Meet the farmer: CSR applied to a cup of coffee, the socially responsible coffee – Johannes Epping, Mantano Project by AGÁTA Roastery and Coffee, and Mathias Kaps, Starkmacher e.V.

TRIESTESPRESSO CAMPUS 2018

On the 26^thof October, the event of Triestespresso Campus 2018 edition dedicated to the topic of CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility – applicated to the coffee industry took place. Johannes Epping and Mathias Kaps have been invited to the Area Meet2Learn  to share their idea born in the micro roastery of Johannes Epping and the NGO Starkmacher by Mathias Kaps, both situated in Mannheim, Germany. 

The main point of the presentation has been the coffee farmer and how the supply and production chain of coffee should be socially responsible. 

Meet the Farmer has been the most wanted event for the host of the Triestespresso Campus, Andrej Godina – caffesperto, who wanted to sensitize the providers of coffee for the topics of social responsibility and sustainability. This should be applied to the whole supply and production chain. Particularly starting with the farmer.

The Mantano Project

The presentation of Epping and Kaps has been concentrated on the Mantano project, namely an experience of CSR applicated in one cup of coffee. That is, coffee socially responsible.

Concerning the project partners, the micro roastery AGÁTA and the NGO Starkmacher began to explore the possibilities of creating and developing a social responsible market for coffee. The goal: Start innovative projects to develop new integral business models.

The Mantano Project aims to sustain a holistic business model, in which all parts of the supply chain  are socially connected and mutually linked. With the mission to deliver a fair, equal, socially responsible and good-quality cup of coffee. 

To reach this goal one of the main principles of the project is to offer high-quality products to the market and consumers together with a capable network of strong partners, which share the common social vision of the project.

During the realization of the project the question of the definition of “social responsibility” has already been touched, and how to but this definition in to daily live businesses.

Andrej Godina, the host of Triestespresso Campus:

“The whole event of the 26^thof October has presented to the Triestespresso Expo an important section of the productor’s sensibilization about the topic of social responsibility. With the legal decree of the 30^thDecember of 2016, n. 254 Italy has received the European directive about the communication of non-financial information and information about the diversity of some enterprises (Directive “CSR” 2014/95/UE).

This directive invites all providers to encounter the current topic which involves – in the coffee sector and the coffee producing countries – millions of families.

I think, that today, in our post-modern society, it is not possible to drink one cup of coffee in a coffee shop without taking in account the social responsibility, for which one we are directly responsible. And which starts at the plantation.

The consumption of one cup of espresso should not generate poverty at the other end of the world, in a short mountain village, where a farmer lives, who grows the coffee plants. I think, that the Mantano Project can be the necessary key message so that everyone of us can be more socially responsible.”

AGÁTA, the socially responsible coffee roastery

Johannes Epping is the founder and CEO of AGÁTA Roastery situated in Mannheim, Germany. With his wife Elisabetta Epping-Rossi and a team of coffee-professionals he founded a micro roastery, which aims to be a place of encounter, sensual (??) experiences and the dispersion of the coffee culture and the information about the whole ecosystem which surrounds them.

Particulary important for the roastery is the role of responsible coffee production in every step of the supply chain. This starts with the farmer and ends with the consumer.

Mathias Kaps recieved the “O-level teaching diploma” and is maths and religion teacher. The last 30 years he has conducted activities for the youth and is responsible for numerous educational youth projects. He has a wide experience on big international projects focusing on young people.

His work is focused on some key topics: education of peace, interreligious and intercultural dialogue, education against violence. His working experience with the NGO Starkmacher is mainly based on projects supported by the European Union.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oS_rf3i6Nes

agata-kaffee.de

starkmacher.eu

www.mantano.org

umamiarea.com/contents/meet2learn

La pagella dei caffè a TORINO

Tratto dall'articolo apparso sulla La Stampa di Torino - 28 maggio 2017 by Sarah Scaparone

A Torino il caffè espresso si beve o molto bene o molto male. È quanto emerso da un viaggio sensoriale tra quindici bar-caffetterie del centro cittadino (e poco oltre) insieme ad Andrej Godina, caffesperto a livello internazionale, docente autorizzato della Specialty Coffee Association e presidente di Umami Area. Lui, che si occupa di formazione partendo dai paesi di origine del caffè, non ha dubbi: «A Torino, come purtroppo in tutta Italia, non si beve bene perché tra gli addetti degli oltre 150 mila bar presenti sul territorio nazionale manca troppo spesso la giusta competenza: il barista è rimasto l’operatore della macchina, non si è trasformato».

