Coffee from Ivory Coast

The Ivory Coast is a West African state overlooking the Gulf of Guinea. The west coast is characterized by the presence of rocks, bays, and rocky promontories; the eastern one is crossed by large and deep lagoons, most of which are inaccessible to the sea due to the presence of small sandy archipelagos that form a natural barrier between the coastal area and the open sea. The Ivory Coast is a wonderful country where breathtaking beaches, where it is practically impossible not to come across stars and other marine species, give way to forests full of biodiversity as you go up from the ocean towards the hinterland.

The hinterland is characterized by dense rainforests that slope rapidly towards the north, giving way to sparser vegetation, typical of savannas. The only reliefs present are found in the western regions of Man and Odienné, among which the Nimba mountains, stand out.

The climate of the Ivory Coast is hot and humid, sub-equatorial on the southern coast, tropical in the center and arid in the northern part.

The Ivory Coast is home to one of the most important parks in the world because it contains one of the last rainforests in West Africa. It is the Taï National Park, a World Heritage Site according to UNESCO since 1982 thanks to the presence of rare species, such as a particular species of hippopotamus, the pygmy hippopotamus (so called for its small size) which has been declared endangered from the Red List of the World Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Short history of the Ivory Coast

The Ivory Coast, originally, was made up of numerous settlements; nowadays it includes more than sixty distinct tribes, some of them are Dan, Lobi and Malinke. The Ivory Coast attracted French and Portuguese traders in the 15th century, who were looking for ivory and slaves. French traders created the first settlements in the early 19th century and in 1842 they obtained territorial concessions from local tribes, gradually extending their influence along the coast and inland. In 1893 the whole area was sort as a territory, after the World War II it became an autonomous republic and in 1960 it became independent. Ivory Coast formed a customs union in 1959 with Dahomey (Benin), Niger and Burkina Faso. It is the largest cocoa exporter in the world and one of the largest coffee exporters.

History of the Ivory Coast coffee

The coffee plant of the Liberica species was introduced by Arthur Verdier in 1885. In 1910 a European farmer named Beynis introduced a Gabonese strain, which quickly spread to the Anyi region. But the real take-off came with the introduction of the Robusta species from Java and the Belgian Congo in 1915. The Robusta in fact adapted well to the climate and proved resistant to diseases.

In the past, the Ivory Coast was one of the largest coffee producers in the world: from independence in 1960 until the early eighties the country enjoyed a long period of considerable economic development, but in the following years the economy suffered a strong halt due to the collapse of the prices of the main export products and suffered further damage due to the drought that affected the country. A privatization program was inaugurated, and the government unsuccessfully attempted to differentiate the national economy. Despite these efforts, the Ivory Coast still continued to depend largely on agriculture and related activities: today 70% of the population is employed in the agri-food sector, which is therefore the sector on which the economy of the country is based, causing fluctuations in international prices and weather conditions to affect its performance.

The Ivory Coast is today one of the major producers of coffee, reaching quantities that are able to satisfy a large part of the world's need for natural and washed Robusta. A substantial part of this quality is used to produce soluble coffee. In addition to Robusta, Arabusta is also grown, a hybrid between Arabica and Robusta created in the 1970s by the parastatal organ Center d’Étude pour le Développement de l'Arabusta (CEDAR) which today is mostly dedicated to the French market.

This variety has a higher production and greater resistance to disease and dry climate, typical traits of the Robusta species, but also some more noble characteristics of Arabica.

Coffees from the Ivory Coast are classified into Grades and categories to which certain percentages of sieves and a certain number of defects correspond. The best is the Ivory Coast Robusta Gr.0 Excellence Category. Then, progressively rising with the Grade, we find Extra Prime Gr. 1, Prime Gr. 2, Superior Gr. 3, and Courant Gr. 4.

The exported coffee must be free of unpleasant odors. It must not contain black beans; cherries and the number of flaws must be within the limits established by the table of flaws used for Robusta coffees. Grade 0 and 1 Ivory Coast coffee can be used in good quality espresso blends, in a minimal percentage, to give a little body and cream to the product.