Coffee in India is grown under the shade of varied types of trees comprising both endemic trees and fruit trees, since the inception of coffee cultivation in the country. While it may be a necessity to sustain the cultivation of coffee in a hot humid country like ours, today, this type of cultivation under shade has global focus and attention, especially about carbon sequestration and preservation of the environment, placing India in a niche field. While our Arabicas are cultivated under a two tier shade, our Robustas are cultivated under a single tier shade, enabling the soil status and fertility to be preserved, besides helping to protect the flora and fauna of the region, as also the animals, which are often seen on our coffee plantations.
A second interesting aspect of sustainability, which the global market is also examining, is regenerative agriculture, which form of agriculture is also being followed on our farms. Many of our farms house cowsheds with different breeds of cows, enabling organic preparations of compost, besides helping the soil fertility and soil preservation, and also providing nutrition to the coffee workers and their children.
A diversified pattern of cultivation is being followed since the inception of coffee cultivation in our country, with pepper being grown in almost all the regions of growth, besides other crops such as arecanut, ginger, turmeric, cardamom and fruits such as avocados, jackfruits and oranges and thus, providing additional income to the coffee farmer.
Bee keeping has also become a very important aspect of our Indian coffee cultivation, enabling not only better pollination and thus, a better coffee crop, but also enabling a bi-product of honey to be obtained, to support the livelihood of the Indian coffee farmer.
The waste water from our processing units has to be treated before the water is let out into the coffee fields or used for other purposes. It is mandatory for each farmer to ensure having the necessary infrastructure for treating the waste water. In India, effluent control on the coffee plantations is a very important and mandatory requirement, thus, preserving and sustaining the environment.
Another important focus of today is the workforce on the coffee farms. We, in India, have the Plantation Labour Act enacted as early as 1942, ensuring that a minimum wage is paid to both men and women workers, with no discrimination made between the genders.
Today, the global focus is on sustaining and preserving the environment, especially due to climate change that the world is facing, with various legislations coming into force, to ensure the preservation of forest trees. We, in India have been cultivating our coffees under shade trees and thus, preserving the environment.
Another interesting focus in India is that the varietals, in respect of both the species of Arabica and Robusta, are very different from those which are cultivated in other parts of the world, especially exotic varietals like the Geisha, Pacamara, Maragogipe and the like. However, these varietals have their own unique and distinctive intrinsic quality profiles, which we have now understood through meticulous and careful processing, to enable these flavours to be highlighted in the cup.
At present, the Indian varietals are becoming the focus of the global market, especially regarding robustas where there is a very distinct varietal referred to as ‘Congusta’, which is a cross between the Congensis from Congo and the Indian varietal of Robusta. The Congusta possesses a unique taste profile of buttery mouthfeel, brightness, a range of flavours of chocolate, caramel, toasted nuts, malt, cherry fruit, dates, and figs, with a finish of light sweetness and a whisper of bitterness. The beans are bold, the yield is good and the taste profile of this varietal of the robusta species is highly commended and appreciated by the world market, especially when prepared by the washed process or through innovative processing.
The best part is that there are women who are leading from the front. Read the full story that first appeared in Forbes Magazine here:
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