Cappuccino Trail: The Globalization Of Coffee

There are many legends and controversy about how and when coffee was discovered. One of the theories is that a shepherd in Ethiopia realized that after its goats ate beans from a tree, they would have so much energy that they did not sleep at night. He told the head of the monks from a monastery and this monk made a drink with the berries and found out that it had the potential to keep him up for very long hours. As the word was passed on and on, this new ideal rapidly spread around the globe. In the documentary, Cappuccino Trail, coffee is used as an example of globalization and how fair trade can be applied to this commodity.
“About two and a half billion cups of coffee are sold in a day and over eight hundred flavor characteristics of …show more content…
Referring to the documentary, coffee could be considered an “emblem for globalization” and has been “spread to the four corners of the world.” Coffee is a product sold worldwide and accessible everywhere. The only other good that exceeds coffee is oil. It has been proven that coffee has an incredible variation in taste depending on which area it has been grown in. The top two producers of coffee are Brazil and Colombia. Equally important, the top two consumers of coffee in absolute terms are the United States and Brazil. However, in the Netherlands is where they drink the most coffee per person per day, 2.4 cups (and Finland is a close second). Concerning coffee as a commodity, it is an importable product for almost every single country. Specifically, Starbucks can be considered a global brand. Whenever one asks people why they like Starbucks, the first idea that pops into their mind is their coffee. Most people say something along the lines of, “it isn’t just coffee, it’s gourmet.” But the new question is if its worth it to pay the price of their coffee. Starbucks takes a simple product, coffee, and turns it into a “lifestyle.” One is not just buying a coffee; one buys an “experience.” More importantly, Starbucks has generated a community that is global, which is why they have succeeded in the market even though their prices are extremely high. For example, Starbucks has the …show more content…
Referring to the documentary as an example, the producers that work in Machu Picchu are sometimes exposed to poor working conditions with a very low wage. Particularly, they are in the sun for many hours and have to carry coffee sacks that weigh a ridiculous amount. Café Direct is the company referred to in the documentary that sets out on an adventure to find the bean of a gourmet coffee located in Machu Picchu. They help out the producers that live there because they do not have any resources. Since they have no capital to invest, this mountain gourmet coffee does not have any value. By themselves, they are not able to get it to the market. Unfortunately, weather plays a huge role in everything that has to do with farming and land crops. In the documentary one is able to see that, when the country floods, all the crops are ruined. When this disastrous event happens, Café Direct is willing to provide the money to help them produce coffee again. Since they are promoting a new organic coffee that is more expensive, the objective is for the producers of Machu Picchu to receive a higher income. This company eliminates “the middle man” and has a direct connection with everyone that is working with the product. Café Direct also wants customers to be fully aware of what they are putting into their supermarket