FROM THE EDITOR

by Shanna Germain

FOR THOSE OF YOU who regularly read our Navigating Origins section, you know that in the last issue of Roast, we profiled a country not exactly known for its specialty coffee: China. After the issue came out, more than one reader queried, “Why China? Why would roasters be looking for coffee there?”
     And it’s a good question. Countries like China and Cameroon (Roast July/August 2004) are not on most roasters’ radar screens. These producing countries often don’t have the quality or quantity of specialty coffee, and many don’t have the infrastructure and education needed to improve that.
     So why profile countries like China? The answer is partly because, as a magazine that’s dedicated to helping roasters expand their knowledge, we want to ensure that we’re providing you the opportunity to learn about all origin countries, even the ones that may not be growing the quality or type of coffee that you and your consumers are looking for. After all, most of us know a great deal about the origin countries in South and Central America, as well as the other popular producers of good coffees around the world: Ethiopia, Jamaica, Hawaii. But how much do we know about the other countries? And why does it matter if we do?
     Maybe it doesn’t matter now. But as the specialty coffee industry continues to grow, and the specialty coffee from the well-known producing countries is bought up more and more by the large corporations and roasters with deeper pockets and more pull, small specialty roasters will most likely feel the crunch. What happens when specialty roasters can no longer get the top coffees from Costa Rica and Brazil? Will they settle for second best?
Knowing roasters, I doubt it. I believe they will do what they’ve always done: find another way to provide the best coffee they can to their customers. And one of the ways will be to scout out the “new” origin countries, the ones that the corporate companies have overlooked. The countries that, with the right relationship, education and equipment, have the potential to produce great coffee.
     It wasn’t long ago that Peru was in this same position. Now, thanks in large part to specialty roasters who saw the country’s potential and were willing to work hard and give it a shot, Peruvian coffee is now being sought after by roasters, big and small, for its balanced acidity and clean, fruity notes.
     Maybe China isn’t the next big thing. Or maybe it is. In so many ways, it’s you, the roasters and other members of the specialty coffee industry, who will make that decision. Our goal is to provide you with the information that will help you decide, today and tomorrow, what’s best for your business, and for specialty coffee around the globe.

Keep the flame burning,

Shanna