Crimson Cup Helps Coffee Innovation College at NARSA Co-op in La Merced, Peru to Win SCA Premier Training Campus Certification

Crimson Cup Coffee and Tea recently assisted The Coffee Innovation College at NARSA to obtain certification as an SCA Premier Training Campus. It is one of the first campuses in Peru to obtain certification under new SCA standards.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (PRWEB) January 17, 2019

One of the world's newest SCA Premier Training Campuses has opened in the remote mountain village of La Merced, Peru. The Coffee Innovation College at NARSA was built with the support of Columbus, Ohio coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea.

"We are proud to sponsor one of the first SCA Premier Training Campuses in Peru to be certified under the latest standards," said Brandon Bir, director of sustainability and education for Crimson Cup. "Our goal is to arm NARSA co-op members with the skills and tools they need to craft exceptional high-point coffees."

Crimson Cup has been working with NARSA (NEGOCIACIONES AGROINDUSTRIAL AREVALO S. A.), a cooperative in Junín region, for the past five years. Founded by Don Julio Abel Arevalo Tello in 1988, NARSA focuses on helping small coffee and cacao farmers in Peru's Central Highlands and Amazon regions with achieving market access throughout Peru and beyond.

"We've been extremely impressed with the way they live their principles of integrity, eco-efficiency and transparency," Bir said. "However, we found that lack of access to information about specialty coffee characteristics presented an obstacle to improving coffee quality. The new campus is an important step in changing that!"

Bir, who is also a licensed Q Grader and SCA Lab Inspector, worked with NARSA and its affiliated COOPERU organization for two years to develop the Coffee Innovation College. Crimson Cup consulted on building and equipping the lab to SCA standards and contributed professional quality coffee grinders.

Bir plans to teach a sensory evaluation class later in 2019 for coffee professionals in Peru who want to learn more about coffee tasting and Q grading.

Crimson Cup has sourced a number of coffees over the past five years through NARSA, including Oxapampa Peru Gesha, which won a silver medal at the 2018 Golden Bean North America Awards. Farmer Hector Portocarrero grows the coffee at elevations of 1,750 meters. This cherry-dried coffee has tasting notes of tropical fruit, watermelon and pomegranate.

"NARSA is dedicated to the well-being of the local coffee-growing community" Bir said. "This helps them push cup quality and crop health as a means to a more sustainable industry, which perfectly aligns with Crimson Cup's commitment to quality and sustainability."

About Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea

Columbus, Ohio coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea is Roast magazine's 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year. Since 1991, Crimson Cup has roasted sustainably sourced specialty and craft coffee in small batches, which it sells directly to consumers and as wholesale coffee beans. The company also teaches entrepreneurs to run successful coffee houses through its coffee franchise alternative program, which includes a coffee shop business plan. Crimson Cup coffee is available through a community of more than 350 independent coffee houses, grocers, college and universities, restaurants and food service operations across 37 states, Guam and Bangladesh, as well as the company's own Crimson Cup Coffee Houses. To learn more, visit crimsoncup.com.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: https://www.prweb.com/releases/crimson_cup_helps_coffee_innovation_college_at_narsa_co_op_in_la_merced_peru_to_win_sca_premier_training_campus_certification/prweb16041074.htm