Cuba (or the Republic of Cuba) is the second most populous country in the Caribbean. Considered part of Latin America, the island is located where the northern Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic Ocean meet.
Coffee was first introduced to Cuba around 1748, and quickly became one of its major commodities. Production volumes peaked in the 1950s, but since then, there has been a significant decline in Cuban coffee production.
To address the challenges which local farmers face, a number of key players are starting to invest more in Cuba’s coffee sector – with a specific focus on quality and sustainability. I spoke to Michele Cannone, Global Brand Director of Away from Home at Lavazza, to find out more.
You may also like our article on exploring Cuba’s coffee farms.
A brief history of coffee production in Cuba
Much like many other coffee-producing countries, Cuba’s complex history has had a significant influence on its coffee production.
Between the 15th century and the late 1890s, the island country was under Spanish colonial rule. Although slavery was abolished in Cuba in 1886, the US occupied the island until 1902 – when the country became independent.
During this time period, coffee was first brought to Cuba in 1748 by José Antonio Gelabert, who established the first coffee farm outside of Havana with seeds brought from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.
Some 43 years later, French colonial powers arrived in Cuba after fleeing the Haitian Revolution – who introduced more formal farming practices. As well as this, French colonists also established the first coffee farms (or cafetales) in southeast Cuba – which are recognised UNESCO World Heritage sites.
As a result, there was a boom in Cuban coffee production.
“Coffee production significantly increased during the 19th and early 20th centuries,” Michele says. “In the mid-1950s, total production reached a record of more than 20,000 tonnes per year.”
Production & consumption grow
As coffee became more significant for Cuba’s economy, its coffee culture became more established. By the early 1900s, there were over 150 coffee houses across the island, serving iconic drinks like the café cubano – which are now popular in cities like Miami and Tampa in the US.
However, following the Cuban Revolution in 1959, production declined significantly. Under a new communist government, the country’s agriculture was nationalised – and many coffee farms were entirely replanted with other crops. Furthermore, in 1962, the US placed a trade embargo on all imported goods from Cuba, which meant there were fewer potential buyers for Cuban coffee.
Alongside this, coffee was also rationed. Despite this, coffee has remained a staple of Cuban culture – playing an important role in social spaces.
Helping revive the Cuban coffee sector
Despite its complex past, Cuba’s coffee sector has changed in recent years.
Michele tells me the country produced between 9,000 and 11,000 tonnes of coffee in 2022 – with around 1,500 tonnes of arabica exported.
“Arabica accounts for up to 60% of the Cuban-grown coffee market, with robusta comprising the remaining 40%,” he says. “The most common arabica varieties are Isla 6-14 and Isla 6-11 (which are both resistant to la roya, or coffee leaf rust), Bourbon and Caturra Rojo.”
Unfortunately, however, Cuban coffee production hasn’t been able to fully bounce back from the declines which began in the 1950s and 1960s for a number of reasons. However, more recently, we have seen some major changes to the country’s coffee sector.
For example, the Lavazza Foundation works with some 247 producers in the Santiago and Granma provinces to increase coffee quality and yields, as well as improving socioeconomic sustainability.
Michele tells me while the first phase of the project started in 2018, the second phase began in 2022, with a specific focus on five environmental and social sustainability goals:
Forest preservation and improvement of agricultural practices
Obtaining organic certification and providing formal training courses
Improving Cuban coffee quality
Women and youth empowerment initiatives
Improving equity in and shortening the supply chain
“More traditional coffee supply chain models in Cuba included many people with little to no emphasis on transparency,” Michele adds. “One of our goals was to streamline the supply chain to improve resource and value distribution. Our La Reserva de ¡Tierra! Cuba organic espresso blend is a result of these efforts, which contains coffee sourced from communities supported by Lavazza Foundation’s project.”
Preserving biodiversity and promoting sustainable value
Sustainability has been a significant focus in the coffee industry for some time now, and the Cuban coffee sector is no exception to this. In 1959, only 12% of the country had forest coverage related to monocropping. In recent years, however, the country has committed to restoring forests and protecting biodiversity.
This work has had a tangible result, too – Cuba is ranked fifth on the Sustainable Development Index (SDI), a scale used to measure the ecological efficiency of human development.
Michele explains that Lavazza Foundation’s approach is based on long-term collaboration with producers to support the sustainable development of local coffee-growing communities. He adds that the La Reserva de ¡Tierra! Cuba blend contains coffee grown in protected areas and national parks – such as Parco Nacional Pico Turquino, Parco Nacional Pico Cristal, and Parco Nacional La Gran Piedra.
