Pre-writing:
What do I already know?
I really don't know much about this topic. I need to do a lot of research.
What do I still need to know?
Argument Side:
What is Sustainability?In 1993, the Rainforest Alliance and its partner groups in the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) demonstrated that traditional, forested coffee farms are havens for wildlife. Now, coffee lovers everywhere can support farmers who maintain these rainforest refuges simply by buying beans stamped with the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal of approval.
The pursuit and commitment to quality is what forms and shapes the specialty industry at both ends of the production chain. (http://www.scaa.org/chronicle/2012/07/06/defining-specialty-origin/)
How does this promote the environment?
A sustainable farm gives back as much to the land and people as it receives. It seeks independence from non-renewable resources, using renewable resources when possible. Sustainable farming also minimizes pollution, takes steps to care for the environment, and cares for its employees.
A sustainable farm will reuse coffee husks as heating fuel rather than cutting down eucalyptus trees. It will plant new trees for those used during heating, or it will implement pollution free coffee dryers such as the solar coffee dryer developed by Coffee Kids.
(http://www.coffeeresearch.org/politics/sustainability.htm)
Is it more costly to have a sustainable coffee farm than a regular farm?
What kind of positive factors does coffee sustainability have?
A traditional agroforestry system provides good wildlife habitat. The new monocultures have little habitat, accelerate soil erosion and pollute streams. The new methodologies were not only environmentally destructive, but put more beans into an already overstocked market and converted coffee farms from self-sustaining sanctuaries into stark and lifeless monocultures. Wildlife disappeared, soils washed downhill and streams were choked with silt and agrochemicals.
Rainforest Alliance certification helps farmers bear the erratic swings in the global market by giving them the keys to improved farm management, negotiating leverage and access to premium markets. By implementing the SAN sustainable farm-management system, farmers can control costs, gain efficiencies and improve crop quality.
(http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/agriculture/crops/coffee)
How does Sustainability affect Global Warming?
Because carbon dioxide is the most important greenhouse gas, planting trees and other plants can slow or stop global warming. Plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. They use carbon to build their own tissues and return some of it to the soil in a process called sequestration. Deforestation of rain forests is a large contributor to global warming and CO2 emissions, but planting new trees, even in your own backyard, can help to offset this. (See References 3)
(http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/top-ways-stop-global-warming-3138.html)
How can we prevent future coffee crises? How can we restore stability and balance to the world coffee market? The answer is sustainable development.
Sustainable development is not a new concept, nor does it apply only to coffee. It is defined by the United Nation (UN) as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". When applied to coffee, sustainable development means "producing qualities that guarantee both long-term scales and adequate income for the producers". (International Coffee Organization - ICO)
Farming: The type of management used in farming largely determines whether a farm is environmental friendly or not. Shaded plantations help in protecting the environment, but they give lower yield than the favoured sun plantation. Processing: There are three main issues to consider in processing coffee: wastewater treatment, utilising by-products, and conserving energy. These issues cause a battle between socio-economic issues and environmental issues.
(http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/01639/light_en/sustainability/index.html)
What has happened to coffee in the past years due to Global Warming?
Climate change is threatening coffee crops in virtually every major coffee producing region of the world.
Higher temperatures, long droughts punctuated by intense rainfall, more resilient pests and plant diseases—all of which are associated with climate change—have reduced coffee supplies dramatically in recent years. Because coffee varieties have adapted to specific climate zones, a temperature rise of even half a degree can make a big difference. A long-term increase in the number of extreme and unseasonal rainfall events has contributed to lower crop yields that are threatening the livelihood of coffee growers. For example, between 2002 and 2011, Indian coffee production declined by nearly 30 percent.
