We are now almost a year out from the official start date of the UTZ-Rainforest Alliance merger. In that time, we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to develop a new combined standard for agricultural certification, which we expect to launch in late 2019. We’re also focused on creating a seamless transition process for our companies and producers, and we are happy to announce that the first step of that process is now ready: a mutual recognition of the Chain of Custody certification process.
As of December 3rd, the implementation of this mutual certification recognition for existing Chain of Custody certificate holders of either UTZ or Rainforest Alliance standards will begin. This interim solution will simplify things for companies until the new certification program is launched.
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Three Kenyan factories have been ranked among the world’s best specialty coffee producers for 2017, putting farmers on the path to better earnings.
Kabare AA, produced by the Kabare farmers’ cooperative society in Kirinyaga was ranked fourth on Coffee Review’s list of Top 30 with a score of 97 points out of 100. “Coffee Review’s goal, as always, is to celebrate coffee roasters, farmers and mill-owners who make an extra effort to produce coffees that are not only superb in quality but also distinctive in character,” said the review team.

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Uganda historically has two rainy seasons, from March through May and from October through December. Small farms in East Africa, like Massa’s, are almost exclusively without irrigation, meaning that reliable rainfall is a prerequisite to produce crops, including coffee.
But in 2016, Massa’s area received almost no rain during the second season, and when it came time to harvest coffee in January, the yield was very poor. This was no freak accident, he says: In the last few years, the weather has been all wrong.

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The coffee leaf rust epidemic has been one of the most pressing challenges facing coffee in recent years. The disease has wreaked havoc on coffee production, particularly in Latin America, since an outbreak in 2012; many farms lost 50 to 80 percent of their production, and the epidemic forced 1.7 million people out of work and drove human migration.
One of the most serious problems in the ongoing battle against coffee leaf rust is how little we actually know about it. One prominent figure working to change that is Purdue University's Dr. Cathie Aime, a mycologist who specializes in rust fungi.
In partnership with World Coffee Research, Dr. Cathie and her team are undertaking a major project to develop a comprehensive understanding of the biology of coffee leaf rust.

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The main reason that higher elevation coffee is more sought after is the taste. When well-cared for, high elevation coffee will produce the more acidic, aromatic and flavorful cup of coffee that we love, while lower elevation coffee tends to have a lower acidity with little character in the cup.
This is the real reason why your barista is telling you about the elevation of the coffee you are about to drink. Generally, a higher elevation coffee will be a better tasting coffee and by saying that the coffee was grown at 5,200', it means the coffee should have a good flavor.

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Over the last decade, the coffee world has increasingly realized what wine aficionados knew long before them -that specific terroir of where the beans were grown affects the flavor of their preferred drink.
And if you source from just one place - a single origin - the coffee will have flavor characteristics unique to that growing region. This has been especially good news for African coffee farmers whose ranks have dwindled the last two decades.

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Kenyan Women: Successful Leaders in Coffee
Steve Shelton Images

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