.20/kg for 2021 harvest for Grade A3 Natural Arabica coffee. This contract includes both the Abakundakawa Cooperative that hires the exporting services of Misozi (also on contract). This comes down to €3.89 per kg.

2022/2023 HARVEST

This year, due to shortages in the international coffee community but especially the central and East African region, prices went up considerable to $5.90/kg. Also this year, logistics costs are high and inflation in also the producing countries play a role. Due to the shortages, the coffees got supplemented with the Rwandese coffees of Roots Origin Intango washing station, the $5.50/kg. The euro collapsed compared to the US dollar, the average euro price comes to €5.45 per kg.

Indonesia, ASNIKOM (coop) and Ontosoroh (exporter)

2019/2020 HARVEST

Paid price (in contract) IDR68,851/kg for 2019/2020 harvest, paid to Ontosoroh (processing and export) for Natural Flores Fine Robusta. In 2019, the IDR was exchanged at a rate of €1,00 for IDR 15.203. The ASNIKOM farmers did partial milling of the coffees on Flores, the other part was done by Ontosoroh (the exporter) on the island of Java, before shipping the coffees to the Netherlands. Ontosoroh also took care of the exporting licenses, fees and handling. Taking the exchange rates, €4.53 per kg was paid in 2019, clearly meeting the RWS robusta minimum price.

2020/2021 HARVEST

The year after, we paid IDR 76,261/kg for the 2020/2021 harvest. This year, €1,00 bought IDR 16.446. Once again, ASNIKOM farmers did partial milling of the coffees on Flores, the other part but predominantly the selecting of high quality beans, was done by Ontosoroh (the exporter) on the island of Java, before shipping the coffees. Ontosoroh also took care of the exporting licenses, fees and handling. Taking the exchange rates, €4.64 per kg was paid in 2020, even further excessing the minimum price.

2021/2022 HARVEST

This year, the farmers of ASNIKOM got prefinanced by our partner and NGO Progreso Foundation. It meant that the farmers got their pay earlier from the cooperative. Normally, a coop gets paid when the coffee leaves the country, the farmer gets then the money a few weeks later. This is already quite a few weeks after he delivered his coffee cherries, as they went through the milling process afterwards. Via Progreso, the farmer gets paid on the day he or she delivers the coffee. Progreso can only deliver this service in either US dollars or Euros. Price in the contract was therefore independent of local currencies and agreed on €4.49 per kg.

2022/2023 HARVEST

Also this year the farmers got prefinanced by the Dutch NGO Progreso Foundation. Prices increased this season, to €5.25/kg. Also the volumes went up, increasing the impact in the local community by both kg price as well as quantity increase.

Uganda, Zombo Coffee Partners

2020/2021 HARVEST

Paid price (in contract) $1.40/lb for 2020 harvest for WUGAR CBD screen 15- coffee, converted this is €2,86/kg. This coffee was used together with the Ambe Yellow Honey coffee, going for $2,80/lb which is €5,72/kg. Using these coffees for their respective part to a 50-50% ratio, this comes down to €4.29 per kg.

2021/2022 HARVEST

Prices rose in 2021 due to the global situation, to tremendous benefit of the farmer. The average contract price rose to $3,33/lb, which equals €6.80/kg.

India, Venkids Valley, MOOLEY moonah and KANBILE (estate) and SOUTH INDIA COFFEE COMPANY (Exporter)

2020/2021 HARVEST

The South India Coffee Company takes care of all the logistical movements until the Rotterdam harbor. In official terms, this is called a CIF contract. Paid price (in contract) $5,55 CIF per kg paid for the Venkids Valley coffee. Price paid to farmers is $4.00/kg which comes down to €3.70 per kg.

2021/2022 HARVEST

Volumes are picking up in post-COVID times, so the South India Company included two other state-of-the-art estates in the region, with a very similar profile in both flavor, price and ecological and social impact. Price paid to farmers is $5.83/kg for the Venkids Valley, Mooley Moonah and Kanbile Estate coffees, which includes shipping of €0,85/kg. Farmer price comes down to €4.63 per kg.

AVERAGING THE BLEND

For this blend, we use 45% Indonesian coffee, 45% Rwandan and 10% Ethiopian fine specialty coffees. The price paid to the farmers come therefore at €4.21 per kilogram. This figure is solidly above the minimum reference price put forward by Rijkswaterstaat and RVO.

