Vol 48, No.1 Spring/Summer 2012 - Finlays

Bean on
a Journey
With more than 2.25 billion cups consumed every
day and the physical coffee market turning over
60 billion dollars annually, coffee is the world’s
second largest traded commodity.
In pursuit of sustainably sourced coffee: Thomas Blackwell and Alan Davies visit members of the UNIPASV
Cooperative in Brazil
Thomas Blackwall, Coffee Buyer
and Blender, and Alan Davies,
Coffee Purchasing Manager at
Finlay Beverages, follow the
supply chain of one of the
world’s most popular drinks.
With more than 90% of coffee production
taking place in developing countries
it is estimated that 25 million small
scale farmers rely on coffee for a living.
Coffee is grown in more than 70
countries, primarily in equatorial Latin
America, Southeast Asia, South Asia and
Africa; the arabica tree is thought to have
first been discovered in the Kaffa region
of Ethiopia where it is still cultivated to
this day. Coffee berries, which contain
the seeds or beans, are produced by
several species of the coffee tree,
the two most common being Coffea
arabica and Coffea canephora or robusta.
10 Spring/Summer ’12
Arabica coffee is the higher value of the
two varieties, producing a softer and
more flavoursome bean, mainly used
in roast and ground blends. Robusta,
grown at lower altitudes, tends to be
fuller bodied, with a higher caffeine
content. The less expensive variety,
robusta is extensively used in the
manufacture of instant coffee.
In subtropical areas, coffee grows at
latitudes between 16-24° and at an
altitude of 1,800-3,600 ft (549-1097 m);
here, it has one growing and one
maturation season, the latter usually in
the coldest part of autumn. Countries
with these climate conditions include
Brazil, Jamaica and Mexico. In equatorial
regions, including Colombia, Kenya and
Ethiopia, coffee grows at latitudes lower
than 10° and at altitudes of 3,600-6,300
ft (1097-1920 m). Frequent rainfall
causes almost continuous flowering,
which results in two coffee harvests.
The coffee tree can live for up to 100
years but is usually considered old and
in need of replacing after 25 years when
yields are significantly reduced. As the
season starts, clusters of fragrant white
flowers blossom. Arabica coffee is
predominantly self-pollinating and,
6-8 weeks after each flower is fertilised,
the coffee fruit appears in its place as a
tiny bud. As the cherry grows, the two
seeds within start to develop. In about
5% of cases, only one seed is fertilised;
these, called peaberries, are highly
sought after due to their rounder shape,
which produces a more uniform roast.
During the development process,
which takes between 30 and 35 weeks,
the cherry ripens from green to yellow
and finally crimson.
Once harvested, the cherries can be
either dry or wet processed. The dry
processing method involves the farmer
laying the just-picked coffee cherries
on large patios in the sun. This process,
which allows the beans to ferment inside
the coffee cherry, is simpler and less
labour intensive as the cherries can be
strip picked in harvesting. Dry processed
coffees tend to exhibit a fuller body with
a smooth and slightly sweeter character.
Wet processing involves the removal
of the layers of coffee cherry
surrounding the bean prior to
fermentation. The flesh of the cherry
is removed using a pulping machine
and the beans are fermented
in water for 24 to 48 hours to remove
the slimy layer of mucilage. When
fermentation is finished, the coffee
bean is washed in large quantities of
fresh water to remove the fermentation
residue. Finally, the beans are dried,
either by machine or naturally in the
sun or in greenhouses. Wet processed
or washed coffee results in a cleaner
and brighter cup which often exhibits
fruit characters such as blackcurrant,
lemon and apricot.
Bean on a Journey
Thomas Blackwell and Alan Davies
Building relationships with our suppliers: the Beverages
team with Dos Costas Cooperative in Brazil.
