Costa Rica carbon neutral coffee
The world is becoming an increasingly environmentally – conscious place. The trends towards recycling, energy-saving and reducing the carbon footprints are regularly discussed in news forums as part of the current agenda. This concern has extended also to the coffee industry… and in Costa Rica in particular. There, local coffee growers have come up with a new idea to appeal to customers who want to do their bit for the planet and its resources.
What is the Costa Rican proposal? The answer lies in the introduction of an innovative scheme to market carbon-neutral coffee. A co-operative group of some 800 farmers, named CoopeDota, want to create this new product and hope at the same time to demand increased prices in line with other environmentally friendly farming processes. Published figures indicate that almost 50 per cent of the output from CoopeDota will bear the carbon-neutral seal this year, a quantity which amounts to over 15,000 bags of beans and 383 bags of tasted coffee.
How does the certification of this carbon-neutral process work? CoopeDota are not the first to claim to be carbon-neutral but they are different from other farmers, in that they seek to use a certification procedure to prove this. The British Standards Institution’s PAS 2060 is renowned as the way to calculate this neutrality. What does the PAS 2060 measure? The process looks at the point source emissions but also investigates the whole cycle to bring the coffee product to the customer.
This is a welcome move to create a more ethically sound production of one of our favourite drinks.
Diabetes news of beneficial effects of coffee
The Karolinska Institutem in Sweden has been reviewing the health records of a significant group of women for more than a decade and has recently disclosed particular results concerning those who drink more than one cup of coffee per day. What did the research show? These coffee-drinking women were found to have improved their chances of combatting type 2 diabetes and liver cancer.
The global diabetes community has been delighted to note the conclusions of the scientists, as it has been discovered that this moderate coffee consumption has aided the reduction of inflammation and improved insulin sensitivity. Each of these factors has contributed to the conclusions that coffee is helping to reduce the likelihood of developing diabetes. It has been suggested that the magical properties in coffee that are proving so useful are the high concentrations of antioxidants.
The significant finding in the results also related to the incidence of strokes, as it was discovered that these moderate coffee-drinking women were up to 25% less likely to have a stroke than low or non-coffee drinkers.
So what is the optimum quantity of coffee that we should be drinking to make use of these benefits? In a statement from one of the lead researchers, it seems that there is no conclusive answer to this question, although the Swedish scientist suggested drinking between one and five cups would be about right. The study focused on women, but would men also benefit in this way? The same scientific establishment has carried out research previously, which indicates that men may very well also benefit from a good daily dose of coffee.
Environmentally friendly coffee-drinking
The British Council’s Big Green Idea programme has recently recognised the initiatives of an artist, Amelia Tovey and has awarded her a grant for her work.
What is Amelia doing that has earned her this recognition? As part of her ‘Leave No Trace’ project, this artist has become something of an eco-entrepreneur, which has the double benefit of helping the environment at the same time as saving businesses money. In essence, Amelia is creating opportunities for local cafes to recycle coffee leftovers and disposable cups. She introduced a scheme of compost bins and compostable cups to a local café in Carriageworks, located in Eveleigh in New South Wales near Syndey, Australia. How successful was this simple solution? Astonishingly, Amelia has disclosed that operating costs were reduced by approximately 30 per cent when the café started to use the bins.
When asked how Amelia came up with this innovative idea, she explained that it was borne out of a previous project called ‘There is No Away’ – “as in, when you think about throwing something away, there is no away,” she explains in her own words. When she looked into the dilemma of recycling within the café culture, the artist discovered that there were no obvious guidelines for saving the environment when dealing with waste. Taking matters into her own hands, Amelia came up with the idea of the composting bins which has taken off in the local community. Of course another advantage to this scheme is that it lessens the carbon footprint of the business, by reducing transport and waste costs.
Here’s hoping that the idea will continue to flourish.
Liverpool coffee to be decorated for the centenary celebrations
Liverpool is an iconic English city, famous for the Beatles, its music scene, the River Mersey… and the Royal Liver building. The building was constructed in 1911 as the base for the Royal Liver Assurance group. It is now one of the most famous landmarks of the city and is both a Grade 1 Listed Building and part of the city’s designated UNESCO World Heritage status.
