Coffee - The King of Society
- Artel Richard
- Jan 12, 2019
- 11 min read
Updated: Feb 4, 2019
Did you know that coffee is the second most valuable resource in the world (The Editors of Publications International, LTD, 2008)? Did you know that caffeine contained in coffee is a type of drug called stimulant? Did you know that an estimated 1.4 billion cups of coffee is poured a day world wide (Larkin, n.d.)? Coffee is the king of beverages (excluding water) and it is clear why that is the case. I myself enjoy a nice hot cup of coffee quite often, and love the social culture surrounding coffee (I will explain this later in the blog).
This blog is about the history behind coffee, and the importance of it in our society.
So grab a cup of coffee (only coffee allowed for this blog), relax, and let’s dive in.
Different Types of Coffee Plants
Although there are around 100 species in the Coffea species, only a few kinds are connected to the commercial coffee known to most of us (A Botanist’s Guide to Specialty Coffee, n.d.). Also according to this guide by scaa.org, 70% of the world’s coffee production is made up by the arabica species. The arabica species are the only species in Coffea that can self pollinate.
The Origin and Development of Coffee
The origin of coffee cannot be pinpointed, but only assumed. The National Coffee Association (ncausa.org) claims that although the origin of coffee is unknown, hints and stories lead to Ethiopia being the first country coffee plants were discovered in.
According to ncausa.org, the story of how coffee was discovered was through goats that ate some berries (coffee berries) and became overly energetic. Kaldi, who owned the goats noticed the strange behaviour of the goats and decided to investigate on the berries that the goats ate. He informs the abbot in his hometown about the berries, who then proceeded to made a drink out of the berries that allowed him to stay awake through evening prayer.
This is the story of how coffee was discovered in Ethiopia at around 500 B.C (date suspected by coffeeassoc.com). Coffee was then slowly distributed around the globe, first going to Arabia in the 15th century, then Europe and the new world at around the 16th-17th century (Coffee 101, n.d.).
This notorious bean, plant, berry, whatever the proper term is, took over the world quickly with its’ “magical” effect and rich aromatic taste.
What Are Coffee Beans Used For?
Coffee beans come from coffee cherries which grow on the coffee tree. These trees can be various sizes depending on which species they are. Coffee berries, the raw ingredients that are produced by the trees can then be used for many different things. A part of the world called ‘the Coffee Belt’, near the equator produces the commercially used coffee, due to the rich soil, mild temperatures, generous rain and screened sun (What is Coffee?, n.d.). Once ready, coffee beans are used to make the drinks we know and love today, from classic coffee, to different versions like iced coffee, espresso, latte’s and so on.
Because the flavour of the coffee is so rich, it is used in food recipes as well, such as pastries, chocolate (like Coffee Crisp), and more. Overall, coffee is used for business, whether corporate or local, through products that are popular to consumers.
Where Does Coffee Naturally Grow?
Shocking news - not all coffee tastes good.
Only the coffee that is grown in particular regions with specific climates and conditions, along with many other factors, like altitude, create the great taste and quality that we are accustomed to (Coffee Around the World, n.d.). Different regions create different flavoured beans (Trahan, 2018).
One of the two most commonly grown beans are the arabica beans. High altitudes between 3600 - 6300 feet above sea level and lower temperatures (60-75 degrees fahrenheit) yield arabica beans near the equatorial regions such as Colombia, Ethiopia and Kenya. The frequent rain allows the farmers to harvest the beans twice a year. Arabica beans also grow in subtropical regions, like Brazil and Mexico, where wet and dry seasons are both present, and the beans are harvested once during the colder part of autumn. These arabica beans are grown around 1800 - 3600 feet above sea level. The other common type of coffee beans are the robusta beans. These plants can be grown in warmer temperatures than the arabica beans, and also at lower altitudes (Coffee Environment: Climate Conditions for Growing Coffee Beans, n.d.).
An in depth guide to coffee growing conditions can be found here. The article states the very precise and specific conditions for the optimum crops. From the organic materials in soil, the soil texture, rainfall, humidity, temperature, sunlight, to even the pH level, these factors all result in the quality of the coffee plant (Llobet, 2018).
Major Companies and Factories' Contribution to the Coffee Industry
In Canada, Tim Hortons is a coffee staple. Tim Hortons, a Canadian company founded by the hockey player Tim Hortons in 1964 (Tim Hortons, n.d.), recently became an American store, but it still maintains a large influence on Canadians. Sure they have veered off in a weird direction to mimic other restaurants, but still, their coffee is still loved by many Canadians and even in other countries that Tim’s has expanded to. “Coffee chains Tim Hortons, Starbucks and Second Cup are among the leading coffee retailers in Canada” (Duncan, n.d.).
