Coffee: On Quality and Sustainability

Dedicated to Ben Schultz, fellow coffee drinker, motivator, and friend.

'The powers of a man's mind are directly proportional to the quality of the coffee he drinks.'
- Sir James MacKintosh, 18th century philosopher

I will admit, without hestitation, reservation of guilt, that I am addicted to that delicious hot and dark beverage known as coffee. It starts every morning, whether by drip or press, without adulterations of milk or sugar, energizing my body, mind, and spirit.

But where do those precious grounds of life originate? Who are the people bringing happiness to my morning? I hope that my purchase supports the farmer who made the beans, but most commonly, this is barely the case.

Yesterday, I purchased some coffee at the grocery store. I bought organic free trade coffee, 12 ounces for $10. Looking down the aisle, there was a Kroger brand can, 34 ounces for $4.88. And probably 2/3 of the coffee section were shelves of the cheaper fare. How could a farmer possibly earn anything at that price?!

The problem here (as is the case with feed-quality corn) is the circular degeneration of price and production. With profits driven by quantity, farms produce more to gain more. But with more made, prices diminish, so even more is produced, and round and round we go. Sound sustainable? Not really. Furthermore, to produce bigger yields, farmers generally shift from (traditional) shade grown coffee to (agro-industrial) direct-sun methods, which demand fertilizers as well. But such practices come at cost: clearing land (sometimes rain forest), creating a monoculture, and reducing biodiversity. Frankly, a cheap cup of coffee is not worth the cost of a rainforest.

So change the game: improve the quality of the coffee to improve profits. This strategy is exactly what the specialty coffee culture (I hesitate to call it an industry) in the United States is attempting to do. A few months ago, I read God in a Cup by Michaele Weissman, an exploration into the culture being created by the 'Third Wave' coffee guys. Passionate about coffee, these businessmen are still about profit, but not just for themselves. They recognize that to ensure continued production of great coffee means farmers producing it must both survive and see value in improving their coffee. Not an easy task, but with Starbucks popularizing a more expensive cup of coffee, people, lots of people, are demanding better taste than bitter burnt diner coffee. I'll leave you to read 'God in a Cup' to learn the intricate details of the new emerging coffee culture, but here's the basic needs for a sustainable coffee industry:

• Buyers, middle-men, and farmers who care
• Consumers willing to pay more for quality
• Farmers see value in improving quality
• Stable financial situation for farmers

Now, at some point the average person will say, 'Woah, I'm not paying $12.50 for a cup of coffee.' (Apparently they exist.) This brings us to the uncomfortable situation of who gets to enjoy this quality coffee - if you have the money to afford quality, you can enjoy it. But if your situation puts you tight on cash, why are you stuck inside the unsustainable cheep coffee complex? And that carries the conversation right over to food dilemma in general, where separation between rich and poor can be determined simply by the quality of their respective diets, which may simply be an unavoidable symptom in our capitalist society. But with politics aside, my dollar is my vote, and at least I can buy what I believe in. While climate prevents local coffee growers here in the United States, we can demand better trade relationships and responsible business. We can purchase shade-grown coffee to promote biodiversity. We can buy organic to fight chemical fertilizers. And perhaps, as Sire James MacKintosh declares, the quality of our thoughts will increase with the quality of our coffee.