Last week, coffee commodity prices hit an all-time high due to bad weather in Brazil, the world’s largest coffee producer. For those of us buying and roasting coffee, this record high feels like a gut punch—adding a lot of stress in December as we look ahead to 2025.
But I’ve been thinking about the other side of this story.
High coffee prices are life-changing for the farmers. I grew up on a farm, and I remember what it felt like when crop prices soared—though we often wished we’d grown a different commodity when it hit record highs! Farming is hard work, and most coffee farmers aren’t wealthy. So when coffee prices hit a high like this, it’s not just numbers on a chart—it’s real hope for families across the world.
I imagine the kids of these farmers this Christmas. Maybe their dad or grandpa has never been paid this much for coffee before. Maybe this year, they’re having a special Christmas dinner with meat on the table instead of just beans. Maybe, for some of these kids, it’s the first time they’re unwrapping a gift.
These record prices are incredibly hard on us as roasters. But when I think about a farmer’s child having an unforgettable Christmas this year, it shifts my perspective. The world is full of ups and downs, and sometimes our “down” becomes someone else’s “up.”
And in that, there’s hope.
Comments