Of course, mention of the Liver Building would not be complete without reference to the two Liver Birds on top of the building. Legend has it that these birds keep watch over Liverpool and look out to sea – and if these winged protectors ever disappear, the life of the city would end.
In celebration of the centenary of the famous building, the Liverpool Daily Post has reported that Gerry Jones has special plans all of his own. This former school teacher has created a stencil of the Liver Birds for use in a coffee shop. Why? Mr Jones wants Liverpool to create its very own brand of coffee-design by sprinkling cocoa powder on top of the city’s cappuccinos in the shape of the emblematic birds.
Mr Jones has described his invention as creating the ‘Lyverchino’ and his designs have already caught the attention and enthusiasm of several local coffee shop owners. The inventor noticed that other tourist or historic sites celebrated in similar coffee-design style and he saw no reason why Liverpool should not join in with this tradition.
China gets a taste for coffee
When we think of the traditional drink of China, it is tea rather than coffee that springs to mind. However, the Western penchant for the coffee bean is spreading to the Chinese and new coffee plantations and a blossoming urban coffee culture are evidence of this.
The new interest in coffee is growing at a fast rate in this vast country. Compared to the global annual average of 2 per cent growth, the Chinese coffee industry is estimated to be growing between 15 and 20 per cent yearly. Of course, the traditional national drink of tea still has a stronghold on the population and published statistics indicate that tea sales amount to some 70 per cent of the hot beverages sector.
Businesses are quickly cottoning on to the fact that there is a huge potential in the country for the coffee industry and culture. Some experts have predicted that China may even become the second biggest coffee consuming country after the US. Published interviews with the locals indicate that the Chinese see coffee-drinking as a sophisticated, cosmopolitan activity.
At present, the market in China is divided – the Chinese prefer to drink instant coffee at home, whereas they tend to choose to consume roast and ground richer coffee in coffee shops. The instant coffee prices are attractively low and many of the Chinese who frequent the coffee shops are seduced by the lifestyle there, including the ability to use wireless computers, meet friends and do work.
We will watch with interest, to see how strong coffee-fever becomes in this traditionally tea-drinking country.
Fairtrade coffee in Ethiopia
Recently published statistics show that we like to drink coffee with a good conscience: the purchase of Fairtrade merchandise is up by 40%. The logo appearing on coffee brands means that the purchasers of the coffee beans from the local farmers have complied with various criteria which are designed to protect farmers from unfair low prices and also benefit their local community. The Fairtrade Foundation has reported that in the UK, 6.4million cups of Fairtrade coffee are drunk every day.
Cynics have argued that the big brands of coffee companies have marked up prices of Fairtrade coffee, but Barbara Crowther of the Fairtrade Foundation has said that, while some products may be a few pence more expensive, she has noticed several of the large market players have not increased Fairtrade prices.
The Glaswegian coffee company, Matthew Algie, is one of the latest companies to make a public statement of its intention to increase its involvement in the Fairtrade market on an annual basis. It is reported that almost 80% of the company’s coffee is now Fairtrade, to ensure that the farmers get a fair price for their product and that the local community of coffee-growers also benefits.
The company has a strong relationship with Ethiopia, particular the Oromio’s Farmers’ Co-operative Union and sources many new coffee beans and flavours from that country. He has seen at first hand how living standard improvements are relative to the success of the coffee industry, including increased medical care, transport and education
Death by coffee…
It sounds a little like an Agatha Christie whodunit novel – who spiked the coffee and killed by poisoning? But that is precisely what happened to a prisoner of the Sing Sing Correctional Facility in 2003.
A recent case, reported in the Daily News, reveals that Rodney Williams was murdered after hair remover was added to his coffee. However, unlike the neat conclusions to the detective novels (picture Poirot explaining the intricacies of the murder to a sitting room full of suspects), no-one has yet been charged for murdering the inmate.
Williams had been jailed for stealing cars and was only 3 weeks from release from the prison when his life was brought to a premature end. The facts of the case are even more appalling, as the victim was only 20 years old and had the rest of his life ahead of him.