(http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science_and_impacts/impacts/impacts-of-climate-on-coffee.html)
The new monocultures have little habitat, accelerate soil erosion and pollute streams. The new methodologies were not only environmentally destructive, but put more beans into an already overstocked market and converted coffee farms from self-sustaining sanctuaries into stark and lifeless monocultures. Wildlife disappeared, soils washed downhill and streams were choked with silt and agrochemicals. (http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/agriculture/crops/coffee)
In Colombia, for example, it is estimated that 68 per cent of the total area devoted to coffee production has been converted to "technified" systems of agriculture (also known as "modern" or "High External Input Systems of Agriculture") over the past 30 years. Such production methods pose clear dangers to the environment through the synthetic external inputs and reduced biodiversity they typically introduce. (http://www.scaa.org/chronicle/2012/07/06/defining-specialty-origin/)
How is sustainability more inconvenient for fast paced businesses?
Many mistakenly believe that current economic circumstances make sustainability unaffordable as businesses struggle to survive. This fails to recognize the economic drivers behind environmental sustainability as well as the serious actions many leaders are taking. Successful companies continue to invest in sustainable business practices despite slow growth across the economy. They correctly view sustainability as a lens for inspecting operational efficiency, innovating better products, and capitalizing on new markets.
Companies are reporting attractive savings from efforts to reduce energy use and eliminate waste: Dollar General, U.S. Food Service, and Primedia estimate they saved $106 million, $22.3 million, and $7.5 million, respectively, during 2008 and 2009 through green programs.
Moreover, sustainability efforts spur innovation and ultimately the development of better products and services. Perhaps best known is Toyota’s Prius. Initially dismissed as an expensive compact car, Prius has risen to be a high-volume seller, a flagship for Toyota’s innovation and a low total-cost form of transportation.
(http://www.businessweek.com/debateroom/archives/2011/12/sustainability_is_too_expensive.html)
Rainforest Alliance certification helps farmers bear the erratic swings in the global market by giving them the keys to improved farm management, negotiating leverage and access to premium markets. By implementing the SAN sustainable farm-management system, farmers can control costs, gain efficiencies and improve crop quality.(http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/agriculture/crops/coffee)
It doesn’t matter what the size of your operation is as a roaster or importer, you can easily get in touch with the producer of your favorite coffees and pay a visit to check out their operation. As a producer, the same holds true, no matter your size, quality opens any possibility to be able to contact and supply the most recognized specialty roasters throughout the world. (http://www.scaa.org/chronicle/2012/07/06/defining-specialty-origin/)
Coffee, like other agricultural goods, is a seasonal product requiring investments prior to harvest
and revenue returns. Small farmers with a low capital and savings base frequently rely on
advances and credit to supply requisite pre-harvest inputs and living expenses. In many coffeeproducing communities, local coffee buyers fill the credit gap through advance purchases at
highly-discounted rates. Although local buyers fulfill an important role through such credit
provision, poor infrastructure development and anti-competitive practices regularly result in a net
transfer of value down the supply chain, placing still greater financial pressures on producers.
(http://sustainablecommodities.org/files/sci_coffee_background.pdf)
Long gone are the days when coffee was just a commodity, when only big corporations would have access to coffee at origin, and when just a few exporters had access to roasters. There had to come a crash in the industry for many to wake up and realize the potential that remained in coffee.
Led mainly by young entrepreneurs, the specialty coffee industry has developed into a network of producers, millers, exporters, importers, roasters, baristas, and now the end consumer, all talking and demanding quality coffee, which can only be produced at very specific regions in the world.
But what does it take for a farmer to become a specialty coffee producer today? Is there simply a line drawn between a commodity coffee farm and a specialty coffee one? Does a farm need to go through a transformation process to become a specialty coffee supplier?
Arguably, the greatest threat to the social sustainability of coffee production results from the
economic conditions facing coffee producers. Coffee farmers typically depend upon coffee as
their primary source of hard currency. As a result, declining and volatile coffee prices can have a
direct impact on access to education, housing, food, medical services and other basic necessities.
Although producer organizations can provide an important avenue for democratic, equitable
representation and infrastructure development, the relative isolation of many small coffee farmers
often places prohibitively high transaction costs on effective participation in such organizations.
