The African Fine Coffees Association (AFCA), in partnership with Ethiopia Commodity Exchange and USAID AGP-AMDe, is pleased to announce that the 2013/ 2014 Taste of Harvest (ToH) Coffee Competition will be held at the ECX Lab in Addis from 4th to 5th February, 2014.
The event will be led by Head Judge Werkneh Mulat from the Ethiopia. International Judge Paul Kim from USAID AGP-AMDe, who will be supported by a team of five highly qualified cuppers from Ethiopia. 92 samples were collected and all samples will be roasted, cupped and scored using the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) internationally-recognized cupping protocol, which evaluates coffees against the following ten key attributes: fragrance/aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, uniformity, balance, clean cup, sweetness, and the overall cupper score. Information on those coffees that score above 80 will be disseminated to both AFCA members and international buyers/importers/roasters immediately following the event.
At the end of the competition, AFCA will host a cocktail reception “coffee club” at Elilly International hotel from 6.00pm till late that will bring together AFCA members and other public and private sector coffee stakeholders to network and pay tribute to the ToH winners who will receive certificates.
The top five winning coffees will be promoted next week at the Annual African Fine Coffees Conference & Exhibition (AFCC&E) in Bujumbura, Burundi. This cupping event will draw hundreds of international and regional buyers & producers who come to cup and taste samples of Africa's Finest Coffees.
AFCA’s Taste of Harvest (ToH) is the leading regional cupping competition in Eastern and Southern Africa and has become the premier event on the coffee calendars of nine member countries. ToH provides producers, millers and exporters an opportunity to showcase their coffees and compete among themselves. While the main purpose of ToH is to identify and promote (Country)’s quality coffees, the competition has a much broader impact on the development of the national coffee sector by delivering the following:
1. Competition: Creating healthy competition among coffee industry members and giving constructive feedback to participants helps to raise the overall quality of the region’s coffees.
2. Market Linkage: Capturing and disseminating current and historical data on the profiles of the region’s quality coffees aids buyers in the discovery process facilitates relationships between producers and buyers and shortens the value chain.
3. Promotion: Showcasing and marketing the country’s specialty coffees while rewarding ToH winners by profiling them at key international tradeshows and conferences.
4. Capacity Development: Training, certification and calibration of quality cuppers at national level helps build sustainability into the ToH process and helps support the development of a “quality” culture within the coffee value chain.
AFCA would like to recognize the invaluable contributions of the USAID AGP-AMDe and the ECX, who have generously contributed their time and funds to ensure the success of this event.
About AFCA
Established in 2000, AFCA is a regional non-profit, non-political, member-driven association with its secretariat located in Kampala, Uganda. The organization’s mission is to promote the production, quality, consumption and trade of Africa’s fine coffees in its eleven member countries: Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. AFCA’s membership includes: producers, millers, exporters, international importers, roasters, policy makers, transporters and trade representatives. www.africanfinestcoffee.com
Source: Ethiopian Commodity Exchange Press Release
