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    Home » Single Origin Coffee Beans » African Coffees

    Angola Coffee Beans

    Angola was one the world's fourth largest coffee producer. In 1975-1976, the country was producing one million bags of coffee annually and exporting the majority of it.

    Thirty years of civil war have done extreme damage to the country's people and economy, however. More than 4 million displaced people have been attempting to return to their communities and much work has been done to restore the livelihoods of rural residents including coffee farming initiatives.

    Coffee Review: Angola Robusta Coffee

    The country of Angola is renowned for its exceptional Robusta coffee which provides a pleasant, rather neutral taste in the brewed cup. Tasting notes are difficult to find due to the relatively rarity of this coffee. This coffee varietal has long been popular in Portugal and Spain in southern Europe.

    This famed quality has become much less consistent in recent years due to the lack of stability in Angola and the various problems affecting Angola coffee farms. Current complaints about quality imperfections of Angola coffee include a distinctly old taste as well as an insufficient moisture content and yellowish color of the coffee bean.

    If Angola could improve its coffee production and restore a consistent semblance of quality, there is a ready market for the product to be imported into North America and Europe, though it remains to be seen if rehabilitation of the Angolan origin coffee industry will come to fruition.

    The Coffee Industry in Angola - Some Facts

    The country of Angola is located in southern Africa and borders the Congo, Zambia, Namibia and the South Atlantic Ocean. The size of Angola is about four hundred and eighty thousand square miles, about twice the size of Texas, and the population is about ten million people.

    The Angola coffee industry was once dominated by large coffee plantations that produced about seventy percent of the country's annual coffee crop. These large coffee farms included coffee processing facilities and were primarily managed by Portuguese settlers.

    Many of the large coffee plantations of Angola were nationalized after the country achieved independence, and new farm managers lacked the expertise of the previous managers.

    At the same time acquiring sufficient labor became a problem and inputs to the coffee (e.g., fertilizer) were in short supply, and consequently the yields of the coffee plants decreased significantly.

    When many state Angola coffee farms were privatized in the 1990s, many coffee plantations were subdivided. Farmers had great difficulty rehabilitating the old coffee farms and also were hindered by the lack of security amid continuing civil strife.

    Difficulties Farming Coffee in Angola

    During the war many coffee farms were abandoned and some to this day remain plagued by land mines and are unattended, and the coffee crops are not harvested.

    Many of the old Angola coffee plantations are also plagued by the poor care that has been given to the coffee plants, many of which are very old and may be affected by coffee diseases and pests. Also lacking is a banking system and credit as well as infrastructure to support farmers.

    Generally, Angolas coffees are Organically grown, but the lack of infrastructure and interest in the country means that no organic certified coffees are currently available.

    Coffee Industry Rehabilitation Projects in Angola

    In March of 2006 the International Coffee Organization assisted in establishing pilot project to improve the country's coffee industry. The project received funding from the Angola Government as well as the Common Fund for Commodities.

    The goal of the project was to provide four thousand displaced families with coffee farming plots that had previously been abandoned. Also provided was assistance with home and school construction as well as clinics.

    Transition to Small Farms as Basis of Angolan Coffee Industry

    Small farms grow about ninety percent of Angola's coffee, which is very different than colonial days when large plantations dominated. Farmers typically must sell their coffee crop as dried coffee cherry due to the lack of processing facilities. Everything from the processing to import/expert and roasting is done in other locations, removing jobs for farmers.

    Coffee Nursery Established in Angola

    Additionally a supplemental coffee plant nursery was established at an Instituto Nacional de Cafe research station, and more than 3 million coffee plant seedlings were cultivated. Extensive training has also been provided in the areas of coffee growing and processing as well as marketing.

    While coffee was once Angola's top export, in 1985 the country's coffee production was less than one tenth of what it was in 1973. There were about two thousand and five hundred large commercial coffee farms in the Angolan regions under colonial rule and employed about one quarter of a million peasants.

    Also see: World's Best Coffee

    However fighting began in 1975 and 1976 and the Angola coffee estates were largely abandoned. This included not just the labor force but also the skilled technicians and the owners and managers of the Angola coffee plantations, which then were nationalized.

    Just 34 state coffee companies existed in 1985 in Angola and they suffered annual losses due to shortages of skilled management and labor. Eighty-nine hundred tons of coffee were produced in Angola in 1985 and this was largely due to government subsidies.

    In 1985 about 4,700 tons of coffee were marketed by the Angolan government from peasant Angolan coffee farmers.

    Improvements in Angola's Coffee Industry

    By 2005 the coffee crop harvest in Angola was recovering and averaged about 20,000 bags of coffee. Government investments in the sector were beginning to pay off. The brokers recorded a harvest in 2004 of 15,000 bags. The country remains a long way from its pre-1975 coffee production levels.

    An emergency program to help revive the Angolan coffee industry began in 1983 and state run coffee farms were put under the control of local companies rather than the National Coffee Company (Empresa Nacional de Cafe-Encafe) with the goal of improving overall efficiency.

