Boma, Kenya marks the return of Kenyan single origin coffee to our offerings at Blueprint. Our importing partners, Royal N.Y., sent us fresh harvest samples just a few weeks ago. Boma stood out on the cupping table with its complex acidity and sweetness. So, we secured the coffee and now offer it as one of our fantastic single origin coffees.

BOMA

Boma Farmers Cooperative Society sits in Kericho County. The county is located west of the Rift Valley and between the Mau Forest and Lake Victoria. Over 470 members comprise Boma. Women farmers make up over half of the membership.

In Kenya, the Nairobi Coffee Exchange is lauded for the quality, prices, and reputation Kenya has established through out the world. It deserves this reputation, but it comes at a cost to smallholder farmers. This system favors the interests of the auction system. As a result, the percentage of cash return to the farmers drops. Our importer, Royal Coffee NY states, “In 1975 an individual Kenyan farmer could expect to reap around 30% of the auction price, by the year 2000 the figure was 10%.”

Due to the growing disenfranchisement of smallholder farmers, the Kenyan Government established the “Second Window.” It seeks to open direct trade lines with importers and exporters. The “Second Window” accomplishes this goal by allowing private farmers to establish cooperatives and export their own coffee. One cooperative established as a result of the new regulations is Kenya Cooperative Coffee Exporters (KCCE). KCCE was formed in 2009 to establish a platform to market their coffee and sell direct to buyers. The Boma Farmers Cooperative Society is a shareholder in this organization. As of this year KCCE has become the second largest exporter of Kenyan coffee.

TEAM TASTE NOTES

brown sugar, chocolate, cherry, black tea, nut, orange, spices, peach, blackberry, plum, lime