This exceptional coffee is the product of eleven years of tireless work on behalf of our esteemed producing partners in Port-de-Paix. Cafe Cocano is a cooperative run by president Semilfort and five regional zone representatives. Arabica Typica coffee seeds were brought to Haiti directly from Ethiopia. It has adapted to the unique Caribbean climate and Heirloom Typica now grows everywhere here. It is common for a family to maintain a coffee garden. The coffee grown here is most often sold on the local market or to speculators.

The obstacles to coffee production in the northwest of Haiti are immense. Natural disasters including earthquakes and hurricanes have affected many promising harvests and basic infrastructure such as roads, electricity and access to water are limited and often undependable. After the devastating earthquake in 2010, international aid inadvertently introduced cholera to Haiti.

Cafe Cocano president Semilfort and each zone rep play a critical role in the pursuit of quality. Farmers bring their coffee cherries to their zone’s collection center. Zone reps evaluate and buy fresh and ripe cherries. Cafe Cocano pays a significant premium over the local market price for these cherries. From there, they begin the work of processing and drying the coffee.

We’ve traveled to the northwest regularly since 2011; visiting farms, building raised beds, tasting and talking together. We have worked together to identify and eliminate defect and have evaluated each lot of coffee produced since 2011. The great improvements in quality year over year has us excited and optimistic for the future. This years harvest is evidence of the co-ops continued growth in terms of both quality and quantity produced. This coffee has an incredibly heavy mouthfeel, great sweetness and a beautifully clean finish and aftertaste. Please raise a glass to Cafe Cocano!