Save the Barako!

I knew the agricultural sector of the Philippines was hard off, but I had no idea that Barako, a generic name for Philippine Liberica coffee, and is best known for being grown in the province of Batangas. Barako is known for being characteristically strong in taste with a good pungent odor and a robust body. For those who may not know what exactly it is, walk into any Figaro branch, and chances are you'd smell a batch of Barako freshly ground, it's a great smell that fills up a room and really puts one in the mood for a good cup of coffee.

And now, it's in threat of extinction. Apparently, the economics of producing Barako coffee is no longer feasible, and farmers are dumping the idea. It's currently an export worth around USD150 thousand per year and from the way things are going, there is a need to plant 100,000 trees in the next five years just for the species to survive.

I know I'm not in any position to be a philanthropist and donate a huge amount, but in the spirit of volunteerism I decided to put in a link on the sidebar of this blog. So please click it and give the website a good read, you may have exactly what it takes to help out and save a uniquely Filipino coffee.

GOD bless!