The Judge at the Court of Claims had to decide whether or not the victim received adequate medical aid. Apparently Williams complained to prison guards repeatedly that he believed he had been poisoned, but he did not receive any medical attention for some three hours. The Judge ruled that there was a much higher chance that Williams would have lived, if he had received medical treatment earlier. The officials argued that the prison staff behaved appropriately.
How was the case resolved? What was the result? The victims’ family in New York have been awarded $725,000 as a result of the judge’s ruling.
Photo: Andrew Kuznetsov
Coffee culture spreads to Russia?
A new coffee shop chain, Koffein, is opening in Moscow and claims to bring the coffee culture to the Muscovites. The managing director is bursting with enthusiasm and her conviction that, once the population has tasted an excellent quality coffee bean and has been educated as to the subtleties of the coffee connoisseur, the damn will burst.
Is this really the case? Russians already have a reputation for drinking copious quantities of coffee and statistics indicate that the country of coffee-drinkers exceeds the consumption of other coffee-addicts, such as Egypt and Mexico, albeit that most of it is drunk at home and is instant coffee.
Of course, other coffee chains have already sought to establish themselves in the country. However, the new Koffein chain argues it is designed to introduce a higher quality bean at similar prices to try to educate the Russian palette and lure the customers away.
It seems that the Russian market is different and their needs are being accommodated. Coffee chains are experimenting to see what will seduce their customers through their doors. There is a market out there, waiting to be persuaded – it is said that the new generation are two and a half times more likely to frequent such a shop.
Some chains are boasting the quality of the training of their baristas, some the quality of their coffee. Due to the harsh cold of the winters, these customers need something to warm them and menus often now include a selection of hot dishes.
All is up for grabs. Let’s wait and watch to see what happens.
Cuban coffee makes a comeback
Cuba is known worldwide for its famous cigars, but did you realise that this country also adores its coffee? If you are a coffee-connoisseur then you may be aware that Cuban coffee is much sought after, although recent productions levels have been low.
The main area of coffee-production is in Santiago de Cuba – this year the area is doing well and some 2,700 tons of coffee beans have already been harvested. Despite the storm damage to Cuban coffee crops in autumn last year, there seems to be a comeback in the industry.
Since the communists took power over the country, the coffee export of the country plummeted. The industry is closely linked to the political situation and although there was a favourable change in Cuba’s fortunes in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the Soviet Union fell in 1990 the coffee industry in the country was hard hit once more. Today, the coffee exports only amount to around 1% of the national exports, which falls far below the level in 1956, when it was around 3.9%.
Nevertheless, Cubans still love their coffee. Given the internal problems in the country, they have had to look to imported coffee for their daily caffeine fix and Cuban coffee beans are rationed for the local people (two ounces per adult every two weeks).
However, plans are afoot to improve the situation. The Cubans aim to produce around 6,700 tons of coffee beans this year. Given the quality of their coffee, here’s hoping that they continue to battle adversity and turn their industry around. We will all benefit.
Do you need a coffee class?
Our coffee houses are becoming increasingly sophisticated – gone are the days when we simply asked for a ‘cup of coffee.’ Now we have to decide whether to have a cappuccino or a latte, whether to have a skinny latte or a full-fat version, whether we want a strong roast or a milder taste… in fact we are turning into a nation of coffee connoisseurs.
If you are a little bamboozled by the variety and choices on offer, you may need a little help or a few explanations. In Australia’s Sydney, the coffee shop Mecca Espresso has decided to take their customers’ coffee education in hand.
The Mecca has created a designated ‘coffee education and demo area’ on its premises. Here you can take part in master classes to help you understand the intricacies of coffee-drinking, or maybe take part in one of their tastings to develop your knowledge of the different coffee beans and preparations. You can have small tutorials and the level of instruction ranges from explanations of the basics for novices to details of the latest brewing techniques for the advanced coffee enthusiast. You can also learn which types of coffee are well matched with which food type.
And if all this whets your appetite for coffee, the shop also sells a variety of coffee beans plus a wide range of related equipment.
Perhaps we will see more of these coffee education centres included in our local coffee shops so that we can perfect our taste for the elixir of caffeine too.
Photo: visualpanic