    Aid for coffee rehabilitation projects was provided by the French Central Board for Economic Cooperation as well as two United Nations organizations, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the WFP (which provided $14.3 million in U.S. dollars and included a five year plan to pay coffee farmers with food instead of local currency.

    The government of Angola was also turning over marketing of Angolan coffee to local interests. Still labor remained a significant problems hindering coffee industry recovery in Angola. Also hindering the industry was continued civil strife and insurgent damage to coffee farms as well as continuing degradation of infrastructure and lack of facilities.

    Increasing Coffee Production in Angola's War-Torn Areas

    A more recent coffee industry rehabilitation plan involved US$8.5 million to cultivate approximately 17,000 hectares of Robusta coffee in the municipality of Amboim (an area ravaged by decades of war) with the goal of producing 650,000 60-kg bags of coffee (40,000 tons) annually.

    Coffee production in Angola in 2005 was 75,000 bags, with their coffees being imported all over North America and Europe. This remains relatively small compared to some other African countries such as Kenya (one million bags), Ethiopia (4.5 million bags) and Uganda (2.75 million bags).

    The 2009 coffee harvest in Angola was estimated at 12,000 tons which was a one hundred percent increase from the previous year, according to ANGOP, the country's official news agency.

    Coffee production in Angola is expected to continue to increase with governmental support of farmers assisting the industry. This has included a revitalization program in which the government grants micro-credits to coffee growers. Local distributors and wholesalers work with green coffee importers in target country to clear customs and provide a steady supply of unroasted green coffees to coffee roasters. The market demand for unique coffees is at an all time high with Starbucks investing in more Starbucks Reserve stores, and this coffee presents a unique opportunity to experience a truly unique single origin coffee. Angolan coffees can always be incorporated in the blends of different brands for an unmatchable flavor.

    We Appreciate Your Visit to Espresso Coffee Guide to Learn About Angola Coffee! Savor Your Specialty Espresso and Coffee!

    Also see: Buy Coffee Online - Best Coffee In the World


    Green Coffee Production

    Year60kg bagsCoffee grown
    201640,000 bags5,280,000 pounds
    201540,515 bags5,347,980 pounds
    201439,405 bags5,201,460 pounds
    201334,935 bags4,611,420 pounds
    201232,790 bags4,328,280 pounds

    Green Coffee Exports

    Year60kg bagsCoffee exported
    201600 pounds
    201510,5201,388,640 pounds
    20149,4101,242,120 pounds
    20134,940652,080 pounds
    20127,7901,028,280 pounds

    Data may not be available for the most recent year.
    Source: ICO


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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Manuel Francisco Correia

      March 22, 2018 at 4:44 am

      meu nome é Manuel Francisco Correia é eu sou um proficional d café ,fix a profissão de café na africa do sul no ( origen coffee roasting ) e eu estou a viver agora em angola ,e gostaria que se tever alguem interessado em mi please contact mi ..Please..n meu email

      Reply
      • gourgel

        April 11, 2018 at 1:12 pm

        we have coffee from Angola to sell

        Reply
    2. kelvin farrell

      April 25, 2013 at 7:45 pm

      Hello ,,, I live in Washington,DC I would like to purchase the Angolan Coffee..please help me

      Reply
    3. Mohamed

      April 19, 2012 at 9:04 pm

      I can assist you with coffee from Angola please contact me

      Reply
      • Yumi

        July 06, 2018 at 1:42 pm

        How to buy Angolan coffee?
        And how much is it?
        I would like to open Angolan coffee shop.

        Reply
        • Jerónimo Dias

          October 07, 2018 at 11:27 am

          I am a supplier currently I only ship from Angola to South Africa, but if you’re interested please contact me.

          Reply
    4. Dadou Yemba

      April 11, 2012 at 9:10 am

      I would like to importe coffee from Angola to argentina and i'm looking for a company that salles coffe in angola. please let me know if you know any one.

      Thank You

      Dadou Yemba

      Reply
    5. Luis

      December 16, 2011 at 11:46 pm

      How can I buy coffee from Angola?

      Reply
      • Marc

        April 29, 2018 at 6:11 pm

        Angolan Coffee is now available to American Coffee lovers. It was announced today

        Reply
        • David Bettencourt do Bem

          September 01, 2018 at 8:52 pm

          Where can you buy coffee from Angola in America

          Reply
    6. craig shumard

      May 30, 2011 at 3:25 pm

      Hi,

      I was recently in Lithuania and had an instant coffee that I really liked. I am not an instant coffee guy, but sometimes it is needed. I can not find the brand online so I thought you might carry it, or know where to look. One was called "El Meridiano Cafes" and came in 2 G. packets. The other was "Cafe' Rovi" and again was in a 2 G. packet. I have found the website for it, but not with the packets.

      Your help is greatly appreciated,

      Craig Shumard

      Reply

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