Taiwanese team develops artifical Kopi Luwak
Could Kopi Luwak be on its way out?
After seven years of experiments and a few field trips to Indonesia, a Taiwanese research team from the National Pingtung University of Technology and Science (NPUTS) believe that they have created their very own, laboratory made Kopi Luwak.
But don’t worry, no civets were caged or trapped to make this product!
…continue reading Taiwanese team develops artifical Kopi Luwak
Borer beetles causing problems for Taiwan
Taiwanese reports suggest that an insect invasion is threatening to cause havoc on the local coffee growing industry once again as nearly ninety-percent of all plantations in the Gukeng Township of Yukin County have been affected by an influx of the coffee berry borer beetle (Hypothenemus hampei).
The area is well known for its coffee production with sixty hectares already under cultivation.
Destroying between twenty and fifty percent of the crop, the borer beetle has the potential to cause considerable damage. Now, the farmers and industry fear the worst and have begun to take preventative steps to secure crops.
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Taiwanese students give coffee farmers a helping hand
Marketing is something that many people have to think about these days – in most areas of business, as well as focusing on the product which is being created, or the service which is being provided, individuals and companies alike have to turn their minds to ancillary issues, such as marketing, networking and publicity.
Often this marketing edge to business does not come naturally to those whose skills lie in other areas of the industry. As far as the coffee farmers of Tsou in Taiwan are concerned, it seems that help is at hand. The National Taiwan University has students who have, according to reports in the local online news, helped them with marketing issues for their coffee.
So how did the students help these farmers? What did they recommend? According to the Taipei Times, the programme was a collaboration between student and farmer, as part of an entrepreneurship programme. A couple of students would work with a farming household to create strategies for promoting their particular coffee beans. Apparently, this is especially important as Typhoon Morakot caused much damage in 2009 and the number of visitors attracted to the Danayigu Valley is said to have dropped to less than one sixth of previous levels.
Some of the ideas that the students came up with were to encourage farmers to embrace traditional costume by dressing in Aboriginal clothes from the Tsou tribe. There were some creative designs for the packaging too!