“Change is the law of life. And those that look only to the past and present are certain to miss the future.” — John F. Kennedy
mycuppa June 2019 Newsletter
There's been a lot of attention lately about the terrible poverty trap of coffee farmers selling their crops for less than cost.
Two months ago, I wrote an article about how things must change across the entire coffee life cycle for farmers to rise and receive the fair prices they deserve. Although scheduled for April Newsletter, it was not published due to resource constraints.
Last weekend, Fairfax Media (owner of The Age, Sydney Morning Herald) ran a detailed story on how coffee farming is in crisis.
Two months ago, we published an article that coincidentally had similarities with the recently published Fairfax article. We want to make it clear that we are not suggesting anything else.
To avoid accusations of plagiarism or lack of originality, we made necessary changes to our content before publishing it this month.
Our opinion piece looks at why we have an increased resolve and support for the FAIRTRADE system and how consumers and other companies operating in the supply chain must get on board. FAIRTRADE certified is the only valid, trusted and secure program of benefit for farmers and their communities.
Everything else is just hollow promises and, in many cases, less-than-honest marketing claims pretending to help consumers feel good.
June's secret label is a wicked blend of sugary sweetness and sparking acidity. This cracking combo of South and Central American premium estate coffees work in symphony to produce lush, rich layers of nut and Swiss chocolate. Just delightful.
June Secret Label
This month's Secret Label is a blend that serves up a rich, sweet, syrupy cup of nut and Swiss chocolate from premium estates in South and Central America.
Crisp, full-bodied with sparkling acidity - essential for milk-based espresso beverages, the acids carry perfectly across black and milk-based coffees.
From time to time, we like to experiment with combining ingredients - in the coffee world, it's known as blending, and often, the results sometimes differ from the sum of the parts.
This month's Secret Label is an excellent example of bold richness and body offered by South American premium Estate coffees paired with amazingly clean acidity from one of the most highly respected Central American coffee origins.
For those of you who find the idea of acidity in your coffee less than desirable, fear not - acids are the essential and critical pathways for flavours. When you have balance and harmony in a blend, the coffee works.
This coffee stands out for its defined sweetness and classic flavours without venturing too far from the middle.
It's a great coffee to enjoy anytime.
Here's what you can expect in the cup:-
- Rich and syrupy body.
- Cane sugar, stone fruit, nut and caramel.
- Juicy, sparkling acidity.
- Good balance.
- It is a sweet cup with a long Swiss chocolate finish.
FAIRTRADE - why it's time we all make the change
This month's opinion piece is quite a long and emotional story, but I encourage you to read it to arrive at your conclusions about what's fair and reasonable.
Coffee farming is experiencing its worst period in our modern history.
There are no fast or easy solutions other than doing the right thing (ethically and morally) to boycott those cheap, commodity coffee packs sold in supermarkets deliberately at or below cost.
Every time a consumer purchases attractively priced home brand/private label coffee packs from Aldi, Coles or Woolworths, they support the poverty trap of coffee farmers forced to sell at the lowest price - unable to improve their living conditions.
Retailers have a history of running strategies to disrupt and destroy market segments through unprofitable selling via portfolio pricing - much like they do with milk, bread and BBQ chickens at ridiculous prices, gouging on other non-essential items in the store.
Consumers have choices - to support ethical, social programs like FAIRTRADE, or they can save a few bucks by selecting the "on-sale" stale commodity pack from the supermarket.
This battle is not about online versus bricks and mortar; it's about coffee farmers' sustainable livelihoods and survival.
If you care, please read on; if not, our future relationships with coffee will alter dramatically over the next decade and not positively.
Please read our article here to learn why you should switch to FAIRTRADE.
