The specialty coffee supply chain is intricate and complex, consisting of many different and connected parts. Along this chain, coffee is vulnerable to threats that impact not only quality, but also its very existence. Every day, coffee fights for survival, confronted with erratic weather patterns, disease and pests, drought, as well as labor shortages and …
By Kassy Holmes, The Rainforest Alliance In the coastal coffee-growing region of Oaxaca, Mexico, indigenous communities, conservation organizations, coffee traders, and cooperatives have come together to launch an innovative model for combating deforestation, promoting climate-smart coffee production, and fostering resilient livelihoods for farmers already facing the challenges of climate change. Oaxaca once exemplified Mexico’s diversity …
By Heather Ward, SCAA Research Analyst One of the first things a coffee customer does upon walking into a cafe is to look at the prices on the menu. Prior to entering, the customer may have an idea of what beverage they want to drink and what it might cost. But, they will always look …
By Hanna Neuschwander, World Coffee Research Deciding which variety of coffee to plant is perhaps the most important decision a farmer will make about his or her farm. It represents an investment of at least 10-15 years, often longer. The stakes are high. Will the variety be productive enough for the farmer to make a …
By Emma Sage, SCAA Coffee Science Manager In late April 2015, I was privileged to join a scientific field expedition of a climate resiliency project, led by coffee botanist Dr. Aaron Davis, Senior Research Leader of Plant Resources at Kew Gardens in London. I spent my leg of the trip, which was about a week …
By Kim Elena Ionescu, SCAA Director of Sustainability I’m writing this article during the height of summer in the United States, when water is most likely to be a hot topic (pun intended) on the news. But while water’s appearance in the media tends to be seasonal, it’s equally necessary every day of the year, …
By Chad Trewick, Reciprocafé, LLC The coffee industry—and not only the specialty sector, although we lead the charge—is gradually realizing the future threats to its raw material supply, green coffee. Rising cost of production eroding earning potential, increasing competition from alternative economic activities, and market price volatility are all weakening our value chain due to …
By Ben Corey-Moran, Fair Trade USA Farmworkers are the backbone of coffee production. These women, men—and yes, sometimes children—are the labor force that drives coffee production, yet they toil behind the curtain of our industry’s awareness. In the well-worn hands of an estimated four million farmworkers rests the promise of great coffee, the hope for industry …
By Shawn Steiman, PhD There are times in life when you want confirmation that the contents of a package really match what is advertised on the outside of the package. Is the olive oil really from Italy? Is the sparkling wine really from Champagne? Is it truly Manuka honey? The reason we want to know these …
TJ Semanchin (left) & Caleb Nicholes (right), co-owners of Kickapoo Coffee Roasters What makes Kickapoo Coffee Roasters special? Our business is situated in the small progressive town of Viroqua (pop. 4500) in rural Wisconsin. Our county is home to more quality-focused organic farms per capita than anywhere else in the country. Living here has certainly …