Although I could not access the details or the source of the statistics, according to statista.com, there are 8388 “establishments” in the coffee and snack industry in Canada. The head office for Tim Hortons is located in Oakville, Ontario, but they are planning to relocate to the centre of Canada, Toronto.
The popularity of making coffee at home has increased, with 59% of Canadians aged 18-79 owning a drip coffee maker at home (Canadian Coffee Consumption, 2018). A large instant coffee brand is Nescafe, owned by Nestle. Their factory is located in Toronto, while their food product supplier is in Brampton, Ontario.
8388 “establishments” in the coffee and snack industry in Canada.
The Manufacture of Commercially Used Coffee
So how is coffee processed from cherries in a tree to the drink we know and love today? According to the National Coffee Association, there are 10 steps that lead to usable coffee.
The first step is planting. After around 3 to 4 years of proper nourishment and tending the seeds, the tree will bear the coffee cherries. When the cherries are ripe (turns into a bright, deep red), the next step is ‘Harvesting the Cherries’. The cherries can be picked by hand or by machine, but there are two ways of harvesting them. The first method is called Strip Picked, where the cherries are stripped off the branch. The other method is called Selectively Picked, where the cherries are selected and picked if they are ripe. A worker’s harvest determines the pay by weighing it. The harvest then proceeds to the processing plant.
Next, the processing step, must begin quickly to “prevent fruit spoilage”. There is also two methods of processing the cherries. The first way is called the Dry Method. This is the traditional method, where the cherries are laid out on large surfaces to be dried by the sun, until their moisture level drops to 11%. They must be covered at night or during rain to prevent them from getting wet. The Wet Method is a more industrialized method. The pulp is removed through a pulping machine, leaving only the parchment skin on, and they pass through water channels, where the lighter beans float, while heavier ripe beans sink. After more processing, the beans are rinsed through more water channels. The goal of the drying step is to bring the moisture content down to 11%. The beans in the parchment envelope can be dried similar to the dry method or in large tumblers. These beans are called parchment coffee.
Milling the beans comes next. The parchment on the parchment coffee is removed by hulling machinery, then they can be polished, and finally, the coffee is graded and sorted by size and weight, colour and other details. The milled beans are called green coffee, which is now ready to be exported. Testing and tasting the coffee is a delicate procedure called cupping. It involves inspecting the look, taste and smell of the coffee in a special room for this process.
The eighth step is to roast the coffee. This is the step that is on many advertisements, where the green coffee roasts into the brown coffee beans. Most machines roast the beans at 550 degrees Fahrenheit, while the beans are constantly moving to avoid burning. The process of the caffeol, an oil inside the beans, being released is called pyrolysis. This happens when the beans reach an internal temperature of around 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and it is from the release of the oil that produces the flavour of the coffee. In order to keep the beans fresh, the roasting happens within the importing country. There are different types of roasts. If you would like to read more, read this article by coffeeassoc.com.
After roasting, the beans are immediately cooled, ready for the next step, grinding. The brewing method determines how coarse or fine the ground coffee is. A proper grind will extract the most flavor in a cup of coffee. Usually, finer ground coffee should be more quickly prepared. Finally, the last step processing coffee is brewing and drinking.
Note - All of the steps in manufacturing and processing coffee was based off of my background knowledge and the content in the article, 10 Steps from Seed to Cup, by the National Coffee Association
Careers in the Coffee Industry
There are over 160,000 jobs in the cafe industry alone. Along with that, there are tens of thousands of more jobs in the manufacturing and independent franchise operator department, as well as related jobs like packaging, equipment suppliers and food manufacturers for cafes (Coffee Facts, n.d.).
I currently work at a local Tim Hortons and from my experience, in order to work in the customer service department of the coffee industry, all you really need is to be over legal working age (I believe it is 14 in Ontario), make a reliable resume, and make a good impression in the interview. No specific education or previous experience needed (although, it will probably help).
Almost 25 million farmers around the world make a living off of coffee crops (The Editors of Publications International, LTD, 2008).
In an article by the Craft Beverage Jobs called Coffee Jobs: Complete Guide To A Career In Coffee (2015), numerous types of jobs in the coffee industry are listed. The most broadest categories being jobs in production of coffee, sales and marketing, hospitality and in general admission (Craft Beverage Jobs, 2015). Coffee roasting jobs can be entered by apprenticeships or through educational programs, coffee buyers buy imported green coffee, and need to have experience in business and trade, roasting and cupping (coffee testing) experience and be bilingual.
