Many companies in the UK take pride in their carbon neutral policies, equal opportunities for employment, etc. Yet they often do not realize that one of the very powerful weapons to fight for equality, access of children to education, ecological farming and better living conditions in third world countries is sitting in their office cupboard. Yes, it is that ‘great value 20% EXTRA’ jar of instant coffee from a local supermarket, shared by all office staff. Surprised? Let me explain to you how that works, but first, some interesting facts.
· On average, workers drink 2.96 cups of coffee per day
· 2/3 agree quality coffee makes work a better place to be
· 54% would stop buying high street coffee if the quality of coffee at work improved
· Only 1/5 prioritise convenience over quality
What is the big deal with speciality coffee? And what makes it so special?
· The term ‘Speciality coffee’ is used to refer to coffee that is graded 80 points or above on a 100-point scale by a certified coffee taster (SCAA) or by a licensed Q Grader
(CQI).
· Because coffee is a natural product and speciality coffee is grown with a high focus on natural processes, it can never be perfect – meaning it will never reach the score of 100. However, the closer it gets to 100 – the better it is. Some of the best coffees in the world are scored at 95 max.
· Speciality coffees are coffees at their peak and are different to other coffee because speciality coffee has been grown at the perfect altitude, at the correct time of year, in the best soil, and then picked at just the right time. All this translates into some of the most exciting and tasty coffee in the world.
In order for speciality coffee to get to us in the UK, a lot of things need to happen. At first, coffee beans which are hand-picked by farm workers at their best ripe level are processed, dried, sorted several times and then shipped to a coffee roaster who purchases them. The coffee roaster then creates a roast profile for each individual coffee to ensure that they are utilizing the hard work and effort of farmers to their best ability. After, that coffee shops and wholesalers like BUNA Coffee can order that coffee, which will be freshly roasted to order.
But how does quitting instant coffee and switching to speciality freshly roasted direct trade coffee makes a difference?
Instant coffees are often produced from an inferior type of coffee, known as robusta grown in countries like Vietnam and China. They are grown in huge quantities, using a lot of chemicals and industrial scale of harvesting and processing. Their priorities are quantity and price, not quality.
In contrast, speciality coffee farmers need to employ a lot of local people because of the demanding process of harvesting coffee cherries by hand and very delicate and complicated sorting and drying processes. By increasing the demand and our consumption of speciality coffee, we increase the volume farmers are able to produce and sell to coffee roasters, which obviously turns into more money, the higher employment rate in the local community and better quality of life.
BUNA Coffee is happy to provide free of charge consultations about how your office could switch to a higher quality of coffee with positive ecological and ethical impact.