Ten years later: back in coffee country Panama

It had been ten years since I was last in Panama. Ten years - time flies when you're involved with coffee. Since I am also moving to another place in the company, my colleague Rick Maas took over the "purchasing baton" and they love him there! When I announced my arrival in February, something special happened. Not only did I become happy, but the farm families reacted as if an old friend had come home.
"Barend! Finally! You must see our new farm!"

And so my journey began anew.

Panama is not just another coffee country. It is a breeding ground for top-quality Specialty Coffee. Here it's all about craftsmanship, family ties and - perhaps most importantly - passion for the coffee and the environment in which it grows. Our connection with Panama does go back more than 30 years. Back then, coffee tastings were still in their infancy. My brother Willem even taught one of the first cupping courses in the world, which included Maria Ruiz.

Maria Ruiz - now 67 and still the grande dame of the Panamanian coffee world - welcomed me with open arms. Together with her brother Plinio and sister-in-law Daisy, she told me about Panama's development into one of the world's leading coffee countries. Thanks to close family ties and cooperation, among other things, the famous Geisha arabica variety was discovered here. With this, Panama was definitively recognized as a quality coffee country in 2004. People are lining up for it worldwide! And of course our Panamaria still proudly bears the name of this amazing woman.

What touched me most this trip were the encounters. Maybe because we all got a little older. Maybe because our bond has only grown stronger in all these years. It felt warmer and more genuine.

At the Hartmann family, it was instant celebration. "For 31 years we have been working together!" exclaimed Ratibor, Tessie and Aliss enthusiastically. "You were the first to bring our coffee to Europe!" Meanwhile, Grandma diNora was in the kitchen baking banana cookies. Warm, crunchy and served with jam, cheese and a spicy sauce. Trust me: that is at least as memorable as the coffee itself.

And that coffee ... it's magical. Think coffee berries gleaming in the sun, surrounded by misty forests. Think aromas of flowers, fruit and pure elegance. Here you don't taste coffee, here you experience it.

I also received a warm welcome at Kotowa Estate. Ricardo Koyner - currently president of the Specialty Coffee Association in Panama - spoke passionately about the rapid developments in the industry. Small roasteries are springing up like mushrooms and more and more farmers are focusing on high-end Specialty Coffee. In October, the World of Coffee will even take place in Panama City. Such a great event, in a coffee-producing country, that's fantastic!

Of course, I also visited my brother Willem's farms. And here, too, things don't happen naturally. Panama has to deal with extreme weather conditions such as floods and drought. Parts or entire harvests are sometimes lost. By giving loving attention to each coffee plant, such as more pruning, better ventilation, the bushes live. In fact, they shine! And you can taste that in the coffee.

This is perhaps the biggest lesson from Panama: coffee is not a product, it is a story. A collaboration. A constant search for quality.

And yet ... despite all these wonderful stories, flavors and collaborations, Panamanian coffee sales are not automatically growing with it.

Perhaps that is our challenge.
To continue to build quality together - despite everything nature throws at us -
and keep the story behind it alive.

Panamanian Coffee