That Coffee Roasters: Why You Should Be Supporting Sustainable Coffee Production

jueves, 14 de diciembre de 2017

Why You Should Be Supporting Sustainable Coffee Production

Learn about coffee and sustainable production

Coffee's demand is growing every year.

Every day, more than 1.2 billion cups of coffee are consumed worldwide. Coffee's demand is rising every year, which is why we sometimes wonder: how are we capable of producing so much coffee? Our beloved little coffee beans are actually the world’s second most traded commodity, only losing to oil. Many third world countries and rural societies rely on coffee as one of the most important branches of their economies, but just how sustainable are those models over time? How do they impact the environment and the lives of farmers? We’re never going to regret being coffee lovers, but we do think about the possible impact of such a huge mass-production industry has. Is sustainable coffee production possible?

What’s the price for our love?

As the need for more supplies rises and coffee farmers are excluded from the industry’s profit potential, the drive for an increased output grows as well. Third world coffee farmers, who only receive 10% of a product's retail price, want to produce as much coffee as they can in as little time as it’s possible, using methods that are less environmentally friendly.

Traditionally, coffee has always been grown under a shaded canopy of trees, providing a habitat for animals and insects, preventing soil erosion and eliminating the need for fertilizers. However, and thanks to the rising demand, new growing methods, such as “sun cultivation” crops, have appeared. In order for coffee cherries to be cultivated massively, the forested canopy is removed and millions of acres of forest are cleared. Therefore, a disturbing damage to biodiversity ensues. In fact, according to World Wide Fund, 37 of the 50 countries with the highest deforestation rates are also coffee producers.

Coffee sustainability: a challenge

The definition of sustainability varies from one industry to the other. In the coffee world, sustainable production means coffee grown in a manner that takes into consideration the environment and the people who live there. Ideally, sustainable coffee farmers would use renewable resources every time they can and give back to the land everything they take from it. It also means reducing pollution, caring for the needs of workers, and minimizing water consumption.

Things like these can be achieved by naturally filtering the water used for fertilization through the earth and then using it for coffee irrigation. Farmers can also give back some natural nutrients to the land by spreading organic fertilizers under coffee trees. They can engage and return to practices such as shade growing, biodiversification, and coffee husks usage as fuel rather than cutting eucalyptus trees. Decent working conditions, wages, and medical care for farmers and workers are also needed to guarantee models that can last in time, and that will grant opportunities for next generations.

However, it isn’t as simple as it sounds. Sustainability in coffee production comes with a rise in production costs that, many times, multinationals and farmers are not willing to accept. Even when companies are willing to introduce environmentally friendly methods, agronomists don’t often see more substantial financial returns. That's why they prefer to keep harmful coffee growing methods that allow them to make a better profit. In any case, sustainable models are also only affordable if coffee prices don’t fall, so new favorable market solutions need to be created so that sustainability isn’t at the mercy of market’s volatility.

Education programs, trust, and more funds are all needed to convince farmers of using sustainable methods, and companies of respecting workers’ human rights, wages, and working conditions. If you want to do something about it, stay informed and keep educating other people. Support brands that bet for coffee sustainability and make sure that, in the meantime, they also worry about farmers and workers. Support legislation and international treats that understand the importance of sustainability. If we want to live in a world where coffee continues to be a beverage we can all enjoy without destroying the lands that give it to us, we must act!