What you can do to help the future of coffee production

HOW TO SUPPORT A BOLDER FUTURE OF COFFEE

This is why we can’t have nice things. Around since 575 A.D., coffee has been cultivated, consumed and loved the world over. But, as humans do, we’ve thrown a few wrenches at the future of this exemplary gift from the ground. These things threaten the very future of our life juice. And it’s in our best interest to educate you on those things, because we’d like to keep doing this whole coffee thing for years to come. 
 
While the future is at risk, it’s not bleak — especially when you consumer Fair Trade coffee. Let’s break down the threats to coffee, and what we can do to help ensure it lives forever and ever.  
 
Climate  

Coffee production is a balance more delicate than your ego. The convergence of temperature, rainfall, and altitude is crucial for coffee cultivation and it’s being disrupted by shifting climate patterns. Rising temperatures can lead to increased incidences of pests and diseases that can devastate coffee crops and destroy farmers’ livelihoods. Changes in precipitation patterns, like droughts or erratic rainfall, can negatively impact coffee yields and quality. You guessed it, this impacts farmers too.  
 
Trade  

Coffee requires a certain climate and altitude. Historically, this has led to certain areas in the world being ideal for coffee growing. While weather patterns change, so will where coffee can be best produced. Coffee traders are having to figure out new strategies, seeking out new regions that may become more suitable for cultivation while others decline. This shift is reshaping the dynamics of the global coffee market—something you might not think of regularly if at all, but heavily impacts something you use every single day.  

Unethical Farming & Commodity Coffee  

You might think, the more coffee—the better! While that’s usually true, when the industry asks farmers for higher yields at lower costs it causes increased use of pesticides, low wages, exploitation of labor, horrible conditions, and in some cases even child labor. Due to the low price these farmers are paid for their yields, they need to increase the amount they produce to sustain their families. That means heavier usage of pesticides and other chemicals—which is a detriment to both the farmers AND you. If priority continues to be given to uniformity and over production, we’re guaranteeing the demise of the bean.  

"HOLY SH*T HOW DO I STOP THIS?"
 
Ok don’t freak out, we had to pull out all the scare tactics so you understood the severity of what’s at stake. But you as a coffee drinker have all the power in your hands to ensure the tides change for our precious little beans. Focusing on ethically sourced and organic coffee means you’re supporting supply chains that continue to invest both in the crop and the farmers who grow it. Fair Trade Certified coffee keeps autonomy in farmers hands while ensuring livable wages, good working conditions and further invests in their communities to help improve farming practices and helping farmers can continue to support themselves and their families for years to come.  
 
If you’re drinking Death Wish Coffee, you’re already fighting for a bolder future for coffee. Our beans are Certified Fair Trade and USDA Organic. So spread the good word and hold your friends and co-workers accountable when you catch them drinking sh*tty coffee. Real friends don’t let friends drink commodity coffee...  

Photo Source: Fair Trade USA