Every hour, areas of tropical rainforest the size of 88 football pitches are cleared to make way for palm oil and other intensive forms of industrial agriculture – threatening the existence of native orangutans and farmers alike. But the Orang Utan Coffee Project is fighting back.
By making ecological coffee farming a viable alternative for local farmers, the Orang Utan Coffee Project is protecting the orangutans’ natural habitat. And at the same time, it’s providing much needed funds for the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP), which has already safely rehabilitated well over 200 orangutans.
The Coffee project is funded by the sales of Orang Utan Coffee: a 100% Arabica, single origin, single estate coffee – stocked in Waitrose and Ocado. For every kilogram of green coffee local farmers produce, they receive a premium. And a donation is made to the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme, covering about 4% of its yearly costs.
Leading conservationist, Doctor Ian Singleton, director of the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP), said: “Because of the destruction of their habitat, only 14,000 Sumatran orangutans remain in the wild today.
By working with the SOCP, the Orang Utan Coffee Project is safeguarding the livelihoods of local farmers and bringing the Sumatran orangutan back from the brink. With their help, there is still hope for Sumatran orangutans and their rainforest home.”
But local farmers and orangutans aren’t the only winners. Coffee lovers in the UK win too, as these tropical rainforests also provide the special climate needed to grow the unique high-quality Arabica coffee beans in Orang Utan Coffee.
Phil Smith, head of category and insight, UCC Coffee UK & Ireland, which produces Orang Utan Coffee, said: “Not only is there an inspirational story behind the Orang Utan brand, the coffee itself rates very highly in flavour and quality. That’s largely down to the unique climate of the Gayo Highlands in Central Aceh where the beans are grown. This coffee is a rare delicacy, whether served as drip coffee or espresso, so we’re delighted to be able to make it available to UK coffee drinkers.”
Orang Utan Coffee is supplied in the UK by UCC Coffee UK & Ireland. For further information visit https://www.ucc-coffee.co.uk/products/coffee/orang-utan.html or follow @UCCCoffeeUK on Twitter and Instagram.
About Orang Utan Coffee
Our 100% Arabica, single origin coffee, Orang Utan Coffee rates highly in flavour and quality, it’s suitable for most coffee machines and brewing methods and is currently available in Waitrose and Ocado.
Tasting notes: Balanced, medium bodied coffee with chocolate and cherry top notes with hints of date and rose hips.
UCC Coffee’s aim is to provide effective and long-lasting support for the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme as well as for the coffee farmers in the Gayo Highlands region of Northern Sumatra.
For more information about the project visit www.orang-utan-coffee.ch
