The coffee business is astonishing in its scope. The market for raw beans is expanding to accommodate newfound interest in high quality specialty coffees; small(er) batch Arabica lots which were once only a very small portion of beans traded globally are now as easy to find in retail as Starbucks brand beans. However, this market remains mostly dominated by larger corporations and, as with other commodity crops, there are literal and figurative distances between those who produce coffee and those who consume the finished product. Permaculture once more could be the key to remedying this. Already cooperatives around the world are making attempts to integrate coffee into biodiverse environments. The coffee market itself is already saturated with certified organic coffees and with consumers who seek these certifications eagerly. By shifting the focus of coffee to the taste of place, growers could potentially create a high demand for coffees grown in permaculture environments. A clean, well-cared for permaculture system would undoubtedly be able to produce quality coffee, and what better taste of place to boast of? The push towards sustainability in the present coffee industry creates opportunities for permaculture to shine and permaculture as a design system would benefit the industry immensely.
Group 11 – Fall Quarter 2015