Page 89 - #87 eng

C

Coffee practices in developed
countries also have great potential

to promote fair wages for farmers.

Regarding coffee, although Sicily is experiencing researching and fighting the diseases that, as we know, is
climate change, what hasn’t changed is a warm, dry climate the main problem in tropical countries. The only downside
that helps keep disease at a minimum and mineral-rich is the required attention and time dedicated to developing
dark soils that enhance the quality of the fruits. In addi- such research,” Adriano noted.
tion, the eastern part of Sicily has historically been a very Adriano believes each origin, and more than that,
fertile area. Thanks to the volcano Etna, the soil is full of each farm plantation, could be different and special in
nutrients and minerals, and this is exactly what coffee some way, depending on the farmers’ goal and the depth
growing needs. of knowledge of its consultants. Choosing the right variety
or species, improving processing in terms of control of
Will Coffee Share the Same Fate With variables and hygiene, managing the environment with
Wine Here? other cultivations, and using organic nutrients are the
keys to produce a different and high-quality coffee.
With its nearly 250,000 acres of vineyard area, “Farmers will be the main character of the fourth
Sicily is among the top three largest wine-growing re- wave in the coffee industry.” Adriano added, “Coffee
gions in Italy. practices in developed countries also have great potential
The Sicilians have been making wine since 4000 B.C. to promote fair wages for farmers.”
Their dry, warm climate is characterized by regular sun- Besides the experimental plantation in Italy, Adria-
shine and moderate rainfall, which is suitable for wine no is putting most of his efforts in Ethiopia, India, Nepal
production. The dry conditions reduce the chances of rot and Peru. He pointed out that India is the country that in
and mold, especially in areas kissed by coastal winds. This the last years has made gigantic progress on handling
makes Sicily a prime candidate for organic farming. Olives, coffee and that from an agronomic point of view they’re
citrus and grains drive the agricultural sector beyond wine. among the best producers. Nowadays it’s truly hard find-
According to world’s leading wine media brand De- ing coffee trees in India without shadow or in single origin.
canter, 30% of the vineyard area in Sicily is cultivated The cultivation inside a forest system allows so many
organically and another 20% has integrated pest manage- advantages, such as keeping the biodiversity, the possibil-
ment, making a total of 50%. ity of cultivating other products (fruits, spices, and le-
“The wine industry changed a lot in the last few gumes) in the same space, an essential fight against climate
years We’ve seen, for instance, the natural wine trend change and the atmospheric adversities and the significant
going around a lot in our region. Producers began paying reduction of fertilizers. India could truly be a model to be
more attention to the cultivation process and producing followed by other countries.
and bottling organic and natural wines. The same trend With the coffee growing experience acquired in
could happen with coffee regarding the Italian market. various countries by Adriano, we can expect more stories
More people start paying attention and changing their about coffee from his plantation, La Finca Balistrieri. Also,
behavior,” Adriano said. Adriano told us that there are at least four on-going ex-
It’s still too early to determine the impact of this periments in Sicily regarding coffee. It is located on all
new origin for the coffee industry, “The advantage is that sides of the country with different climates, for example,
we have the resources to do more research, like the re- coffee was also harvested in Sicily’s western side last year.
search on genetics and coffee varieties and especially We can definitely expect more coffee stories from Sicily.

89
88 89