The Cup of Excellence promotes coffee quality worldwide, and in this article we will focus on Colombia
Colombia and climate challenges
Colombia is one of the most important countries where coffee is involved, and we have already shared with you some details about Organico Nevada, a high-quality and high-altitude Colombian coffee, emphasizing the effects of altitude on coffee plantations.
Colombia is the world’s third largest coffee producer (Stein, 2021) and up to half a million Colombian families depend directly on coffee production (Ceballos-Sierra & Dall’Erba, 2021). That is why there have been increasing concerns about the unprecedented challenges posed by climate change to coffee production in Colombia, and to agricultural production in general worldwide (Stein, 2021). According to a study conducted by the University of Illinois, the effects of climate change vary significantly depending on the location of the coffee plantation (Stein, 2021).
Colombia is a large country characterized by a very peculiar geography. In fact, the Andes Mountains cross the country from its south-west to north-east corner, and Colombian coffee grows in different areas at different altitude levels. That is why the effects of climatic conditions can be very different for low-altitude and high-altitude regions (Stein, 2021).
Source: (Stein, 2021)
The University of Illinois study aims at estimating the production function of Colombian coffee at the municipal level, and at forecasting productivity in Colombia at the same level for 2041-2060. In order to keep the production rates high, some new techniques might be needed, such as place-tailored strategies and methods adapted to evolving climate conditions (Ceballos-Sierra & Dall’Erba, 2021).
Cup of Excellence: focus on Colombia 2021
We at ArtOn Café have already talked about how the Cup of Excellence keeps promoting high quality coffee worldwide and we will now focus on the Colombian winning lots.
The winning lots are the top 30 coffees – cupped at least five times each during the cupping process – that scored over 87 at the Cup of Excellence Global Coffee Centres. The winning coffees have been selected and scored in blind cuppings, and the winning farm and the specific coffee lot details are submitted by each farmer and are not known to the public until the awards ceremony. Farm information is for educational purposes only, but it can also be used to help sell the winning coffees (Cup of Excellence, 2021).
Make sure you check the winning farms and their score on the Cup of Excellence website.
Bibliography
Ceballos-Sierra, F., & Dall’Erba, S. (2021). The effect of climate variability on Colombian coffee productivity: A dynamic panel model approach. Agricultural Systems, 190, 103126. doi: 10.1016/j.agsy.2021.103126
Cup of Excellence. (2021). Colombia 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021, from Colombia 2021 website: https://cupofexcellence.org/colombia-2021/
Stein, M. (2021). How climate change affects Colombia’s coffee production. Retrieved from https://aces.illinois.edu/news/how-climate-change-affects-colombias-coffee-production
Picture credits a: Jess Kraft. Retrieved April 20, 2021, from Shutterstock website: https://www.shutterstock.com/it/image-photo/coffee-plant-covered-hills-rising-above-492588049
Picture credits b: PenWin. Retrieved April 21, 2021, from Shutterstock website: https://www.shutterstock.com/it/image-vector/ribbon-like-colombian-flag-coffee-plant-1763081576
