Coffee Talk

Coffee production/ exportation/ consumption is an important theme of the course.
There is a track that is focused on this and last night we had a public presentation on the topic. The thing about talking coffee is that it is always so much more than about coffee. At the course there are small-scale coffee growers and coop ‘tecnicos’ who work with the producers. Many are able to participate in the course because of generous scholarships offered by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. Discussion ranged from how to put the marketing more in the hands of the producers/cooperatives rather than the large importers (Kraft/ Procter-Gamble/ Phillip Morris); to how to diversify coffee landscapes so that coffee farmers can produce food for their families and avoid ‘los meses flacos’- the thin months when they don’t have enough to eat. This coffee talk is very important-it addresses the common issues of export crops—that often leave the farmers without enough food for themselves; the transformation of markets as more direct relations are being established between producers, consumers and progressive roasters. Nothing quite like transforming the world over coffee.