Coffee industry in the eyes of an academician
HOW IMPORTANT is coffee as an agricultural commodity? And how relevant is coffee industry in the lives of the Filipinos?
Coffee is today the second most consumed beverage after water, and the second most traded commodity after petroleum. In fact, it is considered as “black gold”, an asset of the Philippines.
Hence, the vision and mission statements of the National Coffee Research, Development and Extension Center (NCRDEC) of the Cavite State University (CvSU) in Indang, Cavite are very timely. NCRDEC envisioned the country “to be locally and internationally known for coffee research, development and extension programs.”
Its avowed mission is to strengthen research and development activities, and enhance the extension delivery system that will lead to increased productivity, sustainability, and global competitiveness of the Philippine coffee.
NCRDEC is tasked to bring Philippine coffee back to the world market.
Meanwhile, Dr. Patricia B. Licuanan, former chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and former chairman of CvSU’s Board of Regents (BOR), shared her insights as an educator and academician about the importance of coffee and the relevance of the Philippine coffee industry in the lives of Filipinos. The following are her thoughts on coffee, on coffee and the Philippine culture, and on the Philippine coffee industry.
ON COFFEE AND THE PHILIPPINE CONTEMPORARY LIFE It cannot be denied that coffee is an essential part of many people’s lives, young or old, wealthy or poor. Millions of people worldwide wake up to a cup of coffee, whether enjoyed freshly brewed or instant, a jolt of caffeine is necessary to start their day.
As more people turns to coffee, there is the establishment of more coffee shops and cafés. On Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City alone, where I pass every day to and from work, Starbucks can be found in four locations. Add this to other international coffee chains in the area such as Seattle’s Best Coffee, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Costa Coffee, St. Marc Café, J. Co Donuts and Coffee, Kopi Roti, McCafe, as well as the homegrown brands like Bo’s Coffee, The Coffee Beanery, Cello’s Doughnuts and Dips, Sweet Inspiration Café, Banapple, and Conti’s.
Also seen on this popular strip are smaller coffee shops and cafés offering specialty or what they now call as artisanal coffee, such as Craft Coffee Revolution, Afters Espresso and Desserts, Third Cup Café, Cup Fiction, Common Folk Coffee Bar, Olivia’s Concept Café, Ella and the Blackbird, and many more.
Gone are the days when simple black coffee with cream and sugar will do. These days, coffee shops offer a dizzying assortment of types and concoctions, from Espresso (Short Black), Double Espresso (Doppio), Short Macchiato, Long Macchiato, Long Black, Café Latte, Cappuccino, Flat White, Piccolo Latte, Mocha to Affogato, or simply a shot of espresso served with ice cream.
Coffee aficionados are no longer impressed with these but also go for the trendy products like cold-brew (no heating involved, cold water gently draws out the good qualities of the coffee) and nitro coffee (cold-brewed coffee stored in kegs and mixed with nitrogen gas to produce a cold, silky