By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
Coffee from Panama
If you are thinking of healthy organic coffee think of coffee from Panama. Panama is the country on the isthmus that connects Central and South America. It has two sea coasts, a central mountain chain, and highlands covered with fertile volcanic soil. Coffee from Panama comes from the Chiriquí Highlands. Extending down from the foot of the extinct 11,000 foot volcano, Volcan Baru, the lands around the villages of Volcan and Boquete are forested, often somewhat cloudy, and rich in nutrients.
Thus much of the organic coffee from Panama is also shade grown and grown under overcast skies much like organic Kona coffee. Panama is a small country and only coffee from Panama is almost entirely grown in the province of Chiriquí. So, Panama does not rank with its next door neighbor, Colombia, which is the third leading producer in the world, or Mexico (#5), Guatemala (#8), Honduras (#9), or Peru (#10). However, premium coffee from Panama can sell at auction for a hundred dollars for a one pound bag, attesting to the quality of the product.
Coffee from Panama, like coffee throughout the world, is either Arabica or Robusta. The coffee growers in the highlands around Boquete and Volcan, Panama tend towards sustainable agriculture and much of the coffee is shade grown organic coffee. Much of this commitment to sustainable growing practices is simple practicality. When a grower plants coffee on slopes of thirty degrees or more he is wise not to remove pre-existing trees and shrubs. Thus much of the coffee from Panama is naturally grown in a diverse habitat protecting soil, flora, and fauna.
Panama mountain grown organic coffee has been around for about a century.
The Boquete region was virtually uninhabited until Americans crossing Panama on their way to the California gold fields passed through a gap (Boquete in Spanish) in the Cordillera Central. Around 1900 immigrants moved into the region, many of them coffee growers. The descendants of many of these original families still grow high quality coffee in the region and many have gone the extra step to produce certified organic coffee. This is a short step for many as they were already practicing sustainable horticulture and only needed an agency like Bio Latina to certify their growing, harvesting, and processing practices.
A substantial number of coffee growers have Bio Latina organic coffee certification. This agency certifies for the USDA, the Japanese Agricultural Ministry, and for the European Union, among others. Thus organic coffee from Panama is likely to be certified organic coffee able to bear appropriate labeling in the major coffee markets of the world. Coffee from Panama is not always easy to find in the US, EU, or Japan, however. Many growers are small and, despite following appropriate growing practices, have not found a ready market outside of the country.
2. If you are thinking of
healthy organic coffee
think of coffee from
Panama.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
3. If you are thinking of
healthy organic coffee
think of coffee from
Panama.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
4. Panama is the country on
the isthmus that connects
Central and South America.
It has two sea coasts, a
central mountain chain, and
highlands covered with
fertile volcanic soil.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
5. Coffee from Panama comes
from the Chiriquí Highlands.
Extending down from the
foot of the extinct 11,000
foot volcano, Volcan Baru,
the lands around the villages
of Volcan and Boquete are
forested, often somewhat
cloudy, and rich in nutrients.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
6. Thus much of the organic
coffee from Panama is also
shade grown and grown
under overcast skies much
like organic Kona coffee.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
7. Panama is a small country and
only coffee from Panama is
almost entirely grown in the
province of Chiriquí.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
8. So, Panama does not rank with
its next door neighbor,
Colombia, which is the third
leading producer in the world,
or Mexico (#5), Guatemala
(#8), Honduras (#9), or Peru
(#10).
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
9. However, premium coffee
from Panama can sell at
auction for a hundred dollars
for a one pound bag, attesting
to the quality of the product.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
10. Coffee from Panama, like coffee
throughout the world, is either
Arabica or Robusta.
The coffee growers in the
highlands around Boquete and
Volcan, Panama tend towards
sustainable agriculture and much
of the coffee is shade grown
organic coffee.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
11. Much of this commitment to
sustainable growing practices is
simple practicality.
When a grower plants coffee on
slopes of thirty degrees or more
he is wise not to remove pre-
existing trees and shrubs.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
12. Thus much of the coffee from
Panama is naturally grown in a
diverse habitat protecting soil,
flora, and fauna.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
13. Panama mountain grown organic coffee has
been around for about a century.
The Boquete region was virtually
uninhabited until Americans
crossing Panama on their way to
the California gold fields passed
through a gap (Boquete in
Spanish) in the Cordillera Central.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
14. Around 1900 immigrants moved
into the region, many of them
coffee growers.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
15. The descendants of many of
these original families still grow
high quality coffee in the region
and many have gone the extra
step to produce certified organic
coffee.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
16. This is a short step for many as
they were already practicing
sustainable horticulture and only
needed an agency like Bio Latina
to certify their growing,
harvesting, and processing
practices.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
17. A substantial number of coffee
growers have Bio Latina organic
coffee certification.
This agency certifies for the USDA,
the Japanese Agricultural Ministry,
and for the European Union,
among others.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
18. Thus organic coffee from Panama
is likely to be certified organic
coffee able to bear appropriate
labeling in the major coffee
markets of the world.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
19. Coffee from Panama is not
always easy to find in the US, EU,
or Japan, however.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
20. Many growers are small and,
despite following appropriate
growing practices, have not
found a ready market outside of
the country.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
21. For those who would like a nice
cup of organic coffee from
Panama a reliable route is to
contact Buy Organic Coffee.org
for delivery of good organic
coffee from Panama directly to
your home.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
22. For more information about
organic coffee and especially
Latin American organic coffee
please visit
www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org.