On the other hand, hired labour serving coffee plantations and estates typically represents the
poorest segment of the population serving the supply chain. Although workers are not directly
exposed to the vagaries of the market, evidence suggests that the performance of the market is
transmitted to workers through general working conditions and wages. In a recent survey of
coffee plantations in Guatemala, for example, it was found that paid
the country’s minimum wage and that a majority of them did not even pay half the minimum wage. Housing conditions among such plantations have also been reported to be below national requirements. Meanwhile, child labour is reported to be widely used on plantations in some countries. In Kenya, for example, it is estimated that 30 per cent of the coffee pickers serving plantations are under the age of 15.
(http://sustainablecommodities.org/files/sci_coffee_background.pdf)
(http://sustainablecommodities.org/files/sci_coffee_background.pdf)
The affect Sustainbility has on Global Warming.. why don't some people believe in Global Warming?
(http://www.all-recycling-facts.com/how-to-reduce-climate-change.html)(http://www.coffeehabitat.com/2007/05/top_5/)(http://www.ico.org/sustaininit.asp)
(globalwarming.. climate change coffee will be gone by 2080.)
opposing side how people don't believe in global warming.
Organizing
Finding a focus
Thesis and plan of development
Coffee sustainability is very positive for the environment, it provides healthy land for crop production, produces better products, and sustains the environment.
Topic sentences for each paragraph
Intro:
In our world today, more than 80 percent of the 11.8 million hectares devoted to coffee production are planted in areas of former or current rainforests. The coffee bean itself is grown in 13 of the 25 locations of top coffee harvest.(http://sustainablecommodities.org/files/sci_coffee_background.pdf) For more than 150 years coffee has been widely grown under the leafy canopy of native rainforest trees. The rainforest plays a big part in maintaining coffee production. In 1993, the Rainforest Alliance and the Sustainable Agriculture Network, demonstrated that traditional, forested coffee farms are havens for wildlife. (http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/agriculture/crops/coffee) Sustainable farming especially coffee, is grown in a manner that is kind the the environment and its people. (http://www.coffeeresearch.org/politics/sustainability.htm) Coffee sustainability is very positive for the environment, it provides healthy land for crop production, produces better products, and sustains the environment.
PointA: Coffee Sustainability provides healthy land for crop production
argue your position
In the 1970s, agronomists began promoting a new farm system in which the sheltering forests are cleared and coffee bushes are packed in dense hedgerows and doused with agrochemicals. These monoculture farms produce more beans, but at a tremendous environmental cost. A traditional agroforestry system provides good wildlife habitat. (http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/agriculture/crops/coffee)
In Colombia, for example, it is estimated that 68 per cent of the total area devoted to coffee production has been converted to "technified" systems of agriculture (also known as "modern" or "High External Input Systems of Agriculture") over the past 30 years. Such production methods pose clear dangers to the environment through the synthetic external inputs and reduced biodiversity they typically introduce. (http://sustainablecommodities.org/files/sci_coffee_background.pdf)
Just like any kind of farming, agriculture of coffee is a risky business. Coffee farmers face many hard challenges such as; inclement weather, pests, diseases, rising costs, oversupply, and sometimes government policies. (http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/agriculture/crops/coffee)
Just like any kind of farming, agriculture of coffee is a risky business. Coffee farmers face many hard challenges such as; inclement weather, pests, diseases, rising costs, oversupply, and sometimes government policies. (http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/agriculture/crops/coffee)
Coffee has been decreasing over the years due to lack of proper care of the environment. Global Warming and its extreme temperatures have deminished coffee production and its intricate growing process. For example, in Colombia 68 percent of the total location devoted to coffee production has been converted to High External Input Systems of Agriculture in the past 30 years. This type of production method has posed a danger to the environment through synthetic external inputs that they introduce.(http://sustainablecommodities.org/files/sci_coffee_background.pdf)
present opposing
Arguably, the greatest threat to the social sustainability of coffee production results from the
economic conditions facing coffee producers. Coffee farmers typically depend upon coffee as
their primary source of hard currency. As a result, declining and volatile coffee prices can have a
direct impact on access to education, housing, food, medical services and other basic necessities.
