Coffee brewers turn to fair-trade practices

Commentary

Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world, next to crude oil. This doesn't necessarily require an appreciation for the beverage itself, but the immensity of this market force alone should create an impression as to whether or not you drink coffee.

In America, the college student demographic routinely contributes to the excess of coffee usage. On N.C. State's campus alone, there are more than a handful of coffee shops and cafes aimed to meet the demand for a caffeine fix.

Naturally, coffee is an integral staple of the average college student's diet, but the overwhelming barrage of ads, slogans and discounts can be as overpowering as a jittery espresso. Students, however, should not just be asking when and where they will get their next brew, but rather from where their coffee is coming and what the impact is of their decision-making.

According to a study by Danish economist Stefano Ponte, 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed daily throughout the world. This massive statistic raises issues about sustainability and the effects of coffee production on the economy and the environment. However, this issue has not only captured the attention of the specialists from the think tanks, but also the conscience of many roasters and baristas, especially in Raleigh.

Larry Larson started Larry's Beans coffee roasting company 16 years ago. As a visionary in the coffee business, Larry's Beans was the first 100 percent fair-trade coffee roaster in North Carolina.

"I really want to educate consumers, or help consumers understand, rather, that you are constantly voting with your dollar," Larson said. "So I'm on this thing about transparency, in every way and on all levels. So let's make it easier for people to conceive who and what we are."

All the coffee roasted by Larry's Beans is fair-trade, organic, shade-grown coffee. According to the fair-trade agreements of the 1990s, fair-trade coffee is bought from a cooperative of plantations at a set price to ensure responsible production and wealth distribution. Many of the proceeds from fair-trade are invested in education and civic works to improve conditions in coffee producing countries.

"By being a regular costumer of the growers, they now have a partner that they can rely on, which is critical." Larson said.

Moreover, there are environmental concerns with coffee production.

"Fundamentally, people are looking for shade-grown to prevent deforestation," Larson said. "Coffee was introduced to South and Central America. At first, the hybrid required shade."

In its natural environment at high elevation and under the cover of shade, the coffee plant can produce a cherry, from which two coffee beans will come. However, in the interest of mass production, much of the coffee grown around the world deviates from the shade-grown practice.

A cup of coffee from a place like Dunkin Donuts uses beans from full sun (deforested) plantations that plant the Robusto coffee hybrid, which grows easier, yet yields a lower quality product with more caffeine.

However, roasters similar to Larry's Beans do not solely measure their success by profits made, but also the effects of their actions.

"I started out as a coffee geek, but today the company finds itself with a mission," Larson said. "I got sidetracked in a good way on the fair-trade thing and through the process over the years, we've found ourselves as ambassadors of sustainability. I have a meaning when I get out of bed now."

Nevertheless, the determining factor to the success of coffee is in its flavor. Achieving the balance for it to be just right takes skill.

"I like to call it a craft," Larson said. "There is a lot of science and a lot of art. One or the other doesn't work. A lot of the artsy types have no consistency and it's all a little hocus-pocus. The science types generally get some flat and uneventful things going on. I'm generalizing, but it takes a lot of practice to learn how to calibrate all the factors that go into the roasting process."

Flavors develop in the bean throughout all steps in coffee production. The red cherry imparts nuances to the beans, the short fermentation/soaking process that removes the cherry-like pulp influences the taste and most recognizably, the roasting process transforms the raw, green coffee bean into what one imagines a coffee bean to look like.

"In a nutshell, imagine a front load drier -- that is essentially the roaster. We control the flame on the bottom as well as airflow into the drum. The coffee tumbles inside the drum and eventually you get to the point when the coffee is done. And it's done when the roaster thinks it's done," Larson said. "It can be a tricky task."

While roasting, various factors can be tweaked to express the flavors of the coffee.

"One item is roasting time from start to finish. Airflow is a component. How fast you bring the temperature up or down. Degree of darkness. It's how you go about start to finish that makes a roaster special or not so special," Larson said.

Roasting coffee must be balanced in order to guarantee a consistent product. Coffee is only harvested once a year, so the beans that roasters use right after harvest are the same beans that roasters will be using for the rest of the year. With this in mind, roasters must respond to the subtle changes in the bean.

Larry's Beans has integrated responsibility and taste together and it has developed a strong following. Over 50 restaurants, cafes and bars serve Larry's Beans, and with the strong network for local vendors, Larry's demand has increased tremendously.

"This isn't about me. We've got a great staff and it's been a collaborative effort," Larson said.

Larry is not the only person roasting fair-trade and organic beans. All the Port City Java joints on campus carry fair-trade coffee and the impact has made a tremendous difference. The Port City Java in Parks Shops goes through 100 pounds of ground coffee daily. It would be difficult to measure the exact amount of pesticides not being used and rainforests not being cut down, but it does have a tangible effect.