By Pierre E. Leblache

Published in Tea & Coffee Asia, April 2004

It is often said that Argentina is a European country which happens to be located in Latin America… Well the same kind of statement can be made about Madagascar, the world’s second largest island, anchored in the Indian Ocean just off Mozambique, but in no way resembling Africa. While its proximity to the continent classifies it as part of the region, Madagascar’s peoples, culture, traditions, working habits and agricultural productions are clearly different from anything in the vicinity and reflect an astonishing diversity. Although influences from all over the world are found, Madagascar is not African, European, Asian or anything else… It is uniquely and profoundly Malagasy.

Ethnically, Madagascar’s first settlers came from Malaysia and Indonesia, with Indian, Arabian and African additions resulting from the then prevailing counter-clockwise trade around the Indian Ocean. European settlers also arrived as early as the 16th century, contributing to the melting pot. A French colony for 70 years, the island has been independent since 1960 and it very much has its own ways of living the present, including a welcoming attitude and good relations with all.

Not unlike the Galapagos but larger and more lively, Madagascar is an ecotourist’s paradise and offers unspoilt nature, national parks, reserves, and a very special fauna: Lemurs, of course, are the best known indigenous animals, and few people realize there are over 20 species of them. They are not alone, as geckos, chameleons,, indris, sifakas, aye-ayes, jumping rats, hedgehogs, mongooses and other types complement the picture. The list of birds specific to the island fills a whole book, and the same can be said of the flora: Medicinal plants by the hundreds, Elephant foot roots, periwinkles, pandanus, baobabs, dozens of palm species, aloe, orchids, pitcher plants, cactus, just to name the most talked about… Food crops represent ¾ of cultivated areas and include rice, corn, manioc and most vegetables. In addition Madagascar is the world’s first exporter of vanilla, 2nd of cloves, plus sugar, pepper, peanuts… a bountiful country if there ever was one.

It would therefore be surprising that coffee should not be present as a widely developed crop with many opportunities. Arabica was introduced from Reunion island in the mid 1800’s, and quickly retreated after falling prey to coffee rust. It was then replaced with robusta and liberica, which failed again until they were replaced by stronger types, Ivorian Kouillou and plants from the Congo basin. Those developed nicely, as large industrial estates prospered around Mananjary, south of Tamatave, in the East, coexisting with hundreds of thousands of small holders’ plots. Unlike anywhere in Africa, as if to enhance the island’s uniqueness, those plots were grouped within “Fokolonas”, unique social organizations far more powerful and efficient than traditional cooperatives.

During the colonial period and up to 1976, Madagascar became and remained the monopolistic playground of the French coffee trade, which constituted a mixed blessing: While production, processing, sales and quality were excellent and achieved a very good image, it benefited the settlers and buyers almost exclusively, with little profit to growers or the local population. Training was very much restricted to the French management and expat help, sales were exclusively made to half a dozen (French) importers who then diversified resale all over the world. Madagascar had nonetheless a flourishing coffee trade, it became a prominent member of OAMCAF, the African and Malagasy Coffee Organization, exports topped the 1 million bags mark and the best grade, “Mad 1” as it was called , briefly joined the US importers’ “Prime Robusta” list. As a result of political instability after 1976, coffee trade was nationalized, most expatriates left, the large estates disappeared and the quality stagnated at first, then regressed, as did the production. Things did not turn sour overnight, but a slow gradual decline set in and lasted for a quarter of a century. The collapse of the ICO in 1989 and the subsequent demise of most large French trade houses did not help, and neither did the emergence of new giant robusta producers such as Vietnam. The picture in 2002 was that of a wrecked industry (by no means the only one on the island), with exports standing barely around 10-15% of their peak in the 1960’s , deteriorated quality, still a large domestic consumption of non-exportable grades, failed parasitical selling structures, lost markets and a devastated image. Things could hardly have looked bleaker.

One factor, however remained positive, Madagascar’s unscathed potential, not only the old “Mad 1” every bit as worthy as the best Indian robustas or the Ivorian “Gros Grains”, but also the original arabica Bourbon type from La Reunion growing wild in the rain forest and dating back to the 19th century, again an exceptional feature shared only with San Cristobal Island in the Galapagos, plus a couple of trump cards: A willingness to process washed coffees when feasible, and the availability of the world’s only naturally caffeine-free coffee, the famous Mascarocoffea. While all those points understandably remained hidden in the generally gloomy picture of a depressed world coffee outlook, they suddenly stand out as very powerful when seen as part of today’s dynamic Specialty Coffee sector. Good news, it is said, travel in groups, and the new consciousness of Madagascar’s potential happens just as the country awakens from its post colonial neo-Marxist nightmare, reorganizes to make up for lost time and strives to retake the place in the sun it should never have lost.

Madagascar has numerous opportunities to enter the Gourmet market with a large diversity of offerings: Arabicas, which never completely disappeared from the production, are now grown and washed in Ampefy, a few hours drive from Antananarivo, the capital city, on an experimental basis. They are pure Bourbons, the unadulterated type which expanded coffee’s conquest of the world in the 19th century, and prepared samples match those from El Salvador and Costa Rica. The cup is very much that of an Itzalco Premium. Run off the mill production is still on a trial an occasional error basis, and both homogeneity and regularity must be improved for a continuous type to be marketed and promoted. Assistance and training are provided by the European Union, with first offerings to the specialty sector planned for 2005. As it will take at least 3 years for new estates to produce reliably, quantities will not increase before 2008 or 2009, by which time they may constitute serious competition to Gourmet washed milds from Central and Eastern Africa.

Mascarocoffea, the naturally decaffeinated variety indigenous to the island only, is very much treated as a State secret and little information is available. What is known is that Japanese researchers are heavily involved in the local coffee bio-science, that they plan to create a totally caffeine-free type, and that what has slowed them down so far has been the quest for the best possible cup. Questions are not welcome and it is hard to find out more. Several facts however are certain: It will happen, it will be in Madagascar, and retail prices will be very high: Whether sales will remain in local hands or be totally run from Japan, as is the case with Jamaica’s Blue Mountain, remains to be seen.

The bulk of Malagasy coffee remains robustas, and there are good news on that front too: As the general business climate improves on the island and as trade liberalization begins to bear fruits, some exporters are willing to make the effort to select well picked coffees and to create high quality lots. Since the large estates disappeared, production is now exclusively by small holders, and the process requires time as well as an eye to sort and eliminate defects. It is however being done, under the watchful checks of the CNCC, the independently managed coffee trade board, which has the authority and the competence to deliver quality certificates. During a recent visit by staff of the World Alliance of Gourmet Robustas (WAGRO), four exporters were identified as able and willing to deliver specialty grade robustas, meaning good appearance with very few defects and an attractive, identifiable cup. These coffees will be exhibited in the Wagro booth in October during the Singapore Tea & Coffee World Cup, after making their first appearance at the SCAA’s April Convention in Atlanta. The naming of types and marketing plans to Gourmet roasters are well under way, and a welcome mat is being extended to specialty coffee buyers willing to offer their customers special and uncommon brews.

There stands Madagascar, almost a stone’s throw away from the African continent, and well decided to regain its deserved share of the quality coffee market.