tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827250720771498655.post4210451905666095408..comments2023-10-25T09:24:05.980-05:00Comments on Sustainable Development: Don't Spill the BeansProf. Roothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05091555768823101805noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827250720771498655.post-5429042731489805542013-06-22T16:19:01.597-05:002013-06-22T16:19:01.597-05:00I do believe that coffee production is sustainable...I do believe that coffee production is sustainable in a nation that does not consume it; however I believe it would be a more sustainable practice if Uganda would increase its consumption. Coming from a place where coffee is so prevalent in our everyday lives it was strange to be in a culture that does not embrace this drink for all its wonderful qualities. Coffee is embraced in America and that is something I have grown used to. Caroline and I couldn’t even resist getting Starbucks in the Brussels airport! <br />After our tour of the coffee processing plant and they ran out of coffee for purchase we had some down time. During this time I talked with one of the guys who worked at the stand that sold the beverages. I asked him why he thought the people of Uganda don’t drink coffee. He said that the stigma associated with coffee drinking is terrible, especially for women. He gave me examples of these stigmas, including lack of sexual desire and breast cancer. From what the man told me, there have been no real efforts to debunk these myths.<br /> I don’t think it would be easy to change the Ugandan people’s opinion of coffee consumption, especially when that would mean changing cultural tendencies. However, Uganda would benefit by consuming some of its own coffee by decreasing the loss in profit margin from expenses associated with exporting, such as tariffs, taxes, transport, etc. This economic benefit could result from a transition that would take a substantial amount of time. <br />Brooke Gilkeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10933314364804297390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827250720771498655.post-22792861689208656562013-06-21T18:50:26.768-05:002013-06-21T18:50:26.768-05:00I would have to start off by saying I am not a cof...I would have to start off by saying I am not a coffee or tea drinker and have actually not tried either in my lifetime. However, I have noticed an explosion of coffee shops near me in the US as well as the hangout, leisurely atmosphere associated with them. In Uganda, as Matthew pointed out there was no leisurely atmosphere let alone many coffee shops to host those activities. While the culture and colonization of Uganda has most people drinking tea I think that it is possible for coffee to eventually be drank by people in country sometime in the future. At this point 99.5% of all the coffee produced at Savannah is exported because there is a much greater market for it outside the country. With time though, I believe that educating the people in Uganda about the false stigmas associated with coffee and marketing the coffee in better ways will slowly increase the number of drinkers in Uganda. As for the sustainability, I think that at this point the plant is pretty sustainable because they utilize beans from local farmers and return them the shells of beans to be spread over the land and the fact that the market for coffee exports will always be there, however, I believe the sustainability can be increased by increasing the number of drinkers in country.Riley Poehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04159424552897887210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827250720771498655.post-5606730002501818582013-06-14T14:42:42.969-05:002013-06-14T14:42:42.969-05:00I was really interested in your post, Matthew, bec...I was really interested in your post, Matthew, because I am an avid coffee drinker. This morning, I had the pleasure of talking to a Ugandan, Robert, and one of our professors about coffee drinking in Uganda and the stigma attached to it. Apparently, because coffee was such a colonial drink introduced by the British prior to Ugandan independence, Ugandan people did not accept the drink. At the same time, they were told that coffee is bad for your skin and health, a view commonly held by many in the country today. Although that view is slowly disappearing, it is still very prevalent especially in rural areas, thus making it difficult for coffee companies to sell their products in Uganda. <br /><br />To answer your question about sustainability, I would have to currently say yes, coffee production can be reliable in a country that does not necessarily drink coffee often. As the stigma associated with drinking coffee disappears in Uganda, more and more individuals will begin to drink it thus boosting the coffee intake within the country. Until these views on drinking coffee disappear from society, I believe that relying on other countries for coffee export is sustainable. Because of America, Europe, and Asia's dependence on Uganda's coffee export, the product will continue to be in high demand. Where I foresee a problem regarding coffee production and sustainability is when companies will have to decide to support a more export-driven business or a more domestic business. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00576485367700858748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827250720771498655.post-53823439435987078342013-06-13T14:08:55.243-05:002013-06-13T14:08:55.243-05:00Great post Matthew! I concur with Erin. I am a big...Great post Matthew! I concur with Erin. I am a big tea and coffee lover. I was speaking to the employees of Star Cafe inquiring why they thought that Ugandans were not big fans of tea despite their extensive productive. They said that is related back to colonialism influence, where Ugandans were told that coffee was bad for health-- especially females' health. This stigma still exists in culture, though coffee is becoming more and more popular. I think that more coffee marketing should be done to increase Uganda's consumption to create a staple drink out of such a cash crop. What also may help this popularity to rise is instead of exporting the beans to Kenya for packaging and the rest of the process, starting the rest of process here in Uganda to increase employment and probably excitement because not only would the beans be grown in Uganda but also a full product of Uganda. This could increase pride and excitement for coffee, thus increasing consumption and demand and revenue. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10173624534719985173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827250720771498655.post-78594287754126047592013-06-13T01:42:10.517-05:002013-06-13T01:42:10.517-05:00I have to admit that I am a lover of both coffee a...I have to admit that I am a lover of both coffee and tea...and coming from the US where both of these beverages are usually imported, I think that Uganda definitely has the ability to prosper from its production. After visiting the processing plant and hearing how it supports a wide range of small-scale Ugandan farmers without buying out farm land or crops for its own profit, I see the industry as fairly sustainable. I was even more shocked by the simplicity of some of the processing machinery, particularly the sifting table that accurately separated beans into three different types/qualities by simply angling the table at a particular degree. Connecting the production back to sustainability, I have to note the very high demand for coffee world-wide. With the proper structuring and marketing of their product line, I think that Ugandan coffee could hit US markets in the future. I would surely buy it!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00861971654058129330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827250720771498655.post-23339604069497498462013-06-12T16:46:25.379-05:002013-06-12T16:46:25.379-05:00While Uganda will probably never consume as much c...While Uganda will probably never consume as much coffee as other countries, through marketing to the younger generation, it would be possible to increase the amount of coffee consumed. As long as the coffee production maintains it's quality at a fair price, other nations will continue to import Ugandan coffee beans. The income from coffee and it's economic impact should be forefront in the business plans of all companies involved in it's export.<br /><br />Grandpa and I enjoyed your report. Good job! Travel home safe.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com