10th Anniversary Highlights Costa Rica’s Valuable Micro Lots
Portland, Oregon USA (June 22nd 2017) In celebration of the ten-year partnership between the Cup of Excellence® program and The Specialty Coffee Association of Costa Rica (SCACR), online bidders battled for almost five hours to purchase the 29 winning lots from the 2017 rigorous competition. The annual online auction held June 22nd resulted in a whopping $647,131.92 spent by international coffee buyers. The top price of over $80.00lb. was bid for the #1 coffee lot from Finca Don Antonio. This 92-scoring coffee is a honey process, gesha variety. “We are very surprised. We expected a good price, but not so high compared with last year’s prices. Very happy also for all the other producers, we all received very good prices!” said the winning farmer, Jorge Brenes. In 2016 the top bid was $59.00lb for the winning competition coffee.
With a $17.76lb record average price- the highest for any Cup of Excellence auction- the ten-year anniversary marks a milestone that has seen a complete landscape change in the specialty coffee sector of Costa Rica. Traditionally Costa Rica was well known for quality coffee but not for small, unique micro- lots that identified the farmer, the variety and the process. Now discriminating buyers from around the globe head to Costa Rica to find outstanding honey process and natural process coffees with a wide range of flavor profiles and to build long term relationships with often very small holder farmers. This change is partly due to the rigorous Cup of Excellence competition that first recognized innovative micro mills producing a range of honey processed coffees. A decade later the sophistication and popularity of the nation’s leading coffees has won the respect of even the most particular green coffee buyer.
“We are more than happy with this year results, it is a great way to close and celebrate our COE 10th Anniversary. Café de Costa Rica, has proven once more that the hard work, dedication and the innovation of our producers can achieve great things, like breaking national and international records. These auction prices- no coffee sold for under $10.00lb- translates to amazing outcomes to all the producers not just the higher ranked.” exclaimed the proud Noelia Villalobos, the Executive Director of SCACR and Costa Rica’s coordinator of the Cup of Excellence program.
Winning Bidders hailed from; Japan, Germany, China, South Korea, USA, Saudi Arabia, Ireland, Bulgaria, Germany, Australia and the United Kingdom. “The diversity and loyalty of International roasters that rely on Cup of Excellence to reward these top- often unknown- coffee farmers is unparalleled. We are so appreciative of their amazing support as members and as buyers.” Explained Darrin Daniel, Executive Director of The Alliance for Coffee Excellence.
About Alliance for Coffee Excellence & Cup of Excellence®
Alliance for Coffee Excellence is a non-profit global membership organization dedicated to advancing excellence in coffee. Cup of Excellence, a program which gives out the most prestigious award in coffee, has affected thousands of farmers. Its unmatched focus on quality discovery, farmer premiums and transparency has changed the specialty coffee industry. For more information about membership and to register for the Cup of Excellence or national winning samples and their auctions log on to www.allianceforcoffeeexcellence.org. Remaining 2017 programs include Mexico, Burundi, Peru, Colombia and Brazil.