From June 2022, due to the logistical impacts of the post COVID-19 and the Ukrainian ware, both Uganda and India have been added to the mix to secure stability of delivery, taste and impact to coffee farmers through the Rijkswaterstaat contract.

The blend changed to 33.3% Indonesian coffee, 33.3% Rwandan, 8.33% Ethiopian, 8.33% Ugandan and 16.67% Indian fine specialty coffees. The price paid to the farmers come therefore stays solidly above the minimum reference price put forward by Rijkswaterstaat and RVO at €5.24 per kilogram.


Notables about the individual origins

Next to having a traceable coffee of farmers that received the right price, it’s important to keep developing. We’re doing this with all three producer communities, and present a few notable facts.

RWANDA

  • Longest partnership This Side Up has been involved in, thus continuing building on strong ties of friendship.

  • Since the 1994 genocide, a lot of women have become successful entrepreneurs. The Rushashi washing station is run by a female board.

  • Sales of the Abakundakawa coffees were stagnating, as a result of the RWS blend, the community now exports twice as much.

  • In 2020, This Side Up started a reforestation project together with MVO Nederland and the Abakundakawa cooperative to initiate the start of a full fletched agroforestry system. Read more about the project here.

ETHIOPIA

  • The origin of coffee lies in Ethiopia, though it is one of the poorest countries in the world, with still 30% of the population living under the poverty line. Establishing stable trade relations has a huge impact on the livelihoods of the farmers, as well as preserving the wide variety of the coffee plant.

  • The coffees from the Limmu Kossa Estate are grown in a tropical rain forest - a functioning agroforestry system. This is something we’d like to preserve and we do so by paying a good price for the coffee.

INDONESIA

  • The East Nusa Tenggara province, of which Flores consists, is identified by the UN as Indonesias most heavily affected by climate change the coming decades. Instead of waiting for it, we are swapping the weaker arabica for the more resilient robusta coffee variety.

  • Robusta has the stigma of being of low quality, low income for producers, and is often affiliated with instant coffee. We produce high quality robusta for a solid price, combined with a long term contract. As such, it is a climate adaptive coffee, ready for the future.

  • The province of East Nusa Tenggara is one of the poorest provinces of the country, and as such it makes sense to invest in the island of Flores, and focus on it catching up – on economic, social and environmental fronts. 

  • ASNIKOM won a prize for producing extremely high quality coffees.

UGANDA

  • Zombo works with a concept called coffee microstations. These are miniature central coffee washing station that is within the means of a small group of farmers to construct and manage, with a minimum of external support

  • The coming years, more coffee for this blend will come from the Gonyobendo microstation. Gonyobendo is the biggest of the 10 Zombo Coffee Partner microstations, buying from more than 300 farmers and producing more than 30 tonnes of parchment coffee each season. The Gonyobendo team produces fully-washed coffee using a two-stage Penagos pulper. The core management team is a family, headed by Charles, with his younger brothers Alex, Collins and Alfred.

  • Uganda is already well-known for excellent robusta coffee.  In recent years Uganda has begun to build a second reputation, as an origin of fine arabica coffees.  Fertile land, volcanic soils, plentiful rainfall and sunshine, good varietals, diverse pockets of suitable micro-climates and altitudes, all combine with improved production practices to contribute to this emerging origin of really tasty specialty coffees. The Zombo region, the Alur Highlands, is for most coffee people a blind spot on the map. It is located on the western banks of the Nile, the river that leaves Lake Albert and starts its long, meandering journey to the Mediterranean.  

INDIA

  • Venkids Valley treats their coffee husks and skins with with jaggery (a type of muscovado sugar common in India) and manure to help the bacteria to digest the husk quickly. They apply this home-fermented fertiliser in September to their coffee, pepper and avocados. They also use neem cake as a natural fertiliser and pesticide and have four tanks to stock coffee waste water that they treat with cultures and later use to water the pepper and areca nut.

  • Indian coffee has been on our wish list for a very long time because of an incredible mix of properties not found anywhere else: pure forest systems, advanced processing knowledge, a passion for developing not only specialty arabica but robusta as well - combined with integrity, ethics and extreme business efficiency. You find yourself wondering how this country is not top of mind for every coffee roaster out there.


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