Nova Corcoran
World Coffee Week
This week is UK Coffee week and coffee shops in the UK are inviting you to add 5p to the cost of your coffee. All proceeds go towards project waterfall, an initiative that delivers clear water to impoverished communities in coffee producing African countries. What strikes me as interesting is that most people probably can’t tell you which African countries produce coffee. Just so you know the most major are Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania (FAO 2000). Ethiopia is Africa’s largest coffee producer and it is also the main exported product. Makes you wonder though, given how much coffee we drink, if Ethiopian coffee sells at a premium price, why do the farmers still live in poverty?* We are a nation that is seemingly addicted to coffee but we are also pretty clueless as to where our coffee even comes from. Coffee is a global phenomenon of extravagant proportions. Most of the 50 exporting countries rely upon coffee as a major source of foreign exchange, and in 1999 it was estimated that around 25 million people relied on coffee as their main income (Starbird 1999).
Our addiction
Coffee has been consumed in the UK from about the 16th century with the establishment of coffee houses. Coffee has a darker side though and there are stories throughout history connected to slavery’s inconceivable root in coffee which remains a problem to this day coupled with deforestation, child labour and harsh conditions on plantations. On today’s farms migrant workers can face harsh conditions and abject poverty and all the health complications that are associated with poorer living conditions i.e. lack of access to health services, schools etc.
Does fair trade help?
Most coffee growers are relatively poor small holders, and it is suggested that certificated fair trade coffee is a guarantee that these small farmers, organised into cooperatives (Co-ops) achieve a living wage and fair working conditions, fairly managed credit facilities, and ongoing assistance to develop environmentally sustainable and commercially viable businesses (Davis 2010). Others suggest that even with fair trade coffee co-ops may not be able to afford to pay wages that assist in workers escaping from poverty (Ecopolitics 2011) (this link has a great article on young Nicaraguan male coffee workers)
Should we even drink coffee anyway?
In relation to the health of coffee drinkers, coffee is above all a stimulant therefore it increases heart rate and blood pressure. The upside is that in small doses it may increase mental alertness, reaction times, and concentration along with physical energy and reduction in the effects of fatigue (Davis 2010). The downside is that heavier consumption may in some people lead to increased anxiety, osteoporosis, increased cholesterol, reduced fertility and hypoglycaemia (Copley 2008). Although research is often inconclusive, current research suggests coffee in moderation (a few cups a day) is a safe beverage. Some research shows drinking coffee can lower risks of diseases such as type 2 diabetes and gallstones (leading to colon cancer) and possible Parkinson’s disease (Copley 2008).
So, the message is not to stop drinking your daily cup, but to get clued up on how your daily coffee gets to you and what impact your drink might have on the health of others. Find out where it came from for a start! Check out these YouTube videos for brief coffee histories
Coffee YouTube 1
Coffee YouTube 2
* There is a well documented debate with Ethiopia and Starbucks over trademark coffee see BBC News article 1 and article 2
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