Tonga

The World’s Tiniest Coffee Islands

• The Kingdom of Tonga is an island nation in the South Pacific, including 176 islands belonging to Polynesia.
• In 1973, Haniteli Fa`anunus, Director of the Research Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, was to look after the growth of exportable agricultural products.
• With the help of the French different varieties were within the next five years.
• Finally, Ca­turra was planted in Vaini on the main island of Tongatapu.
• The resulting coffee plantation was in royal possession, the Royal Tongan Coffee Com­pany.
• At the end of the 20th century the Royal Tongan Coffee Company was privatized.
• Corruption led to bankruptcy after a few years already.
• Harry Waalkens QC, an Auckland based lawyer founded Kingdom Koffie 26 years ago.
• Jo Ku­pu was employed by the bank as a plantation worker from a 6 hectare monoculture farm and managed the established plantation for around 8 years.
  
• Derek Leonard owns and operates it for the past 7 years.
• Several cafés throughout Tonga are supplied by Kingdom Koffie.
• Emeline Afeaki-Mafileó and her husband Alipate bought the Royal Tongan Coffee Company a few years ago.
• They founded Tupu’anga Coffee, which is 100% organic.
• The annual harvest of 8 tons gives around 60 people work.
• A big part of the revenue go to educational opportunities for young people.
• Even if the Tonga coffee is not relevant for worldwide production, it is ranked 6th in the world with a harvest yield of 15,736 hectogramm per hectare.
• In the taste, the coffee is very strong, with a fine acidity and a good body.
• Its distinctive character gets the coffees by cultivation near the sea.

☕ Preparation

Since coffee has no long history in the country, there is no distinctive coffee culture. But the French influence is probably responsible for the use of the French press 😉

Coffee

• Kingdom Koffie
• Tupuanga Coffee

image rights: http://www.madeintonga.com/tupuanga