As you are enjoying the delicious taste and satisfying aroma of your morning coffee, have you ever wondered how exactly it is made? You may be surprised by some of the facts that you discover as you trace coffee back to its roots.
Coffee beans can be grown in a narrow band around the Earth known as the ‘Bean Belt.’ The tropical conditions required for coffee growing creates difficulty in meeting worldwide demand. A recent increase in conservation and sustainability efforts has helped ensure that we will have a substantial supply of coffee for the foreseeable future.
Farmers within the Bean Belt tend to own small, rural farms that are family run. Much of the world’s coffee is organically grown, hand-picked, and locally processed. This ensures the high quality that is demanded as coffee drinking becomes more specialized and sophisticated.
Coffee companies that are involved in Fair Trade agreements, provide these small farmers with a price for their harvest that enables them to utilize sustainable farming practices and earn a reasonable living from their farm. When you buy Fair Trade coffee, you know that you are getting a great product that supports Bean Belt farmers.
Beans are harvested and dried where they are grown and imported in this state. The roasting and grinding takes place once the beans are purchased by a coffee company. The work of completing the process falls to them before you can purchase your favorite coffee in whole bean or ground format. Beans are roasted at 550 degrees and cooled quickly in air or water for the best flavor. Proper grinding ensures that most robust flavor when the coffee is brewed.
From the farm to you, your coffee goes through several stages before it is ready to be a part of your morning.
