Coffee can do so much more
Tourism minister urges stakeholders to explore myriad of ways to develop the product
Published:Wednesday | March 5, 2025 | 12:06 AMPaul H. Williams/Gleaner Writer - -
“Get involved! We provide money at EXIM Bank. One billion Jamaican dollars to lend to you, the small entrepreneurs, at interest rate of 4.5 per cent, and you can get up to $25 million per take,” Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett announced with much excitement.
“No other country is doing that around the Caribbean. This, our administration, is doing that to enable the small players to be placed in the value chain of not just tourism, but coffee.”
Bartlett’s announcement was part of his keynote address at the eighth Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival at Hope Botanic Gardens in St Andrew on Saturday, March 1.
He was exhorting stakeholders to get involved in the value-added production side of the coffee industry, saying that it is not just about the ‘brew”, in essence, but the many other things that can come out of coffee.
“So, we want to make coffee a wealth-creating agent, not just an item for gastronomy, but that element of job creation and prosperity, and this government is committed to do that. Through the Tourism Enhancement Fund and the Linkages Network, we’re seeking to build capacity among particularly our small entrepreneurs to upscale and enable them to do more with the coffee,” Minister Bartlett said.
“So, come to us if you have an idea of how to convert coffee into an item of excitement and thrill and enjoyment and entertainment, because coffee enables all of that. So we see more coffee latte, yes, coffee cakes, yes, coffee scrubs, yes, and all the range of pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals that can come from coffee.”
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COFFEE AND TOURISM
On sale and for sampling were a variety of products for cosmetic, health, therapeutic and culinary purposes that were infused with coffee.
The cane juice with coffee and rum was particularly popular with patrons at the festival, likewise the other cold beverage samples whose ingredients consisted mainly of coffee.
There were also presentations and demonstrations by various exhibitors, including coffee farmers.
“We have the best farmers in the world who have done marvelously well to create this great product called Blue Mountain Coffee. And yesterday was their day. We had a wonderful moment with them at the Alfred Sangster Hall at UTech (Farmers Trade Day),” Bartlett told the gathering.
“Because they realise the real wealth of coffee. People think it is about the brew, and then the bean … Yes, that’s important, but the derivatives from coffee are far more lucrative and offer great opportunities for upside, downside, lateral and vertical, and all sorts of action that enables wealth creation.”
And, as the man in charge of Jamaica’s tourist industry, Minister Bartlett broached the topic of the link between the coffee festival and tourism by asking, “But what is the relationship between that and tourism?”
His answer: “Tourism is a confluence of all of these wonderful things that you do and say and create and have around you because people travel to fulfill their passions, and their passions are varied. Our job is to build products around these passion points so that we will become a place that they (tourists) want to come.
“So, tourism, then, is everything, it’s all that you do, it’s how you do it even, it’s your culture, it’s your swagger, it’s your music, it’s your dance, it’s your manufactured goods, and it is your engineering products, as well as your work, creative outputs. So, let us work together, tourism and coffee – a great combination to make Jamaica a prosperous nation.”
The festival was produced by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), an agency of the Ministry of Tourism, and was first staged in 2018.
“This highly anticipated celebration once again spotlights the country’s world-renowned Blue Mountain Coffee while offering attendees a blend of immersive cultural experiences and essential support for local farmers, artisans, and tourism enterprises,” The TEF said in a pre-show release.
“Since its inaugural year in 2018, the festival has drawn international coffee enthusiasts eager to sample Jamaica’s exceptional roasts and immerse themselves in the island’s dynamic heritage. This year’s staging promises a variety of interactive experiences, ranging from barista competitions and culinary demonstrations to artisan showcases, aimed at boosting economic growth in coffee-producing communities and fostering cultural engagement.”