Cuba may seem like the obvious place for Americans to import coffee from. This tropical island is closer to the US than any other country with a coffee growing climate. Despite this fact, Cuban coffee has not been brought to the US in over half a century.
At least one company has to change this. Changes to trade sanctions against Cuba have made it possible for Americans to enjoy Cuban coffee again, something that many coffee drinkers in this country will never have tried before. Nespresso has announced their intentions to take advantage of this opportunity as soon as possible and other coffee importers are bound to follow suit.
Initially, Nespresso plans to offer single-serving pods of Cuban Nespresso Grand Cru. The limited edition release will be necessarily small due to the limited size of harvests reaped by Cuban coffee farmers.
Companies involved in Fair Trade and sustainable coffee production are excited about including Cuba in their objectives. Helping Cuban coffee farmers and guaranteeing them reasonable wages in return for fine coffee not tasted in the US in over 50 years is a positive situation for everyone.
Cuba has been under trade sanctions by the US since 1962. The lifting of some of these limitations is sure to have a positive effect on their economy in the coffee industry and others. Before these sanctions, Cuba was a world leader in Arabica coffee production. Though they have continued to export coffee to Europe and Japan, reacquiring America as a trade partner will undoubtedly be a boon for Cuban coffee farmers.
