 | Itogon Arabica CoffeeItogon, Benguet Province, Cordillera Administrative Area Philippines |
Itogon arabica coffee has been cultivated for over 80 years mainly by local indigenous Igorot people in their backyards. But when typhoon Ompong hit in 2018, its deadly landslides lead to the closing of the Itogon mines and the locals loosing their main source of income.
Formerly a part-time vocation, the selling of coffee to local buyers turned into a full time job with the intervention of Henry & Sons a Manila based coffee company who initiated a collaboration to bring immediate income to people and offer a long-term solution to poverty.
Tradition and biodiversity
Arabica coffee has always been grown in the area according to the locals, to the extent that is has adapted perfectly to the conditions of the Itogon hills. It is thanks to these locals growing Arabica coffee in their gardens for home consumption that it is now publicly accessible, as 90% of Philippine coffee is of the Robusta variety. Through the Henry & Sons initiative, the local farmers have been encouraged to cultivate Arabica to access the national market, which is transforming Itogon from a mining community into a sustainable coffee growing community.
Territory
The Itogon arabica coffee trees are semi-wild and grow between 300 - 2,100 meters above sea level. Farmers practice multi-cropping with the coffee trees, with other crops in the native forests surrounding the barangay.
Consumption
The Itogon arabica coffee has a nutty, dark chocolate aroma with a balanced level of acidity. Locals drink coffee daily and serve it to welcome visitors and at family gatherings.
Producers
50 women and 4 men from Itogon are organized in the Saddle Hartwell Lumbag Coffee Growers Association (SHALCOGA) to grow and process the coffee correctly.
Production
SHALCOGA assures that the coffee trees are organically grown with no pesticides, with the cherries being hand picked when fully ripe and processed on site in Itogon following the Foundation for Sustainable Coffee Excellence (FSCE) Cup to Seed Protocol.
Further information
