Coffeeshop
Our coffeeshop serves Peace Coffee and a variety of traditional cafe drinks like cappuccinos, lattes, americanos, and macchiatos. We also feature fresh, homemade pastries, parfaits, granola, and other treats.
Relax, and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with a cup of shade-grown, certified organic and fair trade Peace Coffee.
- Shade-grown. Many coffee farmers grow their coffee plants in full sun in order produce more . But coffee plants like the shade. So that’s where our farmers grow it. As a result…
- Certified organic. Our farmers avoid synthetic fertilizers that other farmers use to grow their coffee in the sun. Cultivated in the shade of well-tended trees, our coffee contributes to a natural ecosystem. It’s better for the earth and better for our farmers…
- Fair trade. The ecosystem in which coffee is grown allows farmers to diversify their crops, which ensures they can make a living from their hard work. Peace Coffee also guarantees a minimum price for our coffee farmers, regardless of the fluctuating market. This also allows farmers to invest in their local community, while also bringing a tasty cup of coffee to ours.
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Economics of Coffee, Part 2–Demand
Last week we began a series on the economics of coffee. As you may have noticed, we have had to raise our prices recently on our coffee products. We don’t take such things lightly, and so we decided to explain some of the factors in the world contributing to increasing coffee prices. Our hope is to keep an open and honest dialogue with our customers through our Facebook page, Twitter feed, and our blog regarding these changes. We invite you to join in the conversation through any of these venues. As promised, we’re going to briefly discuss one of the reasons coffee prices are on the rise: increasing demand.
Take a minute and go back to economics class in high school. And try to forget that your crush was sitting right behind you and that your teacher was always cleaning out his left ear with his car keys–this is important! What did they always say in economics class? Remember the principle of supply and demand. When supply ishigh and demand is low, prices fall. When demand is high and supply is low, prices rise. Right now, the demand for coffee is increasing in the global market. Here in America, the main demographic consuming more coffee is young people. According to onestudy, 10 percent more youth drank coffee than last year. But the main increase in global demand is coming from developing nations like Vietnam, Tanzania, and China.
The meteoric rise of the Chinese economy is no secret, but perhaps their demand for coffee is. It’s well-known that one of the staples of the Chinese diet is tea. But the influence of Western culture on major cities like Shanghai has made young, urban Chinese crave the coffee bean more than they had before. Chain coffee vendors have been popping up all over Shanghai for quite awhile, and supermarkets are selling more of it as well. To be fair, it does seem to be an urban phenomenon–one reporter visiting the country found little interest in java when he ventured into Chinese countryside. Still, the demand is real and significant. In 2010, the Chinese coffee market was growing 20% annually. That’s a lot more people looking for their caffeine fix from the same bean. And when more people want something, it becomes more valuable. Of course, that’s only part of the story.
The increase in coffee demand wouldn’t really be a problem for us if coffee farmers could just grow enough for everyone. But in our next post, we’ll get into the problems with last year’s crop, and specifically address some of the issues that our coffee distributor, Peace Coffee, had to face in 2010.
In the meantime, we invite you to continue to discussion here and on Facebook and Twitter. What has your family been doing to deal with the rising food prices? How will the increase in coffee affect you and your family? And what suggestions do you have for us?
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Economics of Coffee, Pt. 1
It’s time for good news / bad news time. The good news: our Peace Coffee is organic, fair trade, and tasty as ever. Maybe that’s old news to you, but it still should make you feel good. For one, our organic coffee farmers don’t just avoid the laboratory-synthesized fertilizers and dangerous pesticides that other farmers use; they attempt to grow coffee as a natural part of a working ecosystem. Which means the farming also does less damage to the environment.
Our Peace Coffee is also fair-trade–which basically means that our producer agrees on a minimum price that it will pay farmers for coffee beans, regardless of the always-fluctuating market price. If the market price is above the minimum, then we pay the market price; but during the lean times, the farmers are guaranteed a price that’s fair–hence “fair trade.” This helps small farmers maintain their way of life, invest in their business and local communities, and give dignity to their hard-working families who help bring you your favorite coffee.
The bad news: our coffee prices are going up.
We’ve been working to avoid this for quite awhile. But in the end, we had no other choice.
The global coffee market is at a 34 year high at the moment. And however you get your caffeine fix, chances are you are paying more for it right now.
This is frustrating; we know. The tough economy has forced all of us to make sacrifices. The rising cost of food and drink only exasperates the money problems we all face. We believe in talking openly and honestly with our customers about things, and this tough choice we’ve had to make deserves an explanation. Why are coffee prices rising?
Most people attribute the rising price of the coffee bean to three main things. In the coming weeks, we hope to discuss these three issues on the blog, Facebook, our new Twitter platform, and at the store with you. The three causes of rising coffee prices are:
3. More people in developing nations, like China, are drinking coffee.
2. Last year many farmers struggled to produce enough coffee for all the people wanting it.
1. The uncertain economy encouraged traders to turn to safer investments–like coffee. The more people invested in coffee, the higher the price went.
Look for regular updates on our Economics of Coffee series on the website. Join the discussion here on the website or on Facebook, or just ask us about it at the store. How do you feel about the rising cost of coffee? How do you think this will affect your coffee drinking habits?
