Dear Coffee Lover. Today I want to share about my experience about unfair access in coffee. This story begun from my personal experience when I was visit some great coffee shops in several cities and countries. This is only trivial but still unfair, I did not expect it to happen
It was daylight, as usual it has been time for me to drink coffee and it has become a habit for me since child. I looking for a coffee shop and order a cup of coffee. You know it rarely happens to me because I am only a coffee farmer and live in the village. The coffee shop was so beautiful and artistic. I was chose seat in the center because I want to see and enjoy everything. But my eyes immediately focused on the coffee bean that arranged neatly on the shelf behind barista. As the coffee farmer and villager I'm so proud to see it. I want tell to my family and my friend in the village as the coffee farmer when I back, how the they treat the coffee in the cities. I hope it can be part of motivation and I try to take pictures with smartphones but coffee shop employees directly gave warning prohibition to take photo without explanation.
I am very disappointed and it is not fair because when the coffee importers, roasters and coffee shop owner visit our garden, we give free access without limit, and they are all free to take unlimited documentation such as picture etc.
Due to this incident, I try to searching some information from google and read them. You know, one of the reason is afraid, the owner of coffee shop afraid their concept take by other people. I did not understand whether this is true or not because I am not an expert for theirs business and I am only a coffee farmers. If the conclusion is "true" I think the owner of coffee shop is wrong, because I did not aspire to take their coffee shop concept. I just want to show to my family and my friends in my village how the coffee is sold in big cities.
Then I thought it might just apply to the coffee shop that I was visit, and I tried to visit another coffee shop hoping not to happen the same thing, and it turns out the same thing happened. I did not blame the coffee shop owner, maybe that's their way to run the business.
And today, my area as coffee producers not only sell the coffee bean like several years ago but a lot of coffee shop and coffee roaster was opened, and they are free access, so the coffee farmers can find out how their coffee are sold in the coffee shop and that could be one of the motivation and spirit for coffee farmers to cultivated their farm and knowing how to good process coffee to get the best taste.
NOTE : My English is not perfect, if any questions or need clarification please contact me. Thank you