Although producer organizations can provide an important avenue for democratic, equitable
representation and infrastructure development, the relative isolation of many small coffee farmers often places prohibitively high transaction costs on effective participation in such organizations. On the other hand, hired labour serving coffee plantations and estates typically represents the poorest segment of the population serving the supply chain. Although workers are not directly exposed to the vagaries of the market, evidence suggests that the performance of the market is transmitted to workers through general working conditions and wages. In a recent survey of coffee plantations in Guatemala, for example, it was found that pa
the country's minimum wage and that a majority of them did not even pay half the minimum wage. Housing conditions among such plantations have also been reported to be below national requirements. Meanwhile, child labour is reported to be widely used on plantations in some countries. In Kenya, for example, it is estimated that 30 per cent of the coffee pickers serving plantations are under the age of 15.
Companies are reporting attractive savings from efforts to reduce energy use and eliminate waste: Dollar General, U.S. Food Service, and Primedia estimate they saved $106 million, $22.3 million, and $7.5 million, respectively, during 2008 and 2009 through green programs.
Moreover, sustainability efforts spur innovation and ultimately the development of better products and services. Perhaps best known is Toyota’s Prius. Initially dismissed as an expensive compact car, Prius has risen to be a high-volume seller, a flagship for Toyota’s innovation and a low total-cost form of transportation.
(http://www.businessweek.com/debateroom/archives/2011/12/sustainability_is_too_expensive.html)
Rainforest Alliance certification helps farmers bear the erratic swings in the global market by giving them the keys to improved farm management, negotiating leverage and access to premium markets. By implementing the SAN sustainable farm-management system, farmers can control costs, gain efficiencies and improve crop quality.(http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/agriculture/crops/coffee)
It doesn’t matter what the size of your operation is as a roaster or importer, you can easily get in touch with the producer of your favorite coffees and pay a visit to check out their operation. As a producer, the same holds true, no matter your size, quality opens any possibility to be able to contact and supply the most recognized specialty roasters throughout the world. (http://www.scaa.org/chronicle/2012/07/06/defining-specialty-origin/)
refute your opposing
Coffee, like other agricultural goods, is a seasonal product requiring investments prior to harvest
and revenue returns. Small farmers with a low capital and savings base frequently rely on
advances and credit to supply requisite pre-harvest inputs and living expenses. In many coffeeproducing communities, local coffee buyers fill the credit gap through advance purchases at
highly-discounted rates. Although local buyers fulfill an important role through such credit
provision, poor infrastructure development and anti-competitive practices regularly result in a net
transfer of value down the supply chain, placing still greater financial pressures on producers.
Long gone are the days when coffee was just a commodity, when only big corporations would have access to coffee at origin, and when just a few exporters had access to roasters. There had to come a crash in the industry for many to wake up and realize the potential that remained in coffee.
Led mainly by young entrepreneurs, the specialty coffee industry has developed into a network of producers, millers, exporters, importers, roasters, baristas, and now the end consumer, all talking and demanding quality coffee, which can only be produced at very specific regions in the world.
But what does it take for a farmer to become a specialty coffee producer today? Is there simply a line drawn between a commodity coffee farm and a specialty coffee one? Does a farm need to go through a transformation process to become a specialty coffee supplier?
Point B: produces better products
Some info
The pursuit and commitment to quality is what forms and shapes the specialty industry at both ends of the production chain. (http://www.scaa.org/chronicle/2012/07/06/defining-specialty-origin/)
How does coffe sustainable farms improve/affect the tast of coffee bean compared to non-sustainable coffee farms?Sustainable farming implements practices to minimize water consumption and to clean the water used. Water from the fermentation tanks should never be returned to rivers or lakes, but rather filtered naturally through the earth and then used for coffee irrigation. Some excellent farms such as Agribahia in Bahia, Brazil ferment pulped coffees without water for a short time before sending the coffee to demucilating machines. This cuts down on water waste while allowing them to consistently provide some of Brazil's best coffees. (http://www.coffeeresearch.org/politics/sustainability.htm)
A traditional agroforestry system provides good wildlife habitat. The new monocultures have little habitat, accelerate soil erosion and pollute streams. The new methodologies were not only environmentally destructive, but put more beans into an already overstocked market and converted coffee farms from self-sustaining sanctuaries into stark and lifeless monocultures. Wildlife disappeared, soils washed downhill and streams were choked with silt and agrochemicals.
