Food and Farming
The Frog will explore The Climate Action Handbook: A Visual Guide to 100 Climate Solutions by Heidi Roop in the first 100 days of 2024
In the first `100 days of 2024 we will explore 100 climate solutions that may “empower you to evaluate, engage, and act” to address on-going climate change as an individual on your terms.
I enjoy and appreciate coffee. I like the flavor of black coffee, and when I drink a good cup of coffee, it makes me happy. I have met people who obsess over methods to produce the elusive perfect cup of coffee, but I choose to not put that much effort into it. When presented with a well-made cup of coffee, I just make sure I take a moment to enjoy it when I drink it and reflect on how I content I am in that moment.
For those local to St. Paul, check out Claddagh Coffee Café. Yum.
Of the big nationwide coffee brands, we tend to favor Caribou Coffee as it is homegrown Minnesotan. At home we brew their Mahogany Blend, a dark roasted coffee describe this way: “clean, dry vanilla flavors and raw sugar give this dark roast blend a robust flavor profile, while heady aromatic woods and leather add a rugged, complex edge”. Sublime.
In their advertising, Caribou sells that they source 100 percent of their coffee from Rainforest Alliance Certified® farms, which helps to support conservation, biodiversity, and improved communities for the farmers that supply their coffee. Not only supporting farmers and farmworkers they are building an important alliance of “forest communities, companies, governments, civil society partners, and millions of individuals are committed to creating a world where people and nature thrive together”. It should be noted that they also have adopted a frog as their emblem!
The challenge for a changing climate is that the coffee industry has matured utilizing only two varieties of coffee: coffea arabica, or simply Arabica and coffea canephora, also known as Robusta. Arabica is generally preferred by the larger coffee chains and Robusta is considered cheaper, more bitter and lower quality.
Climate change is impacting the growing conditions of coffee as it is all other agricultural products. True to the name, Robusta tends to be hardier and able to tolerate higher temperatures. A future where Arabica dies out and we are forced to only consume Robusta will likely diminish the industry. And maybe that’s OK. However, it is a large industry and in response to on-going climate change, industry groups are forming that are promoting the discovery and development of climate-resistant varieties.
For the coffee industry, the connection between the land use policies of Brazil, the largest producer (and other producing countries) and the US, the largest consumer is critically important. In the US, our consumer choices are sometimes frivolous and driven by the latest marketing campaign and always by desire for convenience. Combined with a commitment to action and a bit of research, and perhaps thoughtful investment and advocacy, our daily choices on how we spend our money for coffee may determine the future of the industry as the climate changes.
There are many choices, and you should cherish any brand or company that commits to sustainable production and supply. One of our favorites is Dunn Brothers Coffee, where you can see the roasting process in the store and purchase beans that were roasted that day. In addition, Dunn Brothers, among others, have partnered with World Coffee Research which is actively leading and sponsoring research to “secure a diverse and sustainable quality coffee today and for generations to come”.
And minimize the use of disposable cups and plastic pods as you enjoy your drink.
If coffee is important to you, investing in these types of ethical advocacy groups will help ensure not only that you can continue to enjoy that tasty cup and but that there will be an equitable business for the whole value chain, farmers to roasters, and that the industry is developed to be sustainable and climate-smart*.
*David Reay‘s 2019 book Climate-Smart Food, which can be downloaded for free. Climate-smart food is described and detailed “whereby climate resilience and productivity are increased while greenhouse gas emissions are simultaneously reduced”. Chapter 8 is on coffee.
Next Up: Climate Action in 2024 – Day 39: Support Local, Sustainable Fisheries
Howard Creel
#rescuethatfrog
Email: rescuethatfrog@gmail.com