Improving Cuban coffee quality
Although sustainability is integral to improving the Cuban coffee sector, a focus on increasing coffee quality is essential, too. This is also one of the Lavazza Foundation project’s five commitments to revitalise Cuban coffee production.
“Lavazza Foundation and Lavazza’s R&D experts are joining their efforts to improve coffee quality,” Michele explains. These collaborations have also resulted in adoption of new technologies, such as using sensors to monitor environmental factors – including air temperature and humidity, rainfall, wind speed and direction, and soil humidity – which are used to improve farming practices and optimise use of resources.
The Lavazza Foundation also opened 34 training facilities across Cuba to share farming best practices, some of which included techniques used in organic coffee production.
Processing methods
Research has found that post-harvest activities can be responsible for up to 60% of final coffee quality – and processing is an especially important part of this.
“With experimental processing techniques becoming more prevalent in specialty coffee, we have seen more and more producers start using these methods to create unique flavour profiles and improve quality,” Michele tells me.
In Cuba specifically, Lavazza R&D is supporting local producers to implement controlled fermentation processing across their robusta lots. This involves using selected yeasts to enhance complexity and sweetness, as well as creating flavour notes of milk chocolate, almond, and a sweet wine-like aftertaste.
Michele explains the La Reserva de ¡Tierra! Cuba! blend is the brand’s first blend which includes fermented coffee: 65% washed arabica, 25% washed robusta, and 10% robusta which is intentionally fermented for up to 72 hours. He adds that the fermentation process follows a very strict approach which involves constant monitoring of time and temperature to guarantee optimal flavour development.
It’s also important to regulate conditions during the transportation of green coffee as well. As it usually takes between three and four weeks for shipments to reach export destination, temperature and humidity must be constantly monitored in order to preserve quality and freshness. Michele explains that Lavazza installs sensors in shipping containers to track these parameters and optimise coffee quality and flavour.
The growing popularity of controlled fermentation in specialty coffee is becoming difficult to ignore. In fact, Lavazza highlighted its use of these processing methods for the first time at a lecture at World of Coffee Athens 2023 entitled: “Biocubacaffè – an open-air laboratory: A unique model of integration between science and farmers to improve coffee quality and value”.
What about transparency and traceability?
In recent years, we’ve seen how much specialty coffee consumers value transparency and traceability. Although there are many ways for coffee companies to focus on both, blockchain technology is one of the most effective tools.
In the context of the coffee sector, blockchain technology can be used to create a shared digital ledger or database that records transactions securely. Essentially, this means the data cannot be changed or deleted once it’s added.
“La Reserva de ¡Tierra! Cuba is the first Lavazza product with integrated blockchain traceability,” Michele says. “This solution provides full and transparent information on the coffee’s journey, from field to cup, across all stages of the supply chain.”
Ultimately, leveraging blockchain technology ensures consumers can learn more about the coffee they buy. The information recorded can include:
Farm location and size, as well as varieties grown
Data about harvest times and climatic conditions
Post-harvest processes
Shipping information
Roast date
Michele explains that customers can scan QR codes on the La Reserva de ¡Tierra! Cuba packaging, as well as visiting the website, to learn more about the coffees in the blend and Lavazza Foundation’s approach to supporting farmers.
Looking to the future
It’s clear that Cuban coffee producers need significant support to improve both quality and yields, but if they receive it, the country’s coffee sector holds plenty of promise.
Moreover, as the quality of Cuban coffee gradually improves, farmers may be able to sell their coffee to more competitive markets, and thereby increase their income.
At the same time, with a large focus on environmental protection and social sustainability, there is certainly potential for Cuba’s coffee sector to return to a position of success on the global coffee market.
The story of the Cuban coffee sector is one of resilience, adaptation, and revitalisation. Following decades of struggle, with the right level of support, local producers have been able to work in partnership with other stakeholders to improve quality and sustainability.
However, if this is to continue, it’s clear that the sector will need further support from both the public and private sector.
Enjoyed this? Then read our article on the café Cubano.
Photo credits: Lavazza
Perfect Daily Grind
Please note: Lavazza is a sponsor of Perfect Daily Grind.
Want to read more articles like this? Sign up for our newsletter!
The post How is coffee production changing in Cuba? appeared first on Perfect Daily Grind.