NUTRITIONAL & FUN FACTS ABOUT Coffee:

As a chef, I believe that it's important to approach every one's diet from an individual perspective. What is good for one body is not for another. Coffee is a perfect example of this. There are some wonderful nutritional benefits of drinking coffee, but some people just don't tolerate it well. For those that do, drinking coffee regularly can reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes, lower the incidence of Parkinson's disease and protect against heart failure. It has been shown to also improve liver function. 

Did You Know? Fun facts about coffee:

• 40% of the world's coffee is produced in Columbia and Brazil
• Kopi Luwak is the world's most expensive coffee and it comes from partially digested coffee berries from the civet wild cat
• Coffee consumption increased 3.5% every year since 2008
• Overall annual consumption of coffee between 2015/2016 is 143.3 million 60 kg bags

DIFFICULTIES FACING coffee:

How many of us wake up in the morning anticipating the deep, rich aroma of coffee brewing on the countertop just waiting to invigorate our day? We reach for it as an afternoon pick me up or warm our hands around a steaming cup on the way to work in the early hours of the day. For a lot of people, coffee is not just a beverage, it’s something we look forward to and depend on every day. 

But, coffee is also a very clear example of how climate changes are having dramatic effects on our crops. 

Coffee plants are very sensitive to temperature and rainfall; they need a very specific climate to thrive and are no longer getting it. The regions where coffee plants are grown have to be moved to accommodate their needs…that is not a sustainable practice. In addition, much like cacao trees, the coffee plant has very small genetic diversity - which makes it incredible susceptible to disease. Increasing temperatures also create stronger pests and make the threat of disease to the plants in these regions a lot higher. Additionally, most coffee growers are still operating small farms which make them subject to market power of a few large traders and roasters. 

We are pretty sure we aren't the only ones who don't want to see coffee disappear...

GIVE WHERE YOU TAKE GIVING:

The problems around growing coffee are very tightly linked with climate change. As a result, the best approach to solutions at this point is to try to make choices as individuals that contribute to lowering your carbon footprint; being conscious of creating less waste and emissions. Simple things you can do is begin to practice mindful purchasing. Can you find the green beans that are loose in a bin rather than wrapped one or two times in plastic? Remember to bring your own bag to the store and try to never accept plastic bags. Can you walk or bike to your destination instead of drive? Does your city or town participate in composting - if you cannot do it at your own home, many times you can collect your compostables and discard for public collection. Sorting your recycling: paper, plastic, cardboard, electronics, glass to be collected and repurposed. Once you implement these changes, it will become second nature and truly take you no more time or effort than throwing it all in the trash.

To help small farmers, it is important to promote private sector alliances so they are a larger force together than they can be as individuals. As with the cocoa crop, crop diversity is also critical to ecological sustainability - but it also provides additional income for farmers. Lastly, we need to support the supply chain development and training. 

What are we doing?

We are donating a part of profits from all of our products to organizations dedicated to protecting all of our ‘endangered’ food sources. 

*MORE TO COME ON HOW WE WILL BE SPECIFICALLY SUPPORTING SUSTAINABILITY OF COFFEE*