 

Le pecche

Gli errori più frequenti riscontrati nel servire una tazza di caffè espresso sono rappresentati da materie prime, lavorazione ed estrazione del caffè di bassa qualità, scarsa pulizia dell’attrezzatura, macchine caffè espresso obsolete. In città, però, qualcosa si sta muovendo: «La tendenza arriva dall’estero - prosegue Godina - ed è quella di servire differenti caffè monorigine: in città spicca per numero di presenze e riguarda non solo piccole realtà, ma anche la grande industria. In generale, poi, i baristi sono preparati a fornire le informazioni basilari sulle miscele, che siano a base Arabica o Robusta». Già, perché questo rappresenta uno dei primi fattori in grado di indicare se ciò che si

beve è un caffè di grande qualità o meno. Arabica e Robusta sono due specie botaniche diverse: la prima è la più pregiata e viene coltivata ad alta quota, dove la maturazione dei frutti avviene a temperature moderate. Solitamente in Italia queste due specie vengono miscelate e la Robusta è molto diffusa sia per un prezzo inferiore, sia perché per la preparazione di un espresso richiede meno formazione tecnica da parte del barista.

 

Consumo consapevole

Imparare a chiedere cosa si beve: questa è la prima regola per sapere se quell’euro speso quasi sovrappensiero può e sere in grado di farci sognare o meno. In una tazza di caffè espresso sono presenti infatti il doppio delle sostanze aromatiche volatili di un bicchiere di vino rosso: si tratta di una caratterizzazione chimica legata alla tostatura che viene avvalorata con il metodo dell’espresso regalando un’esperienza sensoriale unica. Paradossalmente, quindi, pensando al suo lato aromatico, un caffè potrebbe costare come un bicchiere di buon vino. Eccessi a parte, è pur vero che il prezzo uniforme di una tazzina di caffè non aiuta il consumatore a fare chiarezza e a capirne le differenze: «Da anni sostengo - prosegue Godina - che differenziare il prezzo sia fondamentale per far capire come diverse qualità di caffè abbiano caratteristiche sensoriali differenti. A Torino la media dello scontrino è più alta che nel resto d’Italia perché si sta lavorando nell’ottica di una maggiore cultura del caffè e questo è un bene: si va dall’uno ai tre euro contro gli 0,80-0,90 del Sud, ad esempio».

Ma come si fa a riconoscere quando un caffè espresso è di qualità? «Intanto chiedete che miscela state bevendo, quindi osservate la crema: un espresso è perfetto se la crema è color nocciola con striature più scure, se ha uno spessore non inferiore ai 2 mm con bolle d’aria piccole e quasi invisibili e se persiste almeno due minuti».

Metodi diversi

Oltre alla diffusione di caffè monorigine, Torino sta seguendo la proposta internazionale di servire caffè realizzati con altri metodi: dal filtro all’orientale, dal french press al cold brew. «Se è bello vedere che realtà ormai consolidate come Orso Laboratorio Caffè vengono affiancate da luoghi come il Costadoro Diamante che stanno lavorando sul discorso qualitativo e culturale, la delusione maggiore - conclude Godina - riguarda invece i caffè storici che a Torino, come in altre città d’Italia, non propongono caffè all’altezza del nome e dell’importanza del luogo». Come dire: vendere emozioni visive che fanno bene all’anima non soddisfa anche il palato. Purtroppo.

Umami Coffee Camp in HONDURAS - training and leisure activities in a coffee plantation

Umami Coffee Camp in Honduras is a coffee educational campus organized by the Italian Umami Area association with international SCA trainers. During the campus the participants, fully immersed in the amazing world of coffee, have the opportunity the learn about coffee following the Coffee Diploma System by SCA modules. The day consists of two sessions: in the morning the participants have the opportunity to visit the coffee plantations, experiencing the coffee producers daily life, the various phases of the coffee value chain and the places in which it takes place, in order to have a more practical and concrete approach to the world of coffee; instead, during the afternoons, the participants take part in face-to-face in face-to-face professional lectures and trainings of SCA by authorized SCA trainers.

http://www.scae.com/training-and-education/coffee-diploma-system

Participants will stay in “Cooperativa Cafetalera Capucas Limitada (COCAFCAL) - http://mycapucascoffee.coop ”, provided with the classrooms and with a small coffee shop, in which participants can have the practical sessions of the course.