Graphic designers, marketing managers and sales representatives can also work in this industry, as they are needed to promote and establish coffee businesses. There are multiple Barista academies and programs to help you become a classy barista. The list of jobs in the coffee industry goes on and on. Check out the article that I learned this information from if you’re interested, here.
How Does Coffee Influence Our Society and Economy?
So why does this have anything to do with us photographers, or anyone in society? Whether you’re an aspiring photographer, a teacher, a business person or the CEO of Canon, coffee is related to us in more ways than you realize. I can immediately state how coffee is intertwined in the way we meet people, where we socialize and how we connect to people. Below I’m going to state various reasons why coffee helps our society develop and grow.
According to the International Coffee Organization (ico.org), “Coffee is of great economic importance, produced in over 60 countries and accounting for the livelihood of around 125 million people around the world.” They also state that coffee can account for up to 50% of a country’s total export earnings.
Coffee is clearly a large part of Canada as well, as “Canada imported approximately 7-8 million U.S. dollars of coffee (approximately 925 million Canadian dollars as of September 2018),” (Duncan, n.d.). From the same source, statista.com, it is stated that between 2012 and 2017, the number of adults who owned a single-cup coffee system has more than doubled, and by June 2018, 10 to 19 Canadian dollars per month were spent on coffee for home use, by most of Canadian consumers. The coffee industry helps maintain many businesses in Canada, as well as around the world. However, the following statistics, obtained from coffeeassoc.com, will only be relevant to Canada. The coffee industry is a $6.2 billion industry, with food service sales making up $4.8 billion and $1.4 billion in the grocery / retail sales department. That’s a lot of money coming from these little plants! In addition, coffee influences the Canadian economy by creating over 160,000 jobs in the cafe department, and over 5000 jobs in both the manufacturing and independent operating departments (Coffee Facts, n.d.).
I can also state that coffee influences our society as well, not just in economy, in little but many ways. I have worked at a local Tim Hortons for over a year now. From working at Tims, I observe families stopping by to buy coffee every morning before they drop their kids off at daycare, elder people having a get together, and even some businessmen sitting and relaxing before or after work. Coffee has integrated itself as a part of Canadian culture (at least from my experiences and observations), and it indirectly allows people to interact and connect with one another.
Socialization with the presence of coffee began centuries ago, during the 16th century. Coffee houses became a popular spot for people to gather in the Middle East, like in Arabia or Turkey. These coffee houses were referred to as the ‘schools of the wise’ because it was the centre for gathering and exchanging information (Coffee and Socializing, 2017). This reflects to our society now, where we still have meetings and choose coffee shops as gathering locations. In the past, and in the modern day, “Coffee houses, as meeting places, help facilitate the spread of information” (Coffee and Socializing, 2017). Even at home, families will be brought together, over coffee, such as mornings, when the whole family or parents/couples enjoys coffee and converse with each other (here’s my family).
When I’m out doing photography, I will always buy a coffee from the nearest coffee shop, whether I’m by myself, or with a model or friends - and they will buy a caffeinated beverage of some sort as well. Furthermore, a coffee shop’s overall mood and atmosphere is very seducing to many young students, as well as the elderly. I personally choose to study at a local cafe rather than a library quite often, because of the smell, the lighting, the ambient noises and of course, the coffee. These reasons also attract me to meet a date at a local coffee shop (when this rare occasion occurs). I even met my current best friends at work, as co-workers. Judging from the pattern, I theorize that I will meet my future girlfriend at a cafe too (a little bit of banter doesn’t hurt right?).
According to New York Times writer Carl Zimmer, people around the world drink more than 26,000 cups of coffee every second (Zimmer, 2014)! Two thirds of Canadian adults drink an average of 3.2 cups of coffee a day, and it even more popular than tap water amongst Canadians over 16 (Supply Chain, n.d). So why is coffee important to the growth and development of society? When I first saw this question, I thought oh jeez, then after researching, I realized that the answer was actually very simple.
A phrase from an article called Coffee: Its Silent Role In Our Society by Gabriel Adams sums up the relation between coffee and society nicely:
Considered a social lubricant, coffee plays a vital role in almost every aspect of our social life. People do business with coffee, people communicate with coffee, people enjoy with coffee and people work with coffee. It is, therefore, safe to assume that people live with coffee. (Adams, n.d.)
Coffee is integrated in our society as the king of all beverages. Not just because of the energizing effect it has on us (like how it allowed me to finish writing this blog), but coffee has a large impact in our social life, relationships, economy and businesses, like for students like me who earn all their income from working at a coffee shop. Coffee has grown to be considered more than a drink, it is a lifestyle.
Here is an interesting infographic pdf file made by Coffee Association of Canada, if you would like to know more about the consumption of Canada in 2018.
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