Coffee

The history of coffee

Legend has it that Kaldi, a goat farmer, did not know what to do about the excitement of his goats. All he knew was that they had just eaten red and yellow berries from a wild tree. So they took them to the monks, who refused to give any explanation, considering them a diabolical temptation.

Thrown into the fire, they gave off such an enticing aroma that they decided to collect them. This is how the first coffee from human hands was born.

In fact, it was between Reunion, the West Indies and the Caribbean Islands that coffee made its appearance. It then spread to Brazil and Santo Domingo. On Reunion Island, coffee growing was imposed without the colonists being able to control the machinery.

The transport is also chaotic, the coffee being impregnated with all the surrounding smells. Under threat of sanctions, they were forced to continue cultivation, and it was thanks to Western countries that the hoped-for development finally took place.

Geography of coffee

Brazil remains the leading producer of Arabica and Robusta. Vietnam has become the world's leading producer of Robusta. Between them, they produce almost half of the world's production and are widening the gap with other producing countries.

Colombia, Indonesia and Honduras are the main countries from which the remaining coffee beans are sourced. Arabica is produced mainly by Ethiopia and Peru, and Robusta by India and Uganda.

Fairtrade or Max Havelaar

Fairtrade or Max Havelaar is the reference label for fair trade. It guarantees fair treatment throughout the value chain, in addition to providing material support and guidance to the most disadvantaged producers. This label is an opportunity for farmers to boost their agricultural activity, through fair remuneration, material support and sustainable partnerships.

By buying such products, you are assured of participating in the fair remuneration of small producers. It is also for you, the assurance of consuming more responsibly.

UTZ Label

This label aims to protect the producers at work. The main differences with the Fairtrade label are that only cocoa, coffee and tea are covered by this certification and that the environment is a major concern in the same way as the economy and social issues.

For example, the low use of pesticides, the ban on deforestation and respect for the surrounding flora are among the points from which farmers must not deviate. As for the economy, attention is paid to the traceability of the batches produced, to regular checks on the production chain, etc.

Any customer can feel confident about his or her purchase, as the people who grew the coffee enjoyed the best working conditions. At the same time, economic and environmental aspects were taken into account instead of being sidelined.

Organic Label

Many products are labelled organic. A product labelled as such implies that the producer cultivates it in compliance with several criteria. Thus, coffee that is said to be organic must have been grown without synthetic chemicals, without GMOs, and contain at least 95% organic ingredients. Finally, especially applicable to coffee, the beans must be separated from the so-called "non-organic" beans, from cultivation to roasting.

The taste of the coffee will not be the same with the organic label, you will taste the pleasure of coffee without any impact on health.