Poor diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Myanmar had made traders cautious, until recently.
Two shipments of coffee beans from Myanmar arrived in the United States this month, the first commercial-scale imports in over 15 years and the fruits of a U.S. government development program for farmers in the once-isolated southeast Asian economy.
The two containers, totaling 600 60-kg bags, imported by Seattle-based Atlas Coffee Importers are a fraction of the 24.8 million bags of coffee consumed annually in the United States. But the shipments could herald a welcome diversification from traditional supply areas that are being hit by climate change.
Whole Foods Market bought 41 bags and La Colombe, a specialty chain backed by Chobani yogurt founder Hamdi Ulukaya, purchased 10 bags. The arabica beans will be on show at La Colombe cafe in Washington on Tuesday.
“It will be sold as single origin and as special coffee that we’re offering,” said Darrin Daniel, director of sourcing for Allegro Coffee Company, a Whole Foods subsidiary that supplies much of the food store’s coffee.
Source: The Fortune