When export is imminent the coffee
is taken to the mill where either the
parchment or the dried coffee cherry
is removed, depending on which process
is used. Due to its size, the milling plant
is normally owned by the cooperative
which buys the coffee from the farmer
and prepares it for export. Following the
hulling, the beans are sorted into sizes
and grades; the larger the bean, the
higher the value. The coffee is then
packed into hessian sacks of between
60 and 70 kgs and stuffed into a 20ft
container before being shipped to the
UK for roasting.
At Finlays we buy over 90% of our coffee
from origin producers; this is either done
directly, through exporters, or through
dealers who facilitate the purchase.
At Finlay Beverages we pride ourselves
on our commitment to sustainable
purchasing and forging relationships
with our suppliers at origin. In 2011,
94% of the coffee that we purchased was
either Fairtrade certified or Rainforest
Alliance certified. We work with all of our
customers to deliver coffee that has been
sustainably sourced and our purchasing
of certified coffee helps to deliver the
sustainable agenda now being offered
by our customers including Sainsbury’s,
Morrisons, British Airways and the
Country Range Group. Our purchasing
policy ensures that we continue to build
on the relationships that we forge with
our suppliers and, by visiting the farmers
who supply our coffee, we are able to
paint a picture of their valued
contribution within the coffee supply
chain. It is also important that we share
our vision with our suppliers to ensure
that they will be producing high quality
coffee and selling to Finlays for many
years to come.
Farmers in the Misuku Hillls, near Mzuzu in Northern
Malawi have seen their yields increase.
In 2011 our coffee purchases generated
over $564,000 in Fairtrade premiums
which directly benefited farmers and
their communities. As well as purchasing
certified coffee, Finlay Beverages have
undertaken successful projects within
marginalised communities to help the
farmers get a better price for the coffee
that they grow. In Colombia we work
with a cooperative called APECAFEQ
in the town of Quinchia, high in the
mountains of the Risaralda region.
Its community was formerly overrun by
the guerrilla group FARC, who forced
many farmers to grow coca. Over recent
years the FARC have been pushed out of
the town, the farmers have returned and
have regenerated the coffee production
that was once the main income earner
for the community. Finlays is supporting
APECAFEQ by paying a premium for the
coffee that they dry naturally in the sun.
This premium has helped the cooperative
acquire a cupping lab which is used for
quality control.
Through collaboration with Sainsbury’s
and Twin Trading Ltd, we have
undertaken a FRICH (Food Industry
Retail Challenge Fund) project supported
by the Department for International
Development (DFID). Through this
project we have brought to the UK two
coffees from very remote regions in
East Africa. Previously, the Sopacdi
cooperative in the DR Congo did not
export any coffee and most was
smuggled across the border into Rwanda;
meanwhile in Mzuzu, in Northern Malawi,
50% of the cooperative growers’ coffee
trees were dying each year due to poor
farming practices. Both cooperatives
have seen yields and exports increase
thanks to the ongoing project.
The journey of the coffee bean is more
complex than many might imagine with
climatic and farming conditions all
affecting its final flavour. Once it has
arrived at our roasting facility in South
Elmsall, it is up to the coffee buying
team to develop a blend and roasting
style to suit each customer’s
requirements. The latter are encouraged
to visit our facility for a hands-on
experience of the process. Our category
insight and consumer research enables
us to make informed decisions when
helping our customers design their
ranges and fixtures.
More than 800 aromatic compounds
are formed in coffee during the roasting
process; our expertise in knowing
exactly what times and temperatures
to use means we are able to achieve the
optimum flavour profile for the blend.
Once roasted, our coffee is packed in
high quality, triple-ply, laminated coffee
packs which provide a complete barrier
to oxygen; a one-way valve on every
pack allows the carbon dioxide to
escape without letting any air in to
stale the coffee.
So, here is our expert advice: Once you’ve
opened your pack of coffee, don’t stick it
in the cupboard for a couple of weeks;
store it in an airtight container in the
fridge or, even better, in the freezer and
drink within two weeks. Enjoy!
Volume 48/No.1 11