What is the Coffee Grading System in Ivory Coast? What Coffee Varieties are Grown in Ivory Coast?

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Ivory Coast: Coffee Production Overview

Ivory Coast is the world's 83rd largest export economy. In 2016, Ivory Coast exported $10.3 billion and imported $815 million, resulting in a trade surplus of $2.11 billion. In 2016, Ivory Coast's GDP was $36.4 billion, with a per capita GDP of $36,900.

Ivory Coast's coffee production is extremely important to the country's economy, as coffee is the second-largest export commodity. It was Africa's largest coffee producer in the 1970s and 1980s and one of the world's largest Robusta producers. However, today, Ivory Coast's coffee production has been surpassed by Vietnam and Brazil. It now ranks only 12th in the world rankings.

French colonizers introduced coffee plants to the country in the 19th century. Following World War II, coffee production would increase from 36,000 tons to 112,500 tons between 1945 and 1958. After Ivory Coast gained independence (1960), coffee production peaked in the 1970s, making it the third-largest coffee-producing country in the world, after Brazil and Colombia, before the practice became unstable due to civil war. Coffee production and policies originated from the era when Ivory Coast was a French West African colony. This attracted French companies to invest in the industry.

Ivory Coast is the world's largest cocoa exporter, and the industry is crucial as a source of income for the military and civil servants. Ouattara called for a ban on cocoa and coffee exports in January 2011 to reduce funding provided to Gbagbo and force him to relinquish power.

Ivory Coast Coffee Industry

The Republic of Ivory Coast is located on the west coast of Africa. This small country has a considerable coffee industry, but its coffee is relatively uncommon in the market.

After World War II, the local coffee economy experienced a significant boom. By the 1970s, Ivory Coast was the world's third-largest coffee exporter and, for a short time, became the largest producer of Robusta coffee. However, by 2000, due to political turmoil and civil war, the coffee industry had lost some momentum. More fortunately, the currently stable government expects the industry to achieve 400% growth by 2020.

Since almost all coffee grown is Robusta, the typical flavor profile includes dark tones of chocolate, nuts, earth, and spices, along with a characteristic strong bitterness.

Common processing methods for Ivory Coast coffee are washed and natural.

Ivory Coast Coffee Classification

1) Analysis:

This includes making the batch uniform by removing the most significant defects.

As defects, we note:

• Dry damaged beans
• Black beans
• Cherries
• Parchment beans
• Broken beans
• Shells
• Unwanted beans
• etc.

For coffee analysis, the weight requirements are:

• Grade 1: 360g minimum (G 1)
• Grade 2: 300g minimum (G 2)
• Grade 3: 230g minimum (G 3)
• Grade 4: 180g minimum (G 4)
• 100g for broken beans

Regardless of grade, beans weighing over 100g are used to grade the batch.

Based on the analysis results, the following classifications can be obtained:

• When there are more than 60 defects, the batch is said to be larger
• When the analysis results give defects between 61 to 90, the batch is classified as current
• When there are more than 91 defects, many are considered non-compliant

Crop year: Current year

Maturity: Well fermented

Style: Dry

Cultivation type: Common

Processing type: Sun-dried, pulp-dried

Moisture content: Less than or equal to 13% without foreign odor

Foreign matter: Maximum 0.5%

Broken: Maximum 2%

Black beans: Maximum 2%

Free from insects and spots

2) Calibration:

After analysis, calibration is performed using an automatic calibrator. Based on the mesh of the sieves, there are five calibers:

• Caliber 18
• Caliber 16
• Caliber 14
• Caliber 12
• Caliber 10

After sizing, the batch grade is determined based on the number of beans retained in the sieves, after weighing the beans retained in each sieve. We have the following grades:

All beans should be retained in the sieve corresponding to their grade.

3) Grades:

Grade 1 (Extra-prima):

1. Minimum 80% by weight retention on a standard test sieve with round holes of 7.14mm (No.18 standard test sieve of ISO)
2. Minimum 94% by weight retention on a standard test sieve with round holes of 6.35mm (No.16 standard test sieve of ISO)
3. Minimum 99% by weight retention on a standard test sieve with round holes of 5.56mm (No.14 standard test sieve of ISO)

Grade 2 (Prima):

1. Minimum 80% by weight retention on a standard test sieve with round holes of 6.53mm (No.16 standard test sieve of ISO)
2. Minimum 94% by weight retention on a standard test sieve with 5.56mm round holes (No.14 standard test sieve of ISO)
3. Minimum 99% by weight retention on a standard test sieve with round holes of 4.76mm (No.12 standard test sieve of ISO)

Grade 3 (Superior):

1. Minimum 80% by weight retention on a standard test sieve with round holes of 6.56mm (No.14 standard test sieve of ISO)
2. Minimum 94% by weight retention on a standard test sieve with 4.76mm holes (No.12 standard test sieve of ISO)
3. Minimum 99% by weight retention on a standard test sieve with round holes of 3.97mm (No.10 standard test sieve of ISO)

Grade 4 (Normal):

1. Minimum 80% by weight retention on a standard test sieve with round holes of 4.76mm (No.12 standard test sieve of ISO)
2. Minimum 94% by weight retention on a standard test sieve with round holes of 3.97mm (No.10 standard test sieve of ISO)

4) Classification Categories:

There are five (5) classes:

1. Excellent
2. Extra prima
3. Prima
4. Superior
5. Current

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