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Siobhan

Question time with Raymond Kimaro

posted at 5:00pm, 08 Dec 09 by Siobhan [ 2 comments ]

Raymond Kimaro has been on the Cafédirect Board of Directors for three years and Raymond Kimaro with coffeein London today to attend a Cafédirect board meeting for the last time. As well as retiring from the Cafédirect Board, he has also recently retired from his post of General Manager at KNCU (whose coffee goes into Kilimanjaro fresh ground coffee) . We caught up with him to find out a little more about his time on the Board….
What’s been the highlight from your time as a Cafédirect Board member?
The opportunity  to contribute to the development of Cafédirect and make sure the voices of producers are heard. Above all, I’ve been impressed by the way the board receives producers’ views and comments. The Board listen to producers views – it’s always been a two way relationship. Producers are participating more now, giving their views.
Being a Cafédirect Board member and a coffee farmer are very different jobs. Being on the Board I have learned about the consumer environment and the challenges Cafédirect faces, and I can share this information with farmers, so they too can better understand the environment Cafédirect is working in.

What are you going to do with your free time now you’re not on the Cafédirect board? Relax a little maybe?
No relaxing! I would get bored relaxing. I’ve always been busy, working under pressure, whether with the Cafédirect Board or coffee farming and I enjoy it. I still need to be busy.  Even though I will be retired Ill still work with coffee producers if they need me and help where I can.

Cafédirect Kilimanjaro coffee was awarded a Great Taste Awards last year. What makes the coffee  taste so great?
The rich volcanic soil on the slopes of the mountain gives a distinct flavour to the coffee plus the altitude means the coffee ripens slowly which leads to better tasting coffee. Also, smallholder farmers ’intercrop’ which means they grow other crops such as bananas in the soil too, and this provides shade and nutrients for the coffee. The farmers also don’t use chemical fertilizers. The fertilizer used comes from the animals on the land – the animals that eat from the same land where the coffee is grown.

Coffee tasting with Amen Mtui during Fairtrade Fortnight 2009

Hard work has also led to the great quality of the coffee. Hard work from the farmers and from the cuppers (like Amen Mtui pictured below during Fairtrade Fortnight earlier this year) who make sure only the best coffee goes to consumers.

KNCU has a cupping laboratory where coffee quality is assessed. Do you ever test the quality of the coffee there?
No, I’m not an skilled cupper like Amen – who you met during Fairtrade Fortnight. He an expert cupper and he roasts, grinds and assesses the coffee that goes to Cafédirect to make sure it tastes great.
Tell us a little about your family. Are many people in your family coffee farmers?
I have four children and seven grandchildren. I’ve been working in coffee for 36 years (all his life?). My coffee farm is half an acre. It’s not easy with prices and productivity levels to attract the younger generation to coffee farming. That’s one of the biggest challenges – we need to work with them to get them involved in coffee production, maybe change the way we produce coffee.

How did you feel being featured in the recent advertising campaign? What did your family think?
It feels good to contribute if it helps Cafédirect strengthen its position in the marketplace.  My daughter loved the ad – she took one from me as soon as I brought it home!

Raymond with Cafédirect advertising

If you could have any wish granted for yourself, what would it be?
To continue to have good health!

Do you have any hidden talents?
I like humour, I like to laugh. And I am very patient.

Tea or coffee? How do you drink yours?
Always coffee!

Do you have any message to Cafédirect consumers ?
Cafédirect has proven it can be done. People used to say it would never work, the Cafédirect model would not survive, but Cafedirect has proven it is a viable business model. Big businesses are now getting into Fairtrade, and its because of Cafédirect’s example and way of doing business.I wish Cafédirect every success in the future and hope the success to date continues.

Thanks to YOU who buy Cafédirect’s products – please continue to do so, and tell your friends too!

Cafédirect Kilimanjaro coffee is available  from our online shop where you’ll find the full Cafedirect range along with  luxury gift sets and hampers.

Comments

  1. Bill Robinson says:
    December 19, 2009 at 4:47 pm

    I would like to wish Raymond a happy (and very very long) retirement.
    It is so important to keep buying the product, even if you just give it away to people. I am a hospital porter, and I buy it to give to my colleagues so they can drink real coffee in the office. They very kindly buy me little gifts sometimes in return. I do not usually drink coffee, but I drink lots and lots of Fairtrade tea!

  2. Helen says:
    December 9, 2009 at 8:17 pm

    That was really lovely. I’m sure Raymond will be missed so much by everyone at Cafedirect. I wish him heaps of luck for everything in the future!