Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Day
Commemorative Message from Senator the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade joins in this commemoration of the 5th anniversary of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Day, and salutes all who have contributed to this featured activity.
Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee (JBMC) is considered one of Jamaica’s globally recognized and well-loved brands, whose unique, rich, and smooth flavour is attributable to the favourable climatic conditions of the blue mountains of Jamaica, the standards guaranteed by the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA), and the hard work and dedication of our coffee farmers. I extend heartiest congratulations to the men and women of Jamaica who contribute to the continued success of the Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee brand.
Blue mountain coffee is regarded as a premium product in the European market, and there is a strong demand for the product among European consumers. Both the Jamaican Coffee Exporters’ Association (JCEA) and the JACRA have expressed an interest in expanding exports of JBMC to the European Union market and there is sufficient scope to achieve this given its large consumer base (approximately 450 million consumers). According to existing data, Europe accounted for 33% of global coffee consumption in 2020/21, amounting to an estimated 3.244 million tons of coffee. This makes Europe the largest coffee market in the world and, accordingly, one with great potential, especially for roasted coffee from exporting countries, like Jamaica.
I am, therefore pleased at the focused attention and support which the Embassy of Jamaica in Brussels has dedicated to the development of the market for JMBC in Europe. In 2021, the Embassy organized a bilateral meeting between Jamaican and Belgian/EU coffee stakeholders, including retailers and roasters, who identified several trends in the EU coffee market that required the attention of the Jamaican coffee industry. This initiative culminated in a Caribbean Export Development Agency (CEDA)- sponsored study entitled, Expanding Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee in the EU European, which includes several recommendations to support the objective of making JMBC a more competitive product in the EU market.
This project is a tangible example of the commitment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, through its Embassy in Belgium, to deliver on the promises of the Economic Diplomacy Programme, which is being implementing in collaboration with JAMPRO, to promote and protect Jamaica’s commercial interests in the external market. Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is indeed a national treasure which we must continue to support and promote.
Happy JBMC Day!
