June 2019 - Coffee farmers in crisis, how we can help. Secret Label's amazing sweetness

Date Posted:5 June 2019 

 

“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

 

 

June 2019

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 in order for farmers to rise up and receive the fair prices they deserve. That article was scheduled to appear in our April Newsletter, however, we decided not to publish April's Newsletter due to other demands upon our resources during the month.

Last weekend, Fairfax media (owner of The Age, Sydney Morning Herald) ran a detailed story on how coffee farming is in crisis.

Ironically, a lot of the content I had prepared 2 months ago read with uncanny similarities to the Fairfax article (we are not suggesting anything other than timing), hence for our article to be published this month we needed to be amended so as to avoid being blamed as lazy and plagiarizing Fairfax media.

Our opinion piece looks at why we have an increased resolve and support for the FAIRTRADE system and how consumers must get on board, along with other companies operating in the supply chain. 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 both 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 don't always equal the sum of the parts.

This month's Secret Label is a great 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 that 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 just works.

This coffee stands out for it's defined sweetness and classic flavors without venturing too far from middle.

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.
• Sweet cup with a long Swiss chocolate finish.

SORRY - ALL SOLD OUT 19/6/2019.
 

 

FAIRTRADE - why it's time we all make the change

Our opinion piece this month is quite a long and emotional story, but I encourage you to make some time and read it so you can arrive at your own conclusions about what's fair and reasonable.

Coffee farming is experiencing it's 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 supermarket's deliberately at or below cost.

That's right, every time a consumer purchases attractively priced home brand/private label coffee packs from Aldi, Coles or Woolworths they are supporting 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 segments of a market through unprofitable selling via portolio pricing - much the same way 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 is not a war about online versus bricks and mortar. It's a battle for the sustainable livelihoods (and survival) of the people that grow and farm our delicious coffees.

If you care, please read on, if not, then our future relationships with coffee will alter dramatically over the next decade and not in a positive way.

To read more about what can be down, please continue reading our article here - why change to FAIRTRADE.