What is sustainable coffee?
You have heard the term but do you know what it really means? Coffee is grown all round the world but how does it impact upon the environment and the farmers themselves? Nomads’ takes a closer look.
For coffee to be sustainable it needs to look at the future impacts and the cost to the environment and to the people growing it, as well as being profitable for the small business selling it. But fast profits for big companies may come at the expense of the growers, our planet and the future of the small business on your very own high street.
Most coffee is priced as a commodity – meaning the price goes up and down depending on how much is around and how much people are willing to pay for it. The price of coffee is not linked to the price of production, and so that can leave farmers without a fair deal.
If you want to know more about the economics of coffee – here is a good book http://www.cheapcoffeebook.com
Economies that depend on coffee as a cash crop are at the mercy of the coffee price, and the more we demand cheap coffee, the more aggressive the system gets and of course the ordinary farmer loses out. It’s not just farmers but also everyone who works in the coffee chain, including your neighbourhood barista.
Let’s not forget the environment – as a cash crop coffee can lead to deforestation as more land is needed for growing, you also need supplies of water, which are sometimes diverted from food growing. Climate change itself makes coffee growing unpredictable as its not as possible to predict when its going to rain and temperatures are changing. All these factors effect price and yield and sometimes unexpected weather events lead to crop devastation. It’s a hard job with lots of pitfalls.
What can you do about this?
We thank you for being willing to pay a bit extra for your coffee – you can see that driving down the price had a negative impact on everyone in the coffee chain. We aren’t putting up our prices right now because we know that will hurt your pocket, but with the UK economy struggling this is a fine balancing act.
We would ask you to bring in your own cup rather than take a disposable one. We’ll give you some money off if you do
If you are making coffee at home – think again before you put in that so convenient pod! There may be a less wasteful way of making your coffee
Ask about where your coffee comes from and the story behind it - show you care about people and planet, as well as a great coffee :)
