Coffee is the second most consumed beverage in the world, just behind water. Yet 80% of coffee farmers live on or below the poverty line.
That is because most coffee is treated as a commodity, bought and sold by weight at extremely low and unpredictable prices.
As a result, most growers prioritize quantity over quality, harvesting cherries when they are unripe, overripe, or even rotten
(which is why most roasters burn the coffee, but that is another story).
When farmers are rewarded with higher, more consistent prices for elevating the quality of their coffee, they can achieve financial sustainability.
The greater the demand for high-quality coffee, also known as Specialty Coffee, the greater the benefit to growers, their families, and their communities.
Rewarding quality also benefits everyone else along the coffee supply chain, the Specialty coffee exporters, artisan roasters, and master brewers, among many others.