If you are among the 1/3 of the worlds population who drink at least 1 cup of coffee a day, then

you are directly linked to the 20 million people worldwide who produce coffee.

We invite you to explore this connection with your community and discover ways of making it a positive force for social change.

A Brief History of Coffee (part one)

The Legend of the Coffee Bean

Dates back more than a thousand years The first coffee plants are said to have come from the Horn of Africa on the shores of the Red Sea Originally coffee beans were taken as a food and not as a beverage East African tribes would grind the coffee cherries together, mixing the results into a paste with animal fat The mixture was said to give warriors muchneeded energy for battle

The Legend of the Coffee Bean

Later, around the year 1000 AD, Ethiopians concocted a type of wine from coffee berries, fermenting the dried beans in water Coffee also grew naturally on the Arabian Peninsula, and it was there, during the 11th century that coffee was first developed into a hot drink.

The Legend of the Coffee Bean

Two prominent legends emerged to explain the discovery of this magic bean A goat-herder noticed that his herd became friskier than usual after consuming the red cherries of a wild coffee shrub. Curious, he tasted the fruit himself. He was delighted by its invigorating effects, and was even spotted by a group of nearby monks dancing with his goats. Soon the monks began to boil the bean themselves and use the liquid to stay awake during all-night ceremonies.

The Legend of the Coffee Bean

Muslim dervish who was condemned by his enemies to wander in the desert and eventually die of starvation. In his delirium, the young man heard a voice instructing him to eat the fruit from a nearby coffee tree. Confused, the dervish tried to soften the beans in water, and when this failed, he simply drank the liquid. Interpreting his survival and energy as a sign of God, he returned to his people, spreading the faith and the recipe

Cultivation & Trade

Coffee began sometime in the fifteenth century, and for many centuries to follow, the Yemen province of Arabia was the world's primary source of coffee Although restrictions existed on exportation of the coffee plant from Yemen, Muslim pilgrims from across the globe during their pilgrimages to Mecca managed to smuggle coffee plants back to their homelands, and coffee crops soon took root in India Coffee also made its way into Europe around this time through the city of Venice, where fleets traded perfumes, teas, dyes and fabrics with Arabic merchants along the Spice Route

Cultivation & Trade

By the middle of the 17th century the Dutch dominated the world's merchant shipping industry, and they introduced largescale coffee cultivation to their colonies in Indonesia on the islands of Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi and Bali Coffee arrived in Latin America several decades later, when the French brought a cutting of a coffee plant to Martinique. But when a rare plant disease spread through the coffee fields of Southeast Asia in the mid 19th century, Brazil emerged as the world's foremost coffee producer, an honor the country still holds today.

Where is Coffee Grown?

Gresser, Charis and Sophia Tickell. Mugged: Poverty in Your Cup. Oxfam International 2002:7

Dependency on Coffee

Gresser, Charis and Sophia Tickell. Mugged: Poverty in Your Cup. Oxfam International 2002:8

A Brief History of Coffee (part two)

from crop to cup

Production
The coffee bean begins its life as the prize inside a bright red coffee cherry It takes about five years before a coffee tree produces a harvestable crop of cherries, and each tree only produces the equivalent of a pound of roasted beans per year To prepare the pebble-like green coffee beans for roasting, growers process them using either the natural or the washed method Through the natural method, ripe coffee cherries are allowed to dry on the tree or on the ground before the beans are removed by hulling

www.originscoffee.com/faq.html

Production
Through the washed method, the beans are immediately separated from the cherries, submerged in a vat of water, and then dried on large patios or with modern equipment. Green coffee beans are heated in a large rotating drum, then their transformation begins After about 5 to 7 minutes of intense heat, much of their moisture evaporates The beans turn a yellow color and smell a little like popcorn After about 8 minutes in the roaster, the "first pop" occurs. The beans double in size, crackling as they expand; they are now light brown

www.origenscoffee.com/sbs_coffeepicker.jpg

Production
After 10-11 minutes in the roaster, the beans reach an even brown color, and oil starts to appear on the surface of the bean At this roasting time (different for each coffee, but usually somewhere between 11 and 15 minutes), the full flavor potential begins to develop in the beans, bringing all of their attributes into balance

