December 2, 2010
ACDI/VOCA-Supported Coffee Farmers Triumph at Ecuador’s Golden Cup
Eight of the Top 10 Finalists Trained by ACDI/VOCA-Assisted Firms
Specialty coffee offers smallholder farmers in developing countries a tremendous opportunity to earn higher prices and create niche markets as consumer demand grows for higher-quality coffee differentiated by origin and flavor.
ACDI/VOCA’s USAID-funded PRODEL, or Programa de Desarrollo Económico Local, and its local partners recently organized the fourth Ecuador Golden Cup competition to seize on this market opportunity and promote high-quality, specialty Ecuadorian coffee in national and world markets. The “2010 Golden Cup” (Taza Dorada) took place at Ecuador’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries in Quito, where hundreds of coffee growers, exporters, consumers, experts and public officials participated as international judges selected the 10 best Ecuadorian specialty coffees from 46 competitors.
Judges Rank Top Ecuador Specialty Coffees
PRODEL worked with the Ecuadorian Association of Coffee Exporters and the Ecuadorian Export and Investment Corporation to organize the coffee judging.
A group of nationally recognized coffee judges conducted the first round of judging, doing taste tests of 46 Ecuadorian specialty coffee samples and naming 26 to continue to the second round. The specialty coffees that made it to the second round came from seven provinces: Galápagos, Guayas, Imbabura, Loja, Manabí, Pichincha and Zamora Chinchipe.
A group of internationally acclaimed coffee judges then selected the top 10 coffees from among the 26 contestants.
“The 2010 Golden Cup presented an extraordinary sample of excellent coffee from Ecuador, reflecting the significant potential of this noble source of high-quality coffee,” says David Pohl, who was an international judge from the U.S.-based Equator Coffees & Teas.
“I was particularly pleased to discover the variety of flavors among the different samples, especially the chocolate flavor that so many of us loved. Ecuador has so much potential.”
Top Coffees Supported by ACDI/VOCA-Assisted Firms
Eight of the 10 finalists were coffee producers supported by PRODEL anchor firms. The first and second place coffees were produced by groups trained by Fapecafes, and the third place finisher is supported by Sweet & Coffee.
ACDI/VOCA provided financial and technical support to both anchor firms through our PRODEL project, which works to increase incomes and create employment for families along the northern and southern border areas in Ecuador by helping to expand private enterprises and strengthen local private producer groups and associations.
“The PRODEL team celebrates the achievements of its partners,” says ACDI/VOCA’s Program Manager Steve Beard. “We are grateful to be a part of such an outstanding group of coffee producers in a country that is just beginning to see its potential in the world market.”
The event received additional support from the ministry of tourism; ministry of industry and productivity; ministry for the coordination of production, employment and competitiveness; and USDA.
Private sector support came from a group of local coffee anchor firms and exporters, including PENAGOS, El Café C.A., Café Minerva, Café Rio Intag and Solubles Instantáneos C.A.
Learn more about ACDI/VOCA’s PRODEL project.
Learn more about our work in Ecuador.
Pictured at top left: USAID Mision Director Beth Cypser awards a plaque to one of the Best Ecuadorian Coffee Contest "Taza Dorada 2010" winners.
