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Have you ever wondered how decisions about your morning cup of coffee impact farmers, land management and communities in faraway places? I’ve drunk more than enough coffee to consider this question, so I reached out to Tracy Allen of Brewed Behavior to walk me through the how the coffee industry can and is being designed to benefit small farmers, small communities, top quality and all the while meeting the demands of big consumer brands.
In my chat with Tracy we talked about;
– the problem with typical grower/producer relationships.
– why long term (3 year) purchasing commitments are so important
– how a different model puts 75 cents per dollar in the pocket of the farmer vs 25 cents.
– who is applying “Farmer Direct” business models on a large scale.
– Have we reached “Peak Coffee”? – Is coffee demand outstripping supply or creating major environmental “burden”?
– The impacts of recent pest outbreaks on organic growers
– How to spot a great coffee shop/cafe
– Coffee in my home town of Melbourne Australia!
– Some recommendations for coffee in Maine!
Get in touch with Tracy Allen at www.brewedbehavior.com or on TWITTER @brewedbehavior
Some other links to companies we discussed in this episode;
Chick-Fil-A Coffee – http://coffeewithastory.chick-fil-a.com
Thrive Farmers Coffee – The organization behind large scale Farmer Direct coffee with such brands as Chick-Fil-A
Bard Coffee – Portland, Maine: A Great cup of coffee if you are in the area!
Elements Coffee & Book Store – My own local (mainly featuring Bard Coffee)