Talking about the relationship between Sustainable farming and Fine Coffee in Sustainable │

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Have you ever imagined what kind of life the farmers in the producing area lead when tasting this cup of coffee?

When choosing coffee products, will you further support the related products with perpetual certification?

The relationship between consumers and sustainable farming

When buying fruits and vegetables in a traditional vegetable market, we can talk directly to farmers face to face about the way they grow their crops, and we can also know clearly that the money we buy crops will go directly back to the garden or farm. but the way coffee beans are traded is much more mysterious by comparison. In the process from the origin of the producing area to actually becoming a drink, it has to go through the processing plant, middleman, importer and exporter, baker and business end before it finally comes to the consumers. How can we make sure that our spending on each cup of coffee can be returned to the origin thousands of miles away, and whether the growers will get the reasonable reward they deserve?

The vast majority of coffee producing areas are relatively backward third World countries, and the living conditions of many growers are actually not favorable. When investing in sustainable farming, we need to change the long-standing planting habits and operate in more environmentally friendly tools and ways, and it also takes a lot of time, manpower and money to carry out long-term planning and practical implementation. So when growers cannot get benefits or security, how can they be persuaded to engage in sustainable farming? Just imagine if the coffee we drink today may gradually disappear in the future and become a legendary drink that no one can drink, should we do something now?

The guarantee of certification mark

Like other crops that depend on heaven for food, the quality of coffee beans harvested every year will still vary due to changes in climatic conditions. If we want to ensure that the coffee we buy has the same good flavor, the best way is to help improve the stability and consistency of the overall coffee quality through more systematic and modern scale cultivation. Therefore, the most important task of sustainable farming promotion organizations like UTZ is to actually enter the producing areas, so as to enhance the technology and production capacity of local farmers through education, so as to ensure the income and living standards of growers, and help the industry develop in a more environmentally friendly, economic and sustainable direction.

Of course, no sustainable certification is absolutely perfect, but the certification itself does provide a closer way to support sustainable farming, enabling consumers to consciously buy certified products. Indirect feedback to farmers in the producing area, and enhance the possibility of sustainable farming.

The relationship between Fine Coffee and Sustainability

Consumers' first impression of the producing area comes from the coffee drink on hand. How to make consumers feel the unique regional flavor of the producing area through the time of a cup of coffee, and then be happy to support the industry through actual consumption, so that the supply of good coffee will no longer be reduced to a slogan. Barista, the role of telling stories with coffee, is particularly important.

In addition to various non-profit organizations that directly promote sustainable coffee (such as UTZ certification, Fair Trade Alliance, etc.), boutique coffee associations around the world, such as the American Fine Coffee Association, the European Fine Coffee Association and the Japanese Fine Coffee Association, are also established to promote fine coffee and strive to promote the sustainability of good coffee through annual exhibitions. Gather people from all walks of life in the industry to share the latest information, and also attract coffee lovers from all over the world through the holding of competitions. Top baristas from all over the world strive to create better coffee services on the stage with superb skills and enthusiasm for coffee. It's really a great pleasure to watch the exhibition.

In recent years, Taiwan has seen a large number of talents on the coffee world stage, and has repeatedly made great achievements in baking, cup testing, flower drawing, and barista competitions. At the coffee exhibition held in Japan in early October 2015, Taiwan's siphon coffee representative, Mr. Jian Jiacheng, stunned the audience with creativity and surprise, and won the third place in the world.

Drinking coffee can change the world.

Growers and consumers are two vital roles in the coffee supply chain. However, the distance between them may be the furthest, whether it is the real geographical distance or psychological distance. Through the "conscious" purchase of sustainably certified coffee products, we, at the end of the supply chain, can enable farmers to earn a reasonable income, thus making them more willing to farm in a way that is kind to the natural environment. and encourage more people to participate in the management of sustainable farming. As coffee lovers, we can make the world better by supporting sustainable farming, and we can also taste good coffee for the rest of our lives.