Beans for Bikes Video
March 30, 2011 by baldguy · Leave a Comment
Just a quick shout to let ya’ll know that I finally got the Beans For Bikes site up and running. There you will find out more about how our family is trying to do to make a difference in Rwanda. Before you run, get comfy, and enjoy the video. Afterwards, tell as many friends as you can so we can raise some mad cash!
Coffee Predictions: A look at Kenyan Coffee
March 20, 2011 by baldguy · Leave a Comment
Here we go again… guestimating on the nature of the specialty coffee market.
So far, prices have not gone down, but rather increased, and for no apparent reason other than day traders speculating on the “C” market. Now that I said that, there are some factors that are definitely driving the price of green coffee to new levels, especially in Kenya.
The first factor is a common issue: weather. Last season, Kenya saw decreased coffee production due to an extended rainfall when it wasn’t needed and not enough rain when it was needed, severely hurting the coffee plant while flowering. This resulted in higher than usual prices for mid-grade Kenyan coffee, with the AA coffees breaking new records due to the shortage.
The second factor is a little more complex. It appears that coffee is the new “cash crop”. More and more coffee is being stolen, either right before harvest, shortly after the processing, or while it is on its way to the pier. This results in farmers and processors defaulting on loans made by the government. This is by no means an isolated event, with reports of organized crime coming from the Americas, Asia, and this report from Kenya.
The third factor, development, is another serious threat. According to the Kenyan Broadcasting Corporation, “The development of the real estate sector in Kenya is threatening the existence of the coffee industry. Statistics reveal that the country has lost over 8% of acreage under coffee in the last 10 years to real estate developers.”
John Logan, Kenya Coffee Initiative Director at Technoserve, a non-profit body that helps people in the developing world build businesses, warned that much more was needed to rejuvenate the industry than just high prices. According to Logan, “A coffee buyer will tell you that the best fertiliser for coffee is price, it’s true but it’s not only that… It’s how much the farmer really gets that counts.”
Let’s hope that the prices, which are at a forty year high, make it to the farmer.