The problem of cheap coffee keeps producers trapped in cycles of poverty and keeps the power in the hands of those least impacted by what is at best a global crisis. What has led to this current state of the industry and how can we be informed and equipped to make changes with the power we each posses to create a better future and tip the scales in favor of those whose lives are literally on the line? Well that is the subject of the new book “Cheap Coffee” by today’s guest, Karl Weinhold.
Karl Wienhold is a consultant, researcher and organizer of postcolonial rural development. He is dedicated to trying to better understand and undo extractive economic power structures that have oppressed people and degraded ecosystems to enrich others since colonial times. He studies coffee, microeconomics, agroforestry, circular economies, and generally fitting square pegs through round holes. He spent several years working as a management consultant specializing in international trade, later shifting to rural development economics and focusing on improving agricultural value chains of tropical cash crops for public, private, and third sector clients. Since founding the farmers’ collective Cedro Alto in 2013, he has been supporting smallholder coffee farmers in Colombia, advocating for them in export markets, and moving physical coffee around the world. He has an MBA in global management, resides in Colombia, and is the author of the book “Cheap Coffee.
In our conversation today we talk about Karls journey in coffee and how his experiences, research, and philosophies have developed and contributed to this book. We explore many facets of Cheap Coffee and discuss questions related to the mechanisms behind the crisis and what we need to be aware of in order to take more informed actions as individuals and business owners.
We cover:
- Sustainability and the need for definitions
- Power structures
- Changing for long term benefit
- How we market and what we practice
- The complexity of both the problem and the solutions
- The mechanisms at work behind the scenes
- Perpetuating poverty porn
- Ownership of images and the supply chain
- Better business models
- Helping without condescension
- Curiosity, investigation, and purposeful partnerships
Links:
Related episodes to listen to next:
265 : Gaining Clarity on Transparency w/ Jonas Lorenz of The Pledge
072: Taking an Origin Trip w/ Kim Elena-Ionescu : How to go to origin in a mutual beneficial way
061 : You Don’t Know Beans about Brazil w/ Kelly Stein, Coffea Podcast
RoR #6: Buying Less and Doing More w/ Ever Meister
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