When I entered in the coffee world, I really only had one thought in mind...I want to help
farmers understand their own personal value as human beings, to know the worth of
what they produce, the quantitative value of what they bring to local, national, and
global markets and how to improve their livelihoods. I could not have ever imagined the
journey that I was embarking upon. Truth be told, there isn’t a day that passes that I do
not still marvel and the breadth and depth of these themes and the challenges the
pursuit of them has brought to my own life.
Sustainability, upon entrance into this sector, seemed to me like a straightforward
process. I could not have been more wrong. It is far more complicated and complex
than I would have ever imagined.
When we look at the definition of sustainability, we are assessing for the ability of
something to be sustained, supported, upheld, or confirmed. Often, we view
sustainability, as I did, through very narrow lenses. Some view sustainability as a
primarily environmental issue. Others view it from a labor and resource availability
perspective. While still others, see it through the lens of social responsibility. I viewed it
as sustaining coffee supply by encouraging farmers to embrace their personal worth,
autonomy, and efficacy, while learning business skills that would allow them to build a
legacy for their families. This in turn, in my way of thinking, strengthens the markets as
a whole, if everyone understands the power of what they bring to the table and how it
can encourage others along the way.
It is my desire, for those who chose to join us in exploring this theme, to provide
information relating to sustainability in its various expressions once a month. It is my
hope to encourage those of us here in the States, a consumer nation, to understand
what it has taken to get that cup of coffee into our hands and how we, as consumers,
can honor those who have given so much to provide it for us. Stay posted...we will
begin at origin.
Thanks for joining us on El Camino!
Ronda
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