Coffee set to boost S. Sudan’s prospects otential saviour of S. Sudan
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But coffee company Nespresso is bringing South Sudanese espresso to the international market for the first time as part of a long-term plan to revive the coffee industry in the poor, war-wracked East African country.
Nairobi, Wednesday. Mired in civil war for 21 months, its oil-based economy in tatters, South Sudan is an unlikely source of upmarket coffee capsules for European consumers.
But coffee company Nespresso is bringing South Sudanese espresso to the international market for the first time as part of a long-term plan to revive the coffee industry in the poor, war-wracked East African country.
Hollywood actor George Clooney –- an advocate for South Sudan and the public face of the Nespresso brand -– launched the initiative two years ago. “There is a real opportunity here,” Clooney said in July 2013.
Five months later a fresh civil war erupted, with tens of thousands killed since, more than two million uprooted and four million pushed to the brink of starvation as fighting continues despite an August peace agreement.
In the meantime, Washington-based non-profit company TechnoServe, tasked by Nespresso to work on the scheme, continued its efforts to breathe new life into South Sudan’s coffee industry.
“We wanted to help smallholder farmers have a business opportunity around the existing coffee, to switch the thinking from, ‘I’ve got a couple of coffee trees in my yard,’ to, ‘I can really work on this and make a living’,” said TechnoServe chief executive William Warshauer.
The $2.6 million (2.3 million euro) scheme has seen 300 smallholder farmers sign up to join cooperatives so far with another 1,000 waiting to join. Hopes are to get 15,000 farmers onboard over a 10-year period.
South Sudan is a new exporter of coffee but not a new producer. However, its nascent domestic industry, aimed at local consumption, was destroyed -- like much else -- during decades of civil war during the 20th century. (AFP)