The "second pop" signals that the coffee is almost ready

A Brief History of Coffee (part three)

Coffee as a Commodity
Globalization & FREE Trade

Coffee Price to Farmers

Distribution of Coffee Continued

These companies, whose brand names appear on the coffee we buy usually roast and distribute the product. (Waridel 53) They are also the ones who reap most of the profits of the coffee trade. This graph shows the five top roaster which buy almost half of the worlds supply of green coffee beans. (Gresser 25)

The Real Profit Makers

Gresser, Charis and Sophia Tickell. Mugged: Poverty in Your Cup. Oxfam International 2002: 24

Coffee as a Commodity
Globalization & FAIR Trade

WHAT IS FAIR TRADE?

Alternative to conventional trade Producers Traders Consumers => equitable + sustainable Better trading conditions Awareness of workers conditions

WHAT ABOUT CONVENTIONAL TRADE?

Producers Buyers = UNFAIR The search for the best coffee at the lowest price Trader : Goal of both small store & multinational cooperation - lowest price PROFIT Producer : exploitation, poverty, bad working conditions

The Journey of a Bean

Coffee first produced in 600 AD, Ethiopia Now second most valuable legally traded commodity in world 20 Million People involved in coffee production, mostly small farms, selfsufficient producers

Journey of a Bean
worlds coffee from small plot farms producers: Colombia, Brazil, Guatemala, El Salvador, Peru Coffee- source of income for basic needs Arduous task -high care evergreen shrubs -picked by hand

Journey of a BeanConventional
THE MIDDLEMAN: - farmers dependant on middleman/coyote Transportation Instant Cash Moneylenders -200% interest Lack of information access for correct pricing Also receives low prices and 10% of retail price of coffee

Fair Trade Coffee The Alternative

No middleman, farmer sells directly to fair trade importer - $.05 to .07 above market price Offer line of credit Pay above the market price Long-term contract Economic empowerment vs. Charity Better relationship between producer, consumer and farmer

Price of Coffee -- Who Gets What?

Fair Trade History

- Originally seen as charity rather than justice - Handcrafts: e.g. Ten Thousand Villages - 1960 Oxfam shops in Europe - 1980s Over one thousand third world shops were operating - In Canada during 1970s and 1980s, small groups pooled resources to buy green coffee beans from Nicaragua at fair prices

Coffee Primer (short form)

Coffee (1)
Prior to 1000: native to ETHIOPIA
People discover energy boost when they eat the coffee bush berry

1000: Arab traders bring coffee to Arabia

develop plantations exported from Yemen, especially port of Mocha also begin to boil beans, call drink "qahwa
Mecca

1200s: Mecca becomes a center of coffee culture

Arab rulers forbid coffee plants to be taken out of their domains thousands of pilgrims come and coffee spreads...

1500s: Coffee houses found in all big cities of Near East

Ottoman Empire controls Middle East & coffee. Coffee becomes Turks drink; they often add spices such as clove and cinnamon

Where is capitalism?

Coffee (2)
1600: Italian traders introduce coffee to West
some Christians call it the devils beverage Pope Clement VIII "baptizes" coffee, making it an acceptable Christian beverage very expensive

1616: Dutch smuggle coffee plants out of Mocha

to Ceylon and Java Dutch East India Company becomes first to commercially cultivate and transport coffee

1668: Edward Lloyd's coffeehouse opens in England

frequented by maritime traders & insurance agents eventually becomes Lloyds of London, the bestknown insurance company in the world

Where is capitalism?

