Globally, over 2 billion cups of coffee are consumed every day. Australians alone drink roughly 16.3 million coffees a day. Coffee, as a world commodity, is second only to oil. It’s the world’s most popular beverage and over 120 million people rely on it for their livelihoods.
When broken down into raw numbers, the impact of the coffee bean is staggering. According to Conservation International, “the coffee we drink depends on the health, prosperity and well-being of 25 million coffee producers, 10 million hectares of coffee farms, and the continued ability of nature to sustain them.”
All of which makes for a pretty convincing argument for sustainable coffee production.
5 Reasons You Should Support Sustainable Coffee
‘Sustainable coffee’ is a term you might have heard before – but wondering what it means and why you should choose sustainable? We’re here to tell you what it means and why it’s important.
1. Supports Farmers
Defined generally, sustainable coffee is coffee that is grown in a way that conserves nature and provides better livelihoods for the people who grow and process it. As one of the most important commodities in terms of value traded globally, coffee plays a crucial role in the livelihoods of millions of rural households across the developing world.
As demand for an increasingly cheaper product rises, pressure on farmers to maintain low prices can lead to exploitation of workers. This pressure can compel farmers to clear more forests, use low-quality pesticides and rely on cheap labor — child labor, in some cases — to make a profit.
Choosing sustainable coffee helps to make sure farmers are fairly compensated for their product, thus reducing pressure on farmers and ensuring the product is produced and farmed ethically.
2. Reduces The Impact On The Environment
It’s vital to pay attention to how the coffee is grown, both for the quality of the coffee and for taking care of the land that makes it all possible. The higher the demand for coffee, the larger the coffee farms and the temptation to cut corners during production. If care is not taken, coffee farms can lead to mass deforestation, erosion and sedimentation of waterways.
Choosing sustainable coffee matters if you care about preserving the very land that produces coffee in the first place.
3. Supports Local Coffee Roasters
For coffee roasters, coffee is more than just a drink – it’s a way of life. Roasters take great pride in producing the highest quality coffee and refuse to settle for poor quality coffee.
This includes ensuring coffee is sustainably produced. Supporting your local coffee roaster means supporting the hard work that has gone into sourcing and roasting the perfect (sustainably produced) coffee bean. When you support a local roaster, you are supporting a local business, a local artist, and the society of coffee lovers as a whole.
4. Reduces Plastic Waste
Takeaway coffee cups are lined with a plastic film, making them notoriously difficult to recycle. After the coffee drinker is finished with the cup, it is thrown away where it will remain in a landfill for a thousand years. Many even end up in the ocean where they break up into small bits that marine life mistake for food, claiming countless lives.
But sustainable coffee producers are encouraging the use of a BYO ‘keep cup’ to replace takeaway coffee cups. Some coffee places will even offer patrons a small discount if they bring their own cup.
5. Supports Changing Consumer Behaviour
Now you understand the importance of choosing sustainable, you’re probably wondering how you can help.
Aside from the above points: choosing sustainable beans, local roasters, and bringing your own reusable coffee cup – the next best thing you can do is to support changing consumer behaviour. Tell your friends about the importance of choosing sustainable coffee, and help encourage changing consumer behaviour.
Enquire Today About Joining The Elixir Family
As a coffee consumer, your buying decisions matter. Choosing sustainable coffee is as easy as remembering these main points:
- Pay attention: read labels before you buy, and buy carefully.
- Ditch the takeaway cup.
- Support local roasters like Elixir, and tell your friends about the roasters committed to sustainability. Your choice to support the companies that care and value the long-term impact they make, matters.
Interested in joining the Elixir Family? Make a difference and start using Elixir’s sustainable coffee today.
Find out more information here.
