The Editor, Sir:
I read the story about the Marley Coffee venture (July 10) with concern, visited the websiteand noted that Marley coffee is being marketed as Blue Mountain Coffee, and I quote: "The Marley Estate sits atop the Blue Mountains of Jamaica, long revered as the region with the world's most desirable coffee beans."
And here is the concern: that the product is being advertised without the required certification. Let's face it, regardless of ownership, a Blue Mountain coffee farm or estate selling coffee on the international market will, intentionally or otherwise, be Blue Mountain Coffee in the minds of buyers - even without the certification. Coupled with the famous Jamaican, Bob Marley, it is bound to connect.
Rohan Marley and his partners must be congratulated for venturing into one of the toughest businesses in the world - coffee farming in the Blue Mountains. But they have also done the unthinkable where the marketing of Blue Mountain coffee is concerned. Stakeholders must take note and move to protect the brand. After all, it is the premium price which makes it attractive to investors.
The estate may sit atop the Blue Mountains, however, the processes must be followed to ensure that the standards are high. The cost of sending a bad batch of coffee to the marketplace is simply too much to consider. Director General Christopher Gentles and members of the Coffee Industry Board must now make it a requirement that owners are registered and that they receive certification before they begin to market their products - if this is not yet the case. Protecting the brand goes beyond the label
. What is the standard for blending? What percentage of the blend must come from Blue Mountain beans before it can be marketed under the name?
Blue Mountain Coffee is one of the world's premium coffees and with that comes a responsibility. Only last year, the coffee board had to prove to Japanese investors that the coffee was maintaining established standards in the ways it is grown, reaped and packaged for sale in that market. I would hate to think that that standard is compromised as a means to an end.
Marley legacy
The Marley family has sought to protect the Marley legacy, even in the courts, and I sincerely hope it is Rohan Marley's intention do the same with the Blue Mountain Coffee legacy. Let us not forget that it took decades and the lifetimes of many like the late Victor and Keeble Munn and the others before them to build the Blue Mountain brand and to keep its reputation. We need to protect it.
I urge the coffee board to expedite the branding processes and step up its monitoring inside and outside of Jamaica. It is our right to ensure that every cup sold with the Blue Mountain name meets stringent standards.
I am appealing to Rohan Marley to treat the coffee with respect, after all it, too, is a Jamaican legacy.
I am, etc.,
Z. NEUFVILLE
zadie@lineone.net
I read the story about the Marley Coffee venture (July 10) with concern, visited the websiteand noted that Marley coffee is being marketed as Blue Mountain Coffee, and I quote: "The Marley Estate sits atop the Blue Mountains of Jamaica, long revered as the region with the world's most desirable coffee beans."
And here is the concern: that the product is being advertised without the required certification. Let's face it, regardless of ownership, a Blue Mountain coffee farm or estate selling coffee on the international market will, intentionally or otherwise, be Blue Mountain Coffee in the minds of buyers - even without the certification. Coupled with the famous Jamaican, Bob Marley, it is bound to connect.
Rohan Marley and his partners must be congratulated for venturing into one of the toughest businesses in the world - coffee farming in the Blue Mountains. But they have also done the unthinkable where the marketing of Blue Mountain coffee is concerned. Stakeholders must take note and move to protect the brand. After all, it is the premium price which makes it attractive to investors.
The estate may sit atop the Blue Mountains, however, the processes must be followed to ensure that the standards are high. The cost of sending a bad batch of coffee to the marketplace is simply too much to consider. Director General Christopher Gentles and members of the Coffee Industry Board must now make it a requirement that owners are registered and that they receive certification before they begin to market their products - if this is not yet the case. Protecting the brand goes beyond the label
. What is the standard for blending? What percentage of the blend must come from Blue Mountain beans before it can be marketed under the name?
Blue Mountain Coffee is one of the world's premium coffees and with that comes a responsibility. Only last year, the coffee board had to prove to Japanese investors that the coffee was maintaining established standards in the ways it is grown, reaped and packaged for sale in that market. I would hate to think that that standard is compromised as a means to an end.
Marley legacy
The Marley family has sought to protect the Marley legacy, even in the courts, and I sincerely hope it is Rohan Marley's intention do the same with the Blue Mountain Coffee legacy. Let us not forget that it took decades and the lifetimes of many like the late Victor and Keeble Munn and the others before them to build the Blue Mountain brand and to keep its reputation. We need to protect it.
I urge the coffee board to expedite the branding processes and step up its monitoring inside and outside of Jamaica. It is our right to ensure that every cup sold with the Blue Mountain name meets stringent standards.
I am appealing to Rohan Marley to treat the coffee with respect, after all it, too, is a Jamaican legacy.
I am, etc.,
Z. NEUFVILLE
zadie@lineone.net
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The source:
LETTER OF THE DAY - Concerns over 'Marley Coffee' and Blue Mountain brandPublished: Monday | July 13, 2009
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