SEATTLE—Starbucks Coffee Company introduced Rwanda Blue Bourbon coffee, its first ever from Rwanda and the 10th coffee in its Black Apron Exclusives line-up.
"Until recently, high quality coffee from Rwanda did not exist," said Dub Hay, Starbucks senior vice president of Coffee & Global Procurement. "But Rwanda has the perfect terrain and climate for growing the highest quality arabica coffee, and the proof of that is in this cup. As our first coffee from the country, Rwanda Blue Bourbon should be celebrated not only for its amazing flavor but also for the promising future it brings the people of Rwanda."
Until a few years ago, farmers grew low-grade beans as their main cash crop — and almost stopped growing coffee altogether after the violence of 1994. In 2001, individuals from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Agribusiness Development Activity of Rwanda (ADAR) helped Rwandan farmers write business plans and obtain bank loans necessary to purchase equipment and build coffee-washing stations, which are essential to ensure quality. They also taught farmers how to better cultivate arabica Bourbon trees. Farmers learned to prune, mulch, control pests and diseases, and select the ripest cherries.
"In 2004, the Starbucks green coffee team traveled to Rwanda to evaluate its potential as a premium coffee supplier," Hay said. "That expedition led us to the Gatare and Karengera washing stations, which this year, delivered an amazing coffee."
Arabica Bourbon, one of the world's oldest and rarest coffee species, thrives in Rwanda's high elevations and is prized for its elegant flavor. Rwanda Blue Bourbon, Starbucks' second Black Apron Exclusives offering of 2006, imparts a subtle acidity with herbal, spice and cocoa notes.
According to a news release, Starbucks awards $15,000 for each Black Apron Exclusives coffee for a project that will improve the lives of the farmers in the community. These projects have made immediate impacts in education, transportation, coffee-processing facilities and the environment. For Rwanda Blue Bourbon coffee, we will award $15,000 to the Karengera and Gatare washing stations in Rwanda. The money will be used to make immediate improvements to these station communities, improving efficiency and coffee quality, ultimately ensuring that farmers who use these stations will realize higher quality coffee and obtain higher prices for their crops.
