PARIS, France – The jury for the second International Contest of Coffees Roasted in their countries of Origin – AVPA, Paris 2016 met last week to carry out about 150 cuppings and they are meeting again this Monday to analyse about 30 coffees “late comers”.
Many new participants were affected by the long transit period (at the customs office) of the coffees which seemed to be longer than expected, besides the fact that they waited for the last minute to send their samples in the hope to have the freshest coffee and most exceptional crop taking part in the contest.
The jury is comprised of coffee professionals who represent all French generations and regions and have diverse experiences. The passion for coffee: a common character that led to composing a great team for the cupping.
First observation of the jury: The reinforcement of the contest managed to attract more producers from many countries and coffees which were of way better quality than last year. Just one regret: many coffees are being deteriorated by the method of roasting which is sometimes unsuitable for the coffee.
The jury will finish the classification and elimination stage this Monday the 30th of May 2016. It will then hand over the work to the gourmet jury (chefs and gourmet professionals) who will give the definite classifications.
The final results will be announced on the 30th of June 2016.
About AVPA
The Agency for the Valorization of Agricultural Products, AVPA, is a non-governmental, non-profit organization, mainly composed of producers and taste enthusiasts.
The association’s objective is to contribute to enhancing the value of agricultural products and to recognize the excellence of some producers, too often forgotten in the midst of the requirements of mass marketing.
AVPA is well aware of the importance of the concepts of “terroir” and geographical origins, which have demonstrated their validity in some specific cases, and does not ignore the importance of both social equity and environmental protection, intertwined in sustainable development.
AVPA is nevertheless trying to go beyond these aspects and focuses solely on the organoleptic properties of products, since it believes it is the best way to ensure the long-term sustainability of a given agricultural product.
AVPA tries by all appropriate means to raise awareness, among consumers and intermediaries involved, of the real value of agricultural products, as long as their quality and the efforts put into them truly allow setting them apart from more standardized products.
AVPA was established in 2005 and has acquired since then a solid and remarkable international reputation, through its contests (bee honey, dried fruits, coffees and vegetable oils). Every year, more than one hundred and fifty vegetable oil producers from around the world participate in a contest accredited by the connoisseurs (see website: www.avpa.fr).
Since its creation, AVPA has been involved in coffee. One must mention that its president, Philippe Juglar once was an extensive contributor to the development of single-origin coffees in France. He later took the leadership of the AVPA coffee contests in 2005 and 2006.
They immediately aroused a great interest among Latin American and African producers: the International Coffee Organization (ICO) executive director attended both of them.
