International Coffee Day
It’s amazing how the world begins to change through the eyes of a cup of coffee. – Donna A. Favors
International Coffee Day is on the 1st October is an occasion that is used to promote and celebrate coffee as a beverage, with events now occurring in places across the world. The first official date was 1 October 2015, as agreed by then International Coffee Organization and was launched in Milan. This day is also used to promote fair trade coffee and to raise awareness for the plight of the coffee growers. Coffee is consumed in such great quantities, it is the world’s 2nd largest traded commodity, surpassed only by crude oil. It is our most beloved beverage after water. It’s worth well over $100 billion worldwide.
It was said that coffee was discovered by a goat herder in Ethiopia in the 1500s. He saw his goats eating coffee cherries. Afterwards, he observed a change in their behavior; they gained a high amount of energy and they didn’t sleep at night. The herder shared his findings with local monks. After they made their own drink from coffee beans, they realized they could stay up all night and pray. Coffee beans grow on a bush. They are actually the pit of a berry, which makes them a fruit. There are two main varieties of beans: green and red. Red beans have a nicer smell and are less acidic. They are used to produce lighter coffees. The longer that coffee beans have been roasted, the healthier they are. Decaffeinated coffee comes from a chemical process where the caffeine is taken out of the beans. The caffeine is then often sold to Coca-Cola, a major buyer.
By Gauri Abhay Kutemate
Inspiring VC