MEXICO HAD THE HONOUR TO BECOME THE OFFICIAL PORTRAIT COUNTRY OF THE WORLD OF COFFEE BUDAPEST BETWEEN JUNE 13TH AND 15TH 2017
World of Coffee 2017 (WOC), the biggest and most special event in the European coffee calendar, came to Budapest’s Hungexpo Fair Center from 13-15th June 2017, in an interactive exhibition with over 200 of the world’s most innovative coffee industry suppliers; three full days of competitions and awards, inspiring symposiums, seminars, educational workshops and a packed social and networking program.
This year, Mexico was chosen by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), owing to its dedication and effort in the coffee-growing sector, to become the official Portrait Country of the event. The aim of this mega-event is to boost the coffee industry and to develop alternative production systems that allow us to cover the tremendous demand of the market. For Mexico the main goal is to raise the production and cover with that the demand on a national level, while returning to the international markets. Therefore, Mexico seeks to multiply benefits in general.
Currently, Mexico is already a producer of high quality coffee, thus it is key to promote its varieties in the different worldwide markets; while increasing internal competitiveness, Mexico participates in the global sectors and consequently this promotion of the Mexican coffee in Europe will produce benefits that at last arrive to the coffee suppliers.
As Portrait Country in the “Mexican coffee Stand” (Café de Mexico) different specialty coffees was presented, what’s more, three cupping sessions were held where the best Mexican coffees could be tasted, those awarded in the “Cup of Excellence Mexico 2017” event, additionally Mexico presented the progress of the PROCAFE and Productivity Boost of Coffee programs.
Although in Europe Mexico has not been on the specialty coffee radar, with its 15 producing estates, Mexico has a wide range of diversity in cup profiles. In the Cup of Excellence 2017, in collaboration with AMECAFE and ACE, 6 coffee lots were awarded a presidential price for being qualified 90+ by the international jury.
On June 13th, Jesús Salázar, Mexican coffee expert offered a presentation called “Purchaser of green specialty coffee versus local purchaser of parchment coffee”; on June 14th Vera Espíndola Rafael, from the Directorate General of Agricultural Promotion of Mexico’s Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA) gave a presentation entitled “Mexico 2017, following the rout of sustainability”, while on the last day of the event, on June 15th, Mr. Salázar gave a presentation again with the title “Coffee skills and awards in producer countries: Benefits and risks”.
