Did you know yesterday (September 29th) was National Coffee Day in the US? I don’t know why it fell on a Sunday, mimosas and brunch are more a Sunday morning thing to me.
National Coffee Day seemed more like a consumer holiday (as they usually are), allowing people to get free Coffee they might usually pay for. Though having it on a Sunday really doesn’t benefit most workers.
Tomorrow is International Coffee Day, which seems more like an activist and economic equality movement this year, based on this blurb from their website:
Every year on 1 October, the world comes together to celebrate coffee and recognise the millions of people across the globe – from farmers, to roasters, baristas, coffee shop owners and more – who work hard to create and serve the beverage we all love.
There’s even a Change.org petition to pledge your support for a living income for coffee farmers. There’s a coffee crisis that’s greatly reduced wages of coffee farmers, according to International Coffee Day website:
Due to an increase in crop yields, causing two consecutive years of surplus in the market, there is currently a global oversupply of coffee. This oversupply is driving down the market price of coffee that farmers are paid (to a 15-year low). At the same time the cost of production has increased (labour, fertiliser, land etc) meaning farmers don’t make enough to survive, and while the cup of coffee you drink may not be any cheaper, the amount that farmers are paid for their crop yield can be as little as 1 cent (USD) per cup.
Well, I signed the pledge, though it’s hard to tell if this type of thing helps them at all. I hope it does more than just raise awareness, which is only half the battle. But on to my actual coffee drinking experience.
About Trade Coffee subscription service
I’m really not a coffee expert, usually just drinking instant coffee at home and iced coffee when I’m out. Recently, this has moved more to cold brew, which I’ve learned is very easy to make since it’s just based on time.
I’ve been trying out Trade Coffee, which is extremely overwhelming (choice wise) for someone who only drinks coffee a few days a week and mostly mixed with lots of milk and creamer. They have a short quiz to match people with a recommendation.
In the end, I decided to try Revelator’s Petunias since I like cold brew and the description sounds good. They also have a nice logo and a coworker with more coffee knowledge was recommended one of their coffees.
I’m really not the best judge of coffee since I add so much flavored creamer and milk. Before I even opened the bag, I got another email that I’d be shipped 2 bags of Carmela’s by DOMA! Apparently, I couldn’t cancel since it was already roasting.
Anyhow, I mixed both in my last batch of cold brew – though maybe 80% was Carmela’s. That’s a Takeya Cold Brew pitcher that I kept reading about on BuzzFeed, though still kind of wanting the Primula Burke!
The main thing I’ve learned from this coffee subscription service is that already ground coffee is much easier than doing it yourself. Though grinding beans does give you a nice arm workout.
I also learned that I don’t really need a coffee subscription, though for more experienced and knowledgeable coffee drinkers – this could be a great service. The options are endless!
In terms of the International Coffee Day issues mentioned earlier, real change for the farmers starts from the top since the execs are the ones deciding how much those at the bottom make.
Sadly, the farmers are at the bottom even though they are possibly the most important part of the process. Though consumers are important since they determine demand, so the coffee drinkers actually have some power in the process.
