In Nzara County, South Sudan, Catherine Bashiama, a dedicated farmer, touches the branches of a coffee tree she nurtured from a seedling. Having waited three years, she finally sees the first small cherries, which fills her with joy. Although she had never cultivated coffee before, Bashiama now has high hopes for a rare and climate-resistant variety, believing it might lift her family out of poverty. As a mother of twelve, she dreams of using her earnings to provide education for her children, preparing them for the future.
The discovery of excelsa coffee, a century-old plant found in South Sudan, is garnering attention amid a global coffee crisis induced by climate change. As top coffee-producing countries grapple with unpredictable weather conditions, coffee prices have surged to historic highs, prompting the industry to seek viable solutions. Experts predict that drought conditions in Brazil, the world’s leading coffee producer, could reduce this year’s harvest by approximately 12%.
Aaron Davis, leader of coffee research at the Royal Botanic Gardens in London, emphasizes the newfound urgency faced by coffee growers worldwide due to climate impacts. Excelsa coffee, with its resilience, could offer part of the solution. Native to South Sudan and several other African nations like Uganda and Congo, the species is also grown in countries like India and Vietnam. Its robust features, including deep roots and thick leaves, enable it to withstand harsh environmental conditions and resist common pests and diseases.
Despite its potential, excelsa constitutes less than 1% of the global coffee market, overshadowed by the more popular arabica and robusta species. For excelsa to make a significant impact, it needs to be proven scalable and practical to help offset the market deficits caused by climate change.
Historically, South Sudan, unlike its neighbors Ethiopia and Uganda, has lacked a reputation for coffee production, primarily due to conflict that disrupted agricultural practices. British colonizers once cultivated coffee, but prolonged strife halted activities, leaving younger generations unfamiliar with coffee farming despite their ancestry’s legacy.
Residents of Western Equatoria recount tales of their forebears’ coffee farming to reporters, expressing newfound fascination with excelsa. The “big tree,” characterized by its towering height, stands apart from the typically bush-like arabica and robusta. Its distinct taste of sweetness, with undertones of chocolate and dark fruits, makes it comparable to arabica but less bitter.
Ian Paterson from Equatoria Teak, an agro-forestry company, has been trialing excelsa for years. Early results suggest the plant’s superior heat resistance. His company partners with local farmers, providing seedlings and training to revive the coffee industry and elevate production. Recently, farmers like Bashiama have been able to sell back their coffee to Paterson’s company for processing and export.
There’s potential for this coffee to reach European specialty shops soon, with companies like Nespresso interested. However, for large-scale investment, production must triple. Yet, the process is fraught with challenges, from infrastructural deficiencies to insecurities stemming from persisting political tensions and sporadic violence.
Transporting the product is costly, with significant expenses incurred to deliver coffee to ports over long distances. South Sudan’s political climate remains volatile, with recent changes in leadership stoking unrest and impacting business operations. Despite efforts to assure safety, political instability poses hurdles to fostering investor confidence.
South Sudan’s infrastructure struggles have compounded financial woes, marked by unpaid civil servants and disrupted oil revenues. Yet, for many local farmers, coffee symbolizes hope for economic independence. By cultivating excelsa, farmers like Bashiama and her colleague Taban John aspire to improve their livelihoods, help their children’s education, and gain freedom from dependency on government aid or foreign assistance.
Community leaders assert that coffee presents a way for locals to become financially self-sufficient. However, long-term success relies on stable conditions and collective will, as Bashiama and others face challenges such as destructive fires during dry seasons without accountability measures in place.
For coffee to be a sustainable solution, a peaceful environment is essential, a sentiment echoed by Elia Box, who recently lost much of his crop to fire. His resolve to persevere despite setbacks underscores the broader desire for stability and progress through agriculture.
