Where Coffee Comes From

Yesterday, I used coffee as an example of how we can become more connected with our food.  That set me on quest to see how my morning cups of coffee are made.  An excellent link with pictures is here at indiancoffees.com. Until the 1970's, coffee grew in tropical forests under the shade of larger trees.  The beans grow on the trees until they form a bright red berry.  Then the beans were hand-picked, placed in water until they are plump, the pulp is rubbed off the reveal the green bean which is then dried, packed, and shipped.  If beans are decaffeinated, the decaffeination is done  at this stage.  The traditional methods are very labor intensive. Coffee in it's natural state is part of a habitat rich in wildlife.

In the 1970's, strains of coffee were developed which did not need to grow in the shade.  When this happened, forests were cut down, plantations were built, and much of the traditional work was done by machines.

There are several labels or certifications applied to coffee.
Bird-friendly coffee is coffee that is grown in the forests or under shade trees.
Organic is coffee that is produced without chemicals and artificial fertilizers.
Fair trade coffee is coffee that ensures that the growers that produce the coffee are paid a living wage for their beans.
There are also certifications that indicate how large the carbon footprint of the coffee is.
According to their website, Grounds For Change is the first carbon-free coffee which means that all the steps combined in producing the final roasted coffee have a net carbon footprint of 0.  Grounds for change roasts the coffee when it is ordered.

People can also buy green beans for coffee over the internet (be sure to look for fair trade, organic, and bird-friendly).  Coffee can be roasted in expensive home roasters that mechanize everything or can be roasted in a frying pan over the stove.  Think that the whole process of home roasting may be an adventure that we will explore someday in later posts.

Have a great day!