Haiti is on a coffee roll
When you think about Haiti, what springs to mind? Perhaps the tropical Caribbean climate? Or the Haitian cuisine? Or even the devastation of the earthquake to affect the country last year? However, the odds are that ‘coffee’ is not the first word at the tip of your tongue. But did you realise that it is in fact a significant resource of the country?
Once upon a time, the industry was a flourishing one, but now various factors have put the proverbial spoke in the works. The combination of deforestation, natural crises and political problems have all had a negative effect on the coffee industry of Haiti. In fact, for a while, farmers found that it was more lucrative for them to cut down their trees and use them for charcoal, rather than invest in coffee crops.
However, things are a-changing.
Foreign support has aided the new focus on the coffee industry in the country and farmers are giving their attention once more to the production of the coffee bean. Haitian coffee, for example Kafe Kreyol, is becoming something of a ‘hot commodity’ according to reports.
The Belle Anse area is a strong coffee growing area of the country, located in the south east of Haiti in the mountain valley. Many of the farmers are small and family-based affairs, the owners of which are slowly coming to understand the potential of the coffee industry.
Italy and Japan are said to be countries that particularly enjoy the exported product. Given the problems of Haiti over the past years, let’s hope that the recovery is a speedy and long-lasting one.