Coffee (3)
1714: Mayor of Amsterdam presents Louis XIV a coffee bush
descendants will produce virtually entire coffee industry in the Americas (90% spreads from this plant) Seedlings from this plant brought to Martinique (1725), and spread from there to S. America

1700s: Dutch and French cultivate coffee in S. America

jealously guard their treasure Brazilian official who mediates a French-Dutch dispute in S. America romances French Guiana governors wife and receives coffee seedlings in a farewell bouquet... these seedlings spawn Brazils coffee industry; today Brazil is worlds largest coffee producer (33%).

Where is capitalism?

Coffee (4)
1886: Former wholesale grocer names his popular coffee blend Maxwell House
after hotel in Nashville, TN where it's served

1900: Hills Bros. begins packing roast coffee in vacuum tins

spells end of local roasting shops & coffee mills

1901: first soluble "instant" coffee invented

invented by Japanese-American chemist

1903: German researchers remove caffeine from beans without destroying flavor
marketed under brand name "Sanka; a contraction of French phrase sans cafine.

Where is capitalism?

Coffee (5)
1946: Italian (Achilles Gaggia) perfects espresso machine & Italians first to manufacture it
cappuccino is named for resemblance of its color to robes of monks of the Capuchin order

1971: Starbucks opens its first store in Seattle

1983: a director travels to Italy; is impressed with their "coffee bar culture"; opens 1 bar 1987: 17 locations 2003: 6294 locations

1988: Fair Trade Certification

an alternative trade organization promotes organic farming and equity for farmers Global Exchange

Where is capitalism?

1000 Year World History of Coffee

Today: 2nd largest commodity in world after oil
US is largest consumer in world; consumes 1/5 of world's coffee

The End

References
Gresser, Charis and Sophai Tickell. Mugged Poverty in your coffee cup. Ed. Kat Raworthand David Wilson.2002. Oxfam International. 14 Mar. 2003 OBrien, Mary. An Introduction to Paraquat. Dirty Dozen Campaigner A Publication of the Pesticide Action Network. Sep. 1989 Rice, Robert. A Place unbecoming: The Coffee Farm of Northern Latin America. 1999. Academic Search Elite. 16 Feb. 2003 http://0web16.epnet.com.opac.sfsu.edu/citation.asp?tb=1&_ug=dbs +0+ln+en%2

References
Zielinski, Mike. Trouble brewing at Starbucks Coffee. Progressive 59.3 (1995): 12 .Academic Search Elite. 19 Feb. 2003 http://0web16.epnet.com.opac.sfsu.edu/citation.asp?tb=1&_ug=dbs+0+ln+ en%2 Wexler, Mark. The Coffee Connection. National opac.sfsu.edu/citation.asp?tb=1&_ug=dbs+0+ln+en% Wildlife 41.1 (2001): 37-42. Academic Search Elite. 16 Feb. 2003 http://0web16.epnet.com.opac.sfsu.edu/citation.asp?tb=1&_ug=dbs+0+ ln+en%2 Wille, Chris. Clouds in the Coffee. E Magazine: The Environmental Magazine 8.5 (1997): 20-25. Academic Search Elite. 16 Feb. 2003. http://0web16.epnet.com.

References
Frequently Asked Questions Global Exchange. 20 Feb. 2003 http://globalexchange.org/economy/coffee/coffeeFAQ.html#environ ment Action Alert: Uphold Keralas Endosulfan Ban Endosulfan Spray protest ActionCommittee White Paper. Sep. 2001 Thanal Conservation Action and Information Network. 20 Feb. 2003 Waridel, Laure. Coffee With Pleasure: Just Java and World Trade. Montreal: Black Rose Books,2002. Dicum, Gregory, and Nina Luttinger. The Coffee Book: Anatomy of an Industry from Crop to the Last Drop. New York: The New Press, 1999.

References
Rice, Robert and Justin Ward. Coffee, Conservation, and Commerce in the Western Hemisphere How Individuals and Institutions Can Promote Ecologically Sound Farming and Forest Management in Northern Latin America. 1996 Smithsonian Bird Center and National Resource Defense Council. 20 Feb. 2003 <http://www.nrdc.org/health/farming/ccc/cptinx.asp>