Rainforest Alliance certification helps farmers bear the erratic swings in the global market by giving them the keys to improved farm management, negotiating leverage and access to premium markets. By implementing the SAN sustainable farm-management system, farmers can control costs, gain efficiencies and improve crop quality.
(http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/agriculture/crops/coffee)
Rainforest Alliance certification helps farmers bear the erratic swings in the global market by giving them the keys to improved farm management, negotiating leverage and access to premium markets. By implementing the SAN sustainable farm-management system, farmers can control costs, gain efficiencies and improve crop quality.
(http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/agriculture/crops/coffee)
argue your position
present opposing
refute your opposing
Point C: sustains the environment
Info:
Because carbon dioxide is the most important greenhouse gas, planting trees and other plants can slow or stop global warming. Plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. They use carbon to build their own tissues and return some of it to the soil in a process called sequestration. Deforestation of rain forests is a large contributor to global warming and CO2 emissions, but planting new trees, even in your own backyard, can help to offset this. (See References 3)
How can we prevent future coffee crises? How can we restore stability and balance to the world coffee market? The answer is sustainable development. Sustainable development is not a new concept, nor does it apply only to coffee. It is defined by the United Nation (UN) as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". When applied to coffee, sustainable development means "producing qualities that guarantee both long-term scales and adequate income for the producers". (International Coffee Organization - ICO) Farming: The type of management used in farming largely determines whether a farm is environmental friendly or not. Shaded plantations help in protecting the environment, but they give lower yield than the favoured sun plantation. Processing: There are three main issues to consider in processing coffee: wastewater treatment, utilising by-products, and conserving energy. These issues cause a battle between socio-economic issues and environmental issues. (http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/01639/light_en/sustainability/index.html)
A sustainable farm gives back as much to the land and people as it receives. It seeks independence from non-renewable resources, using renewable resources when possible. Sustainable farming also minimizes pollution, takes steps to care for the environment, and cares for its employees. A sustainable farm will reuse coffee husks as heating fuel rather than cutting down eucalyptus trees. It will plant new trees for those used during heating, or it will implement pollution free coffee dryers such as the solar coffee dryer developed by Coffee Kids.
(http://www.coffeeresearch.org/politics/sustainability.htm)
Is it more costly to have a sustainable coffee farm than a regular farm?
(http://www.coffeeresearch.org/politics/sustainability.htm)
Is it more costly to have a sustainable coffee farm than a regular farm?
Higher temperatures, long droughts punctuated by intense rainfall, more resilient pests and plant diseases—all of which are associated with climate change—have reduced coffee supplies dramatically in recent years. Because coffee varieties have adapted to specific climate zones, a temperature rise of even half a degree can make a big difference. A long-term increase in the number of extreme and unseasonal rainfall events has contributed to lower crop yields that are threatening the livelihood of coffee growers. For example, between 2002 and 2011, Indian coffee production declined by nearly 30 percent.
(http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science_and_impacts/impacts/impacts-of-climate-on-coffee.html)
The new monocultures have little habitat, accelerate soil erosion and pollute streams. The new methodologies were not only environmentally destructive, but put more beans into an already overstocked market and converted coffee farms from self-sustaining sanctuaries into stark and lifeless monocultures. Wildlife disappeared, soils washed downhill and streams were choked with silt and agrochemicals. (http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/agriculture/crops/coffee)
argue your position
present opposing
refute your opposing
Conclusion:
Major points, counterpoints, and refutations identified and appropriate data and sources collected.
