We have seen firsthand the devastation of climate change-induced weather events in the coffee regions of East Africa. Burundi is ranked 171 out of 181 countries for risk of climate change. Sadly, we see that those living below the poverty line are the ones that are disproportionately more vulnerable to the risks of climate change …
Category Archives: Long Miles Coffee Project
Climate Change in East Africa, Part 1: Considering the impacts of climate change on East Africa
It is widely accepted amongst the scientific community that a warming climate will, at best, prove challenging for agriculture. At worst, many regions will no longer be able to produce crops of historical and financial importance to that region. Farming coffee will continue to be particularly challenging in a warming climate. In a new model …
DEEPENING CONNECTIONS
One of our core values is ‘Ubuntu’. The philosophy of ‘Ubuntu’ is applied in many cultures across East and Southern Africa. Its meaning can be translated as “I am, because we are”, and it emphasizes a humanity towards others. It matters so much to our team and to the farmers that we partner with that …
Reduced Oxygen Fermentation
At Long Miles, although we uphold a pioneering spirit, we relish tried and true techniques and processes that we have worked hard to master. We are so excited with the results of the reduced Oxygen Fermentation process we undertook on a number of day lots from Gitwe Hill last season. To create these lots, cherries …
FLAVORS OF EAST AFRICA
There are a myriad of factors that can impact the flavors that end up in your cup of coffee. Influences on taste start with the growing environment, then processing, and end with roasting and brewing. We can do very little to control the environment, so our focus is on how we process coffees from different …
NEWS FROM BURUNDI
As highlighted in “Where has the coffee gone?”, 2021 was not the season we had all expected and hoped for. Production was devastatingly low, with cherry volumes at roughly half of what they should be for Long Miles to break-even. The financial challenges we faced, and continue to face, were compounded by the fact that …