Coffee farmers (2024)

FAQs

What are coffee farmers called? ›

Coffee farmer, producer, grower, supplier – these are all terms used to describe farm-level supply chain actors. They can also be used to define the majority of people involved in the production, harvesting, and processing of coffee.

For farmers, according to the International Trade Center, producers account for only about 10% of the retail price of coffee. If applied to the above examples, farmers will receive about 0.4 USD per cup of coffee. This is a very low payment compared to the efforts the farmers put in.

For agricultural workers who have not contributed to our current climate crisis, they are disproportionately dealing with its effects, including issues like crop blight, floods, drought and an increasingly unstable climate. It is unsurprising then, that so many people should be leaving their coffee farms en masse.

Coffee farmers typically earn only 7–10% of the retail price of coffee, while in Brazil, workers earn less than 2% of the retail price. To earn enough to survive, many parents pull their children from school to work on the coffee plantations.

Changes in climate: Shifts in temperature and rainfall patterns can affect coffee growing regions, leading to altered growing conditions, increased pests and diseases, and reduction in yields. Rain at the wrong time of year as well as drought when the coffee trees need water can decimate that year's crop.

Global consumption has increased by 68% over the past 26 years. However, the farmers responsible for meeting this demand show little interest in drinking the stuff. Instead, coffee is consumed where you might expect.

The conversion of coffee production to sun-grown coffee is a major source of deforestation since forest is cleared to make room for coffee plants. According to some estimates, every cup of coffee consumed destroys roughly one square inch of rainforest, making it a leading cause of rainforest destruction.

Global Farmer Support

Starbucks operates ten Farmer Support Centers in coffee- producing countries around the world. Our agronomists work with farmers to learn and implement the latest findings and best practices in agronomy, quality and social responsibility.

Approximately 44% of the world's coffee farmers are still living in poverty. At least 5.5 million coffee farmers live below the international poverty line of $3.20 a day.

How long do coffee farmers work? ›

Picking ripe coffee cherries off the branches of the coffee tree is arduous work. Coffee pickers typically spend 8 to 9 hours amongst thick brush in the fields, with a short break for lunch. The coffee trees are located on steep mountainsides at high altitudes.

The average cost range for a pound of ground coffee is $8-$20.

In the realm of coffee culture, few individuals hold a higher status than the Barista. The term is of Italian origin and is used to denote a barkeeper, an expert equipped with the skill to prepare and serve exquisite beverages.

1. Barista. National average salary: $28,253 per year Primary duties: Baristas often work in coffee shops and prepare complex coffee beverages for customers. They provide customer services to create a positive impression of the business for customers.

At its simplest, a Barista is someone who makes and/or serves coffee and coffee-based beverages. These can include espresso and drinks made from espresso such as lattes, cappuccino and iced coffee beverages.

The US coffee shop industry includes more than 60,000 stores with combined annual sales of about $40 billion. Coffee shops are part of the specialty eatery industry, which also includes outlets specializing in products such as bagels, donuts, frozen yogurt, and ice cream.