day 1

arrival of participants in San Pedro Sula and transfer to Capucas

day 2

Presentation of the campus: COCAFCAL Cooperative and Umami Area finca Rio colorado project

Coffee plantation workshop: coffee nursery, harvesting and depulping of ripe cherries, coffee processing, natural method, coffee drying (natural and mechanical)

day 3

Trekking in Celaque national park/adventure day, UNESCO heritage, canophy, leisure activities

day 4

Coffee plantation workshop: visit at the Arabica Parainema coffee plantation owned by Noè Portillo. Coffee Diploma System SCA foundation coffee course.

day 5

Santa Rosa di Copan coffee shop tour, visit at Beneficio Planet Coffee – green coffee selection.

day 6

Coffee plantation workshop: visit at the Arabica coffee plantation owned by Francisco Villeda - Panchito. CDS SCA foundation coffee course.

day 7

Coffee cupping sessions and CDS SCA certifications.

Final party.

day 8

Transfer to San Pedro Sula. Departure of participants.

Ask information and the registration form to info@umamiarea.com

Coffee education organized in the Arabica coffee plantations in Vietnam

Umami Coffee Camp is a training coffee journey where the participants can have the best coffee education, directly in the field and in the classroom. The training lessons are more focused on coffee sensory analysis, barista skills (how to brew a good cup of espresso and a cappuccino Latte Art), filter coffee and brewing techniques and coffee roasting. The coffee plantation workouts include also green coffee module (botanical issues, how to manage a coffee plantation, seedling, picking, processing, drying, pruning, etc). 

Participants from Italy, Germany, Austria, Spain, Iran and Argentina are join the education agenda together with local coffee professionals and farmers, therefore it is going to be an interesting experience of international knowledge sharing! 

For the fees of the Camp: the offer for this Campus at 1900€ for foreigners, including transport within Vietnam (taxi from airport to hotel, daily transportation); meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner); accommodation in Hotel; visit to plantations (coffee, cocoa, tea); SCA coffee course; tea and chocolate workshops; cultural visits and leisure activities. The price does not include the flight ticket from Europe (or country of origin) to Vietnam, VISA costs, travel insurance and SCA certification fees (if participants want to take the exams). Of course for Vietnamese participants it is going to be different, and it needs to set the price for those coming from Vietnam, depending on what they need in terms of accommodation, meals, transportation, etc. 

day 1
Arrival of participants and transfer to Dalat
Accommodation in Hotel
day 2
Introduction of the Camp: Specialty coffee Scene in Vietnam; Micro and Small Coffee Producers K'Ho Ethnic Minorities.
Introduction to CDS Coffee Courses: Coffee Roasting, Sensory Skills and Green Coffee.
Welcoming Dinner with traditional Vietnamese food and music.
day 3
Fieldwork at Lang Biang Coffee Village: coffee plantations, selective picking, selection of red cherries, coffee plant, botanical varieties, bags transportation, first processing.
Lunch in Coffee Plantation
CDS Coffee Courses: Green Coffee
day 4
CDS Coffee Courses: green, roasting and sensory
Chocolate sensory analysis
CDS Coffee Courses: green, roasting and sensory
Night Food Market in Dalat
day 5
Visit to a Traditional Vietnamese Market
CDS Coffee Courses: green, roasting and sensory
Cultural Visit: Linh Phuoc Pagoda
Traditional Dinner with a Vietnamese family
day 6
Visit to Tea Plantations of Long Dinh Company with courses on tea picking, processing and tea sensory analysis
Cultural Visit: Golden Buddha and Flower Park
day 7
Fieldwork at a Coffee Village: Arabica and Robusta, hulling machine, moisture meter, drying room, processing methods and Vietnam Specialty Coffee Market
Lunch with the producers at Coffee Village
Transfer to Ho Chi Minh City
day 8
Visit to Specialty Coffee Shop Bosgaurus
CDS Coffee Courses at Bosgaurus Coffee Shop
CDS Coffee Courses: green, roasting and sensory
Cultural Visit: Independence Palace, War Remnant Museum
day 9
Visit to  Coffee Shop The Workshop
CDS Coffee Courses The Workshop Coffee Shop and public event
Tea Ceremony with Tra Viet: Vietnamese traditional ceremony with tea sensory analysis of Green Tea, Black Tea, Snow Tea, Ancient Tea, Lotus Tea and Matcha Tea
Night Market and Saigon by night
day 10
Departure of participants

 

Info: ermanno.perotti@umamiarea.com