| Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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1. What is the Barako?
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The Barako is Philippine Liberica, a rare type of coffee bean known for its particularly strong taste, powerful body and distinctly pungent odor. It takes its name from the Tagalog word for wild boar because these creatures are rather fond of dining on the plant's leaves and berries.
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2. What is the Coffee Belt?
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The Coffee Belt is an area circling the equator between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. There are only two seasons a year in this area. The weather is temperate with just the right mix of heat, humidity and cold that is so perfect for the growth of coffee trees. The world's coffee producing countries are situated in this particular region.
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3. What is Save the Barako?
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Save the Barako is a cooperative project of the Figaro Foundation Corporation and other agencies aimed towards the revitalization of the local coffee industry and the Barako farming.
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4. Why Save the Barako?
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Not only will we be saving a part of our Filipino heritage, but saving the Barako would also boost our coffee industry by increasing the volume of coffee exported to other countries. Currently, Barako exports total US$.15 million annually but is in danger of facing extinction due to farmers shifting to more lucrative crops.
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5. Who are behind Save the Barako?
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Proponents of the movement to save the Barako are:
- The Figaro Foundation Corporation led by Pacita U. Juan;
- The Municipality of Amadeo, Cavite
- The National Coffee Development Board
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6. What needs to be done to
Save the Barako?
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The bottom line is WE NEED TO PLANT 100,000 BARAKO TREES WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS FOR THE VARIETY TO SURVIVE.
So far, the Save the Barako program has planted 2,000 trees in the past two years.
Since many coffee farmers have shifted to more profitable crops or coffee varieties, the production of the Barako has hit an all time low. If we don't act now, there will be a time when the Barako will no longer be.
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7. How can we help Save the Barako?
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The easiest way to save the Barako is to support any or all of the Figaro Foundation's projects towards this end. Also, spreading the word about this cause will do a lot towards reaching the target of 100,000 trees by year 2005. Please refer to our How You Can Help page for more details on what you can do.
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