There are donkeys in our supply chain
Posted by Winston on 22 Sep 2009 at 2:35 pm | Tagged as: Other Stuff
We have lasers that etch date codes in the sides of K Cups. We have a robot-run fork truck that stacks pallets of coffee 4 rows high, both sides, for 100 yards. We have server rooms for the computers and servers and those rooms have their own air conditioning systems. We have 500 solar panels on the roof, bio-diesel in our trucks, cell phones and blackberries galore.
And donkeys.
Ancient, but not outdated, Technology
These donkeys are in Peru, carrying coffee cherries to a mill run by a coop called ADISA, from whom we buy coffee. Apparently, the coffee in this batch was destined for us. In fact – you might be drinking coffee right now that was on the back of a donkey, not just in Peru , but in many other countries where we buy coffee. In this case – it is coffee that was carried by a donkey, but that also went on a floating barge-like vessel to cross a river.
So, if you’re ever sitting there wondering where your coffee’s from – we’ll tell you – it came from far away, it’s the result of many people’s hard work, the result of high tech equipment and some very ancient technology.
I love knowing that my coffee traveled in this way, from the fincas where it was grown, across rivers and mountains to me. I sip Fair Trade coffee feeling better about the world and my little effort to pay the farmers (and donkey wranglers) what they are owed.