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Caffeination Exploration: PART 2
Published on May 31st, 2010 by Will
America runs on Dunkin’ is a slogan that I find particularly pertinent and intriguing. It’s fitting because it’s true. Dunkin’ Donuts is America’s largest retailer of coffee-by-the-cup, serving nearly a billion cups a year – that’s approximately 2.7 million cups a day! Walk around EYL’s home town of Boston and it’s hard to go five minutes without seeing a DnD patron. It’s not particularly good coffee in my opinion, but the real kicker about DnD’s slogan is that it could read something like this: THE WORLD runs on Dunkin’.
That’s right, the world. Coffee is the second most valuable trade commodity – second only to oil. While I hope the impact of oil demands no explanation, most don’t know the social significance of their coffee choices. Just as visiting the pump affects the world in countless ways, so too does your caffeine reliance. Coffee’s impact may be monetarily less, but arguably our favorite brown bean affects more people. Oil is usually a nationalized resource, meaning that its revenue goes into government pockets. This could lead to an increase of social welfare, but oil’s affect is somewhat indirect and if officials elect not to invest in their country, the populous of oil-rich countries may not see a penny. Coffee on the other hand is produced by farmers – its revenue directly affects the people of coffee growing countries. It’s these farmers who need and deserve proper payment for their crop.
Coffee production is heavily located South of the equator in less developed countries – the Global South. Because of coffee farmers’ reliance on consumers to the  North, farmers are often susceptible to bullying and price volatility. If a farmer holds out on potential buyers in order to get market price, they may never sell their product. When large coffee conglomerates from the Global North ask for lower than market value for coffee beans in order to increase their profit per cup, what choice do farmers have?
Production of R: Robusta Coffee A: Arabica Coffee M: Both
Now it may seem daunting to check up on DnD, the number one supplier to the highest consumer base, and see if their $1.50 cup of joe assists the farmers of their beans, but with the recent movement towards food labeling, consumers have a new-found ability to make sure their coffee is promoting global welfare rather than hurting it. Free trade labeling guarantees coffee growers a negotiated preharvest price, which can free farmers from potential bullying and price volatility. The movement towards labeling coffee free trade, since the inception of the Max Havelaar Foundation in the Neatherlands in 1988, has steadily gained momentum. Particularly in the past decade, as more consumers grow weary of unethical corporations, fair trade coffee is grabbing a greater share of the market. In 2004, 24,222 metric tons of 7,050,000 produced worldwide were fair trade; in 2005, 33,991 metric tons out of 6,685,000 were fair trade, an increase from 0.34% to 0.51%.
Fair Trade research has proven favorable. In 2003, the Fair Trade Research group at Colorado State University conducted seven case studies of Fair Trade coffee producers in Latin America and found that Fair Trade had indeed helped improve the welfare of coffee farmers and their families. Daniel Jaffee of Michigan State University, having spent four years researching the impact of fair trade on Mexican coffee producers, came to this well-balanced appreciation: ”Fair trade’s higher prices increase gross household income – although, because most fair trade coffee is also certified organic, producers have higher costs of production as well. Participation in fair trade reduces households’ debt and enhances their economic options, affording them the possibility of better feeding and educating their children. Fair trade affords peasant farmers partial protection from some of the worst aspects of commodity crises and in many cases allows them the breathing room needed to engage in more sustainable agricultural practices. Furthermore, the extra capital from fair trade can generate important economic ripple effects within communities, providing additional employment even for nonparticipating families. However, fair trade is not a panacea, and it does not bring the majority of participants out of poverty. (…) Demand for fair trade products must increase dramatically in order to augment the economic benefits for such small farmer families and allow the system to include many more producers of coffee and other commodities around the world.” In other words, while Fair Trade helps, its policies alone cannot fix the downfalls of global coffee production. With a strong increase in demand and consumer awareness, however, Fair Trade has impressive potential to help people.
Fair Trade coffee may cost you 50 cents more a cup, or $2 more a bag, but these days one can put their money where their mouth is. That extra $2 has wide spread implications on sustainable farming techniques, global income discrepancies, and families like your own. Not to mention, feeling like a responsible global citizen provides a more full-bodied flavor to your daily routine.
