Coffee: The Spirit of Capitalism

Coffee: The Spirit of Capitalism

Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world, following oil. It's fascinating to think about how a religious drink meant for Muslims to stay awake and pray for longer has become the world's favorite beverage after water. The history of coffee involves slavery, colonization, the industrial revolution, and international trade.

In Europe, coffee became so popular that it was banned multiple times throughout history. For example, in the Ottoman Empire, coffee was briefly banned in the 16th century by the ruler Murad IV, who believed that it encouraged political dissent and social unrest. The ban was eventually lifted, but coffee houses were heavily regulated and monitored by the government. Coffee shops provided a space for meaningful conversations, unlike old pubs where alcohol often led to fights.

Coffee shops were even called "Penny Universities" because of the interesting conversations that took place there between the educated and the not so educated. The French and American revolutions both started in coffee shops, and it has been the meeting point for hundreds of protest movements and intellectual revolutions.

But while some were freeing themselves through coffee, millions were dying in different regions of the world. Brazil, for instance, was the last country to abolish slavery in the world. One of the main reasons why they wouldn't abolish it was because of slavery in the coffee plantations. Brazil has been the biggest producer of coffee since the beginning of the coffee trade, and it still remains the biggest producer today.

Slavery allowed economies of scale in the coffee industry, and thanks to slavery, we have our warm cup of coffee in the morning. Today, in 2023, even though slavery has been banned in most countries, millions of workers are still forced into exploitative and inhumane supply chains. Coffee is a clear example of how, because it is farmed in the global south, it is not seen as a problem for the global north. In fact, coffee shops, not the farmers, get the biggest part of the profits.

Coffee is just one example, but this happens in every single good in the supply chain. Other examples are chocolate and rare earth elements. Rare earth elements are used in technology, such as our phones, computers, fridges, electric cars, and national security missiles. They make us freer by enabling us to have access to information, communication, news, and knowledge. However, in the process, millions are being enslaved in Africa and Asia mining those elements.

Acknowledging that international trade makes people from faraway places suffer is a good first step towards finding ways to fix its flaws. One outstanding case study is the non-profit organization De La Gente in Guatemala. During our Middlebury Alternative Break in Ciudad Vieja, Antigua Guatemala, my group of 12 Middlebury students learned from them last February break in 2023. De La Gente empowers farmers and their families to directly export their coffee to consumers in the United States without the need for intermediaries. They are able to finance themselves through ecotourism, including coffee tours, cultural immersion tours, and cooking workshops.

We want to thank De La Gente Coffee and its farmers for opening the doors of their homes and treating us like family. We hope this trip can be repeated every year.