KOCHI: Want to enjoy ‘original tribal coffee’- straight from the hills of Gudalur in Nilgiris? A group of advasis from Tamil Nadu are making this possible by bringing fresh organic coffee powder beans to your home town through their collective ‘Adivasi Kappi Society’. The Society functions as an umbrella of ‘Adivasi Munnetra Sangam,’ a political movement of the adivasi community.
The product is brought to select shops in Kerala through Gudalur-based company ‘Just Change India’, where adivasis own 40 per cent share. “Our aim is to raise the importance of adivasi communities and promote their products. The quality itself makes the coffee beans different with no added preservatives and gives a freshening effect, giving protection against Parkinson’s disease, liver cancer among others,” claims Tony
Jose, marketing manager of Just Change India, who is based in Kochi.
There are 75 Adivasi families, engaged in coffee production. They are cultivating coffee for the company in their small holdings. Jose said Arabica and Robusta are the two varieties grown by the adivasis. A total of 200 kg fresh coffee beans have been produced last year, says Jose.
The society provides the adivasis with a small amount of loan for the harvest and give them special guidance in order to help farmers attain better production. Each family involved in the production attains a good profit every year, he says.
Available at organic stores
The coffee produced by the tribal is available in India at select shops in Delhi, Goa, Bengaluru and Chennai, in addition to Kerala. In Kerala, the coffee is sold at organic stores such as Welgate and Elements in Thiruvanthapuram and Kozhikode respectively. In Kochi, the coffee is only available at Ledhi Art Cafe, Palarivattom.
“We believe in sustainability and are extremely proud to support an initiative which directly benefits the adivasis. It is very overwhelming for us to serve this coffee at Ledhi cafe knowing it brings a change to the liable community,” says Satish Menon, MD, Ledhi Art Cafe, Palarivattom.
The coffee beans are grown from two major areas like Chembakolli and Mundankunnu under the supervision of adivasi leader M Suresh in Gudalur. Coffee is grown and gathered without breaking their ethos of taking from nature only what nature is willing to give. ‘Chichory’ is a coffee substitute which is used to add more flavours. Sun drying, the oldest method of drying process, is being used by Adivasis. “Normally coffee beans are grown under the shade, but those grown by adivasis could be considered the best and naturally pure,” says Jose.
The entry of ‘The Healthy Coffee Beans’ comes after the success of other products. Just Change India’s initial product was wild honey in 2008. Gradually, the tribals-owned company launched other products such as artifacts, handmade soaps and organic pepper. About 2.5 tonnes of wild honey is being produced every year with a profit of Rs 6 to 7 lakh.
The Kappi Society is more interested in online marketing. For details: order@justchangeindia.com or call 04262-261562.