Good news is brewing in Italy as two Philippine coffee firms were given Top Awards at the 5th International Contest of Locally Roasted Coffees.
SGD Coffee grown in Northern Sagada received the Gourmet Bronze Medal (rond equilibre category) and Mirabueno Coffee harvested in Bukidnon received the Gourmet medal (puissant doux category) in awards ceremonies organized by the Agency for the Valorization of Agricultural Products (AVPA) in Milan, Italy held last October 21.
Coffees from the Philippines bested an estimated 700 producers from 25 countries around the world including Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Honduras, Guatemala, Ecuador, Indonesia, Laos, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Togo, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii.
The Coffee Heritage Project (CHP), a non-profit private initiative that helps farmers grow quality-focused coffee, is the group behind Mirabueno Coffee and SGD Coffee’s participation in the AVPA.
“We hope that with this recognition, we are able to highlight Philippines’ coffee and the great work of Filipino coffee farmers like those behind Mirabueno Coffee and SGD Coffee, growing one of the finest coffees in the world to be true artisans of the Philippines’ coffee industry,” CHP official Richard Watanabe said.
“The coffee competition helps us showcase the broader work we do to reforest land with sustainable and ecological integration of coffee, the high returns and quality of life offered to coffee growers, and our endless pursuit of the next frontiers in coffee roasting and taste,” CHP official Butch Acop said.
Receiving the award on behalf of Mirabueno Coffee and Sagada Coffee was Chargé d’Affaires Mersole J. Mellejor of the Philippine Consul General’s Office in Milan.
AVPA is a Paris-based “non-governmental, non-profit organization, mainly composed of producers and taste enthusiasts. The association’s goal is to enhance the value of agricultural products and to recognize the excellence of some producers, too often forgotten in the midst of mass marketing”.
Philippine-produced Coffees are being recognized as one of the finest in the world. Filipino Coffee Lovers should take the cue from that and start buying and sipping more of our own coffee drinks. Creating demand in coffee shops requesting for high-quality locally-produced beans can help keep the ball rolling for farmers and entrepreneurs.
In 2017, the Philippines received its very first Gourmet Award for Philippine coffee during the 3rd AVPA Awards.
Philippine coffee was afterward predicted to rise as a Southeast Asia coffee tiger.
Filipino baristas have showcased local coffee in their international competitions, among them, Michael Harris Lim at the World Barista Championship and Timothy John Sahagun Sabandal at the International Barista Competition.
SEND congratulations in the comments below to SGD Coffee of Northen Sagada and Mirabueno Coffee of Bukidnon for showcasing Philippine coffee at the AVPA competition!
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