Used sources -Â Fair Trade, Dunkin’ Donuts, Colorado State Research, Jaffee’s book, Coffee production numbers. Images from Wikipedia
Caffeination Exploration: Part 1
Published on March 22nd, 2010 by Will
For the next three weeks, EYL will be focusing on the Caffeination Exploration, a three part series that we hope will better inform our readers about their caffeine consumption.
In 2005, the domestic beverage industry enjoyed profits close to $93 billion. At that time, caffeinated energy drinks was the fastest-growing sector of the industry, bal
looning at a pace of 61 percent per year. Five years later, here in 2010, canned energy is everywhere you look. Red Bull isn’t the only company enjoying the profit of this newly expanded market. There’s Monster, Rock Star, Venom, and anything else with a name that conveys something totally bad ass (my favorite being Shark Stimulation which is only marketed in Europe and Asia.) Carbonated energy isn’t the only form of liquid pick me up. There are the staples – coffee, tea, espresso – and it doesn’t take an excel sheet of Starbucks profits to know that those industries have grown in the past decade as well. The point is, caffeine is probably here to stay. It’s a part of most people’s daily routine but, the impact of one’s caffeine habit has wide-spread implications. Not only on people’s energy but also on their wallets, bodies, and communities. We, the people of EYL, believe in conscious and mindful consumption and this means not only each bite, but each sip as well.
Seeing as though canned energy drinks cannot be brewed at home, and call for a drinker who possesses a nature 10 times more extreme than my own, espresso, coffee, and tea will be feature more prominently. Here at EYL the occasional mid-term may force us to study “Full Throttle,” and the health risks of “5-hour energy pong” have been discussed (deemed fatal), but there are few instances in which we will willingly swallow the likes of AMP or Jolt.
Caffeine, in any variety, is a stimulant that can lead to dependence, but a 22-year study by the Harvard School of Public Health states that “the overall balance of risks and benefits [of coffee consumption] are on the side of benefits.” Indeed, when consumed in moderation (2-3 servings per day for most people), coffee has significant health benefits including a reduced risk of both Parkinson’s Disease and Diabetes. Coffee is rich in antioxidants, yet the brew you find in most cups is a far from from embodying coffee’s healthy potential.
The truth is, most of the good-for-you make up of coffee beans are extracted in the first cup of water that is passed through the grounds. In making a full pot of coffee, however, most people filter 7 more cups of hot water through the grounded beans. This essentially extracts the less healthy, more acidic parts of coffee, which causes the common negative side-effects: stomach aches and the jitters. Add in some creamy sweetener and your every-day coffee habit has as much health benefit as a squirt of cheese whiz.
Better for your body (as well as your taste buds in my opinion), espresso is made by forcing a small amount of hot water through coffee grounds quickly, providing both great flavor and the strongest antioxidant quantities. The brewing process is quick, creating a 2 ounce caffeinated punch before extracting the negative oils of the beans. Most people think espresso is nature’s Five Hour Energy, providing an intense rush of caffeine, but the truth is that a 2 ounce double espresso has 50mg of caffeine while an 8 ounce cup of brewed coffee has 135mg. Given that a double shot of espresso typically uses 2 tbsp of grounds, and one 8 ounce cup of joe uses 1 tbsp of grounds, that’s more than 5 times the caffeine extracted from coffee than espresso, from the same amount of grounds. This is because espresso beans (which are coffee beans) are roasted longer, which makes them darker, and removes some of the caffeine from the bean. Thus “all espresso beans are coffee beans, but not all coffee beans are espresso beans” explain the coffee experts at Coffeenuts.org.
Espresso isn’t reserved for elitist Italians either. Given that you use fewer beans, when compared to a full pot of coffee, espresso is surprisingly affordable. Espresso machines, yes, are expensive, but you don’t need a $40+ machine to enjoy a rich shot. Stove-top espresso makers, like this one on the right, are affordable (IKEA has a great one for $20), easy to clean, and are less obstructive than most mammoth-sized drip coffee machines. Good espresso beans and mixes are cheap as well. I buy mine at Amigofoods.com, which houses a wide-variety of strong Latin blends.
Stay tuned for Part 2 on the global implications of coffee consumption, and Part 3 which will focus on tea.
*pictures courtesy of minortroubles.com , amazon.com and delish.com ** facts and figures courtesy of brainready.com, nytimes.com, coffeenuts.org and Nursing Standard Academic Journal.