• GREEN COFFEE NEWS -  FEEDING FRENZY
  STEVE RUIZ, GREEN COFFEE BUYER

• BITS & PIECES -  DORA JARAMILLO, QUALITY ASSURANCE MANAGER

• NUTS AND BOLTS -  MEETING YOUR CUSTOMER'S EXPECTATIONS
  TIM CLELAND, SALES MANAGER FOODSERVICE DIVISION

• HOT TOPIC -  THE IMPORTANCE OF VARIETY
  KRISTINA EKLUND, ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR

Despite the relative calm which has appeared in our coffee market, there still lurks a very dark cloud over the planet in terms of food, its supply, its cost, and the effect on other commodities. For most of this year, I’ve read about the continued growth in world population and the effect this will have in 10 - 20 years. With that projected growth comes a more westernized population who are very unlike the population of current developing countries. This growing population consumes more natural resources, conserves less and is by and large just not as “user” friendly to the planet.

We are losing vital natural resources each day and with the population projected at 9.1 billion by 2050, there is a crisis in our future. We’ve all seen the effects of a fuel crisis. Imagine translating this into a food crisis. These issues are certainly interrelated and there is a strong push to do something here and now. It is a heated debate as to where to start and who should subsidize many of these programs. Farmers worldwide are being urged to develop more productive and less destructive methods. These methods can be expensive and time consuming; two key elements that most farmers are lacking - money and time.

Even the world aid process is facing difficulties in distributing much needed food to areas hit by natural and/or political disasters. This further complicates matters as the transfer of the needed to the needy is also time sensitive. Add to this the escalating cost of transport and the relief efforts are a financial burden to those governments and countries supplying the aid.

As you can see, the entire process seems to be a vicious cycle with no end in sight. Add to this the struggling economies in developing countries, the credit crisis in the US, and world weather which is impacting those crops upon which many developing countries survive and you realize just how critical this situation is.

We’ve stepped away from the normal “coffee talk” to share some insight into the world food crisis which is getting more attention and press each day.

It does make one think twice about those daily necessities we often take for granted.