Cultivation area

Cultivation area, noun: Regions where coffee is cultivated. Optimum conditions for coffee plants: Between 23 degrees of latitude north of the equator and 25 of latitude degrees south of the equator lies the so-called bean belt. The higher the elevation of the cultivation area, the better the quality of the harvest is. A distinction is made among Standard coffee cultivated at 2300–3250 feet above sea level; High Grown” coffee cultivated at 4000–5000 feet above sea level; and Strictly High Grown” coffee cultivated at 5000 feet above sea level and higher. Mount Hagen Arabicas are mostly SHG or HG coffees.

Ethiopia

Ethiopia, country: Located in northeast Africa bordering Eritrea, Sudan and Kenya, among others. It is an ethnically diverse country with more than 80 different ethnic groups. Its history dates back to the 9th century BC. It is regarded as the birthplace of coffee. It is among the poorest countries in the world. Causes of hunger include droughts and floods, exacerbated by deforestation, erosion and a population growth of 2 million per year over the past decade. The only region (Kafa) in the world where coffee grows wild in forests can be found in Ethiopia, however, this is endangered due to clearing of forests. Its known for its floral-spicy taste with finely balanced acidity.

Goroka

Goroka, city: Located in Papua New Guinea. It is the capital of the Eastern Highlands province. It is located at 5250 feet above sea level and has a perennial spring-like climate, which is ideal for coffee cultivation. This is where the majority of our Papua New Guinea Arabicas come from.

Honduras

Honduras, country: Located in Central America. It is bordered by Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and the Caribbean and has ideal conditions for coffee cultivation. However, illegal logging and deforestation through slash-and-burn practices are harming the environment considerably: Every year approximately 1150 square miles of forest are destroyed. Honduras is one of the poorest countries in Central America. It was considered the proverbial “Banana Republic,” since the United Fruit Company, the Standard Fruit Company and the Cuyamel Fruit Company acquired huge areas of land for farming at the end of the 19th / beginning of the 20th century. Today, coffee is an additional important export. It has a very strong flavor, spicy acidity, and a silky, fruity taste with gentle nutty nuances.

Kenya

Kenya, country: Located in East Africa. It is also referred to as the cradle of mankind. Coffee: Arabicas that are cultivated mostly by small farmers at elevations between 5000 and 6500 ft above sea level. Kenyan Arabicas are considered very harmonious and pleasantly fruity and spicy.

La Chacra D’dago

La Chacra D’dago, Eigenname, w. Demeter-Kaffeefarm nahe Villa Rica unterhalb des 5000ers Ticlio, Peru. Regenwald-Kaffeegärten. Inhaber Dagoberto Marin baut dort nach strengen biodynamischen Kriterien unseren Single Origin an: eine Seltenheit.

Mexico

Mexico, country: Located in North America. It borders the United States and Guatemala, among others. Its capital, Mexico City, is one of the world’s largest metropolises. It is one of the twelve countries considered as belonging to the so-called biodiversity hotspots and is home to 200,000 different species, which is 10-12% of all species found throughout the world. It is one of the leading countries for organically cultivated coffee, which is renowned for its pleasantly light body, mildness and flavors.

Mount Hagen

Mount Hagen, city: Located in Papua New Guinea. It is the capital of the Western Highlands province in the interior of the country. As of 2009, its population was estimated at 39,000. It lies at approximately 5500 feet above sea level near Mount Wilhelm (14,800 feet above sea level). The cultivation of tea and coffee plays a major role in the city. The province belonged to the German New Guinea colony. The capital was named after the German colonial officer Curt von Hagen. We started the world’s first organic coffee nearby here in 1984. It was a very exciting time and a very ambitious project that was ultimately so successful that we were able to make a brand out of it: “Mount Hagen”. Coffee for Connoisseurs. By the way, today we import almost 100% of our organic fair trade Arabicas from Papua New Guinea.

Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea, country: The third largest island country in the world. It is located in the Pacific Ocean and is considered as part of the Australian continent. It comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea (the western half was annexed by Indonesia in 1963) as well as multiple islands located on the outskirts of the main island. It was previously a German colony, however, it was transferred to Australia by the League of Nations after World War I. It has been independent since 1975. Its emblem and heraldic animal is the bird of paradise. To date, it remains very politically unstable. The rate of crime, just like the rate of unemployment, is high. With our guaranteed purchase of their harvest at fair trade conditions, we are trying to improve the living conditions of the small farmers and support them in infrastructure projects as well. PNG (the official national abbreviation) is still considered an insider’s tip for full-bodied, fine and fruity coffees. The reason: The climate is very constant (73-88°F) and the geography is optimal for coffee cultivation (mountains including those with volcanic origin). This is true particularly for the Eastern Highlands with the Purosa Valley, where our Mount Hagen organic Arabicas come from. (see also: Mount Hagen)

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