Coffee at Origin – lessons so far
“.. one of the questions we should ask is how we want to contribute to this industry i.e. defining how we play our part.”
Since embarking on my path in coffee, I often wondered what each phase of the supply chain is actually like. Learning materials and courses may give us the foundational knowledge, however, as someone who prefers to see things as they are, I committed myself to apply what I thought I knew and expand my understanding especially in coffee production at origin. Here I will outline what I learned throughout my travels so far, with accounts from the wonderful people who work directly at farm level and has given me so much thought-provoking insights.
Commercial vs Specialty – the reality is most farmers prefer to be paid directly as securing income for family is most important. Commercial buyers who pay per weight (as commercial are all about quantity) have cash ready, though arguably buy at low cost. Specialty undoubtedly requires more from farmers as quality is the key. Ripe cherries, defective beans, etc are marked against a set criterion. While generally sold at higher price compared to commercial grade, there is the question whether the difference in pay is worth their time, efforts and high demands that are expected of them.
Modernisation – economic development results in more opportunities. Coffee farming is laborious and finding workers who stay within this line of work long term is just as hard. Indigenous people make up for most of the labourers in coffee farming / production and often travel in tribes to find work. Fair wages and working conditions play a huge part in keeping staff, like any form of employment, and in specialty coffee segment of the industry must uphold its value of paying above the standard (if it wants a future).
Processing and longevity – the most common information I received from multiple accounts is this – experimental processing methods are not sustainable. It is not uncommon for buyers to ask producers to do experiments, provided they agree to pay producers to carry out such extensive projects. Shockingly, producers have experienced buyers who ask for such coffees then refuse to buy once the process is complete, leaving them with unsellable stock or sold at low price. While such processed coffees can be exciting and ‘trendy’, consider the long-term effects it has on the people who produce them.
Quality control – much like how we create products to sell for income, coffee is no different except the time it takes to produce the product is dependent on a variety of external factors. The biggest ever-changing factor here is environmental impact as upholding quality year in, year out is becoming more difficult. To absolutely guarantee all coffees are of the same quality is unrealistic, however, producers work hard to get as close as possible.
Arabica and Canephora – coffee’s narrative has a long history, though on the upside, Canephora is slowly on the rise. The unique and frankly, liberating culture in Vietnam is producers and consumers alike have a real sense of pride for Robusta (high quality is referred to Fine Robusta). With newer generations taking lead in the coffee industry combined with education and exposure to world-wide resources, the conversation around what is ‘high’ quality is not a matter of coffee species but how it is cared for. Consider this – there are also ‘low’ quality Arabica though big brands play into the ‘Arabica is better and high quality’ façade. Anything that is nurtured and well-cared for with intentional practice will result in better quality and is longer-lasting.
And with what I learned, the question is – what next? I think one of the questions we should ask is how we want to contribute to this industry i.e. defining how we play our part. Longevity and future in coffee, I believe, stems of willingness to be open and understanding, challenging our own pre-conceptions and biases.
