Hey folks, it's been a while. Today I have actually been inspired to write this by my favorite podcaster/YouTuber, Emma Chamberlain, who runs an ethically-sourced, fair trade, sustainably packaged coffee company called Chamberlain Coffee. As someone who can't go a day without drinking coffee, I often wonder how coffee is made. Whether or not it's sustainable. Ethical. After all, it is one of the most tradable commodities in the world, second only to oil (which isn't exactly green!)
IS COFFEE SUSTAINABLE??
If coffee is made the old-school way, under a shaded canopy of trees in an environment nurturing to animals and insects, then yes, it is sustainable. But increasing demand for coffee has led the industry to look for more efficient (but not necessarily sustainable) ways to meet that demand - which leads to sun-grown coffee, which grows three times as much coffee as its shade-grown counterpart. Beginning in the 1970s, farmers have grown coffee out in the sun, which leads to deforestation. Before sun-grown coffee became popular, approximately 15% of the earth’s surface was rainforest. Now, that figure is a mere 6%. And what's even more horrifying is the fact that the last 6% could be destroyed in the coming 40 years at this current rate of deforestation. In addition to that, coffee production uses a significant amount of water. 140 liters of water for one cup of coffee, to be exact. It also has a tendency to pollute the environment, as it is one of the most carbon-emitting industries in the world.
WAYS TO HELP
The nonprofit World Coffee Research is currently finding ways to tackle this coffee-caused climate crisis, including the creation of a gene bank to preserve the genetic diversity of Arabica beans, as well as doing research on the yield and adaptability of coffee beans. However, such measures merely help the coffee beans adapt to the climate crisis rather than prevent it. Furthermore, Compound Foods, a company based in San Francisco, pioneers in a beanless coffee alternative grown in a lab. Another measure that you can take is to look for the Bird-Friendly seal, which shows that the coffee is grown on a farm that has participated in the Bird-Friendly program, actively fighting for the protection of habitats and biodiversity.
IS COFFEE ETHICAL???
We, as Americans, are fortunate enough to reap the benefit of someone else's hard work on the other side of the globe. According to a 2016 study, the companies Nestlé and Jacobs Douwe Egberts have admitted to selling coffee from farms whose working conditions resembled slavery. The coffee industry is also notorious for using child labor, and workers often earn less than the minimum wage.
WAYS TO HELP
As you go to a Starbucks or a grocery store, look for the words "Fairtrade certified". This means that it is priced at a value that ensures that producers are paid back fairly, rather than the standard market price. All Fairtrade-certified coffee follows Fairtrade regulations, which means no child labor and sustainable production. Although Fairtrade coffee is pricey, it goes a long way in making the industry more progressive. An ethical coffee brand I recommend is Ethical Bean Coffee, which donates its sales to two nonprofits: Ethical Bean Coffee Scholarship Fund, which provides Guatemalan schoolchildren with registration fees and supplies, and Project Somos, which aims to provide orphaned Guatemalan children and Guatemalan women with housing.
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