Enjoy Nicaragua's Premium Coffee at the SCAA Event

WASHINGTON, DC, April 13, 2013 (Press-News.org) Nicaragua is currently present at the 25th Edition of the Special Coffee Association of America (SCAA) event, the largest coffee trade association in the world, held in the Boston Convention Center, Massachusetts from April 11th to the 14th. The highlight of the country's participation is its unique booth (#271), whose theme is "Sustainable Coffees of Nicaragua" and where participants are able to taste Nicaraguan premium coffee, prepared on the spot by skillful baristas.

The Nicaraguan public-private delegation attending the event includes representatives of the Ministry of Family Economy, coffee associations, coffee cooperatives, and various companies from the private sector.

The country's coffee tradition works with a cooperative model, focused on promoting socio-economic sustainability and the preservation of natural resources. In this context, the Government of Nicaragua is currently developing the "Sustainable Coffee Program", focused on the improvement of coffee productivity and quality throughout its agricultural and industrial chain, while positioning Nicaraguan coffee as one of the best in the world.

Due to its fertile soils and agricultural tradition, coffee has been Nicaragua's top export product over the past years. In 2012, it represented nearly 20 percent of total exports, reaching approximately US$522 million in sales. Nicaragua's main coffee buyers that year were the U.S., with 36 percent of total coffee exports, Venezuela with 18 percent, Belgium with 12 percent, Germany with 5 percent and Canada with 4 percent.

According to a recent article published by Hemispheres, the United Airlines in-flight magazine, Nicaragua exports single-origin beans from farms such as Las Golondrinas, a Nicaraguan grower that became the first two-time winner of the regional Cup of Excellence and produced the most expensive coffee ever sold in Nicaragua (US$47 per pound in 2007). Additionally, in 2012 Nicaragua placed a batch of 180 specialty coffee sacks in a Starbucks Special Reserve, to be sold in its main stores in the U.S., in eight-ounce bags with the name "Nicaragua Diamond".

Established in 1982 by a small group of coffee professionals seeking a common forum to discuss issues and set quality standards for the specialty coffee trade, the SCAA is now the world's largest coffee trade association with nearly 3,000 company members. SCAA members can rightfully be credited for much of the growth and success the specialty coffee industry has experienced over the past twenty-five years.

PRONicaragua is the Nicaraguan Investment and Export Promotion Agency, established in 2002. It is a non-profit, public-private institution whose mission is to generate economic growth and job creation in Nicaragua by attracting high-quality foreign direct investment. The agency provides complimentary support services to qualified investors seeking investment opportunities in our country. For further information, please contact us at (505) 2270-6400 or http://pronicaragua.org.