How Important Is Coffee?
- Thread starter Riik O'Shae
- Start date
Timerover51
SOC-14 5K
Yes
I do not view the comment as funny.
Timerover51
SOC-14 5K
We got together with my daughter and her husband to celebrate my 68th birthday today (the real birthday was the 24th), and I received a very nice present. A 1 pound bag of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee in the whole bean. They went to Jamaica to celebrate their anniversary, and bought that back. Now to grind it up for special occasions and have some. I love Jamaican Blue Mountain and Hawaiian Kona, and I have some of the Kona as well. I also had my meatloaf for dinner today, after we saw the "Addams Family" movie. That was pretty good. I enjoyed watching the original "Addams Family" TV show whenCo I was growing up. Loved John Astin as Gomez.
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That's the new Addams Family movie, not the ones from the 90's with Raul Julia?
I have not seen it. I love the ones from the 90's.
The ones from the 90's spawned one of the (if not the) most successful pinball machines in history. A truly wonderful pinball machine, with custom dialog from Raul Julia and Angelic Huston. Can't really describe it, but an amazing machine.
Timerover51
SOC-14 5K
It was the animated one that came out. I liked the Raul Julia ones and the one with Tim Curry playing Gomez. I did not know that they had come out with a pinball game as well. The original series has episodes on YouTube to watch.
Timerover51
SOC-14 5K
I found this again while re-reading one of the histories of subsistence in the European Theater in World War 2. (Yes, I understand that this makes me very strange.) This was the requirement for coffee for the U.S. Army and Army Air Force in England during the period. Navy requirements would have been in addition to this.
I wonder how much of global production that represented.
AnotherDilbert
SOC-14 1K
World production seems to have been about 1.5 million tons, so 13 500 tons would have been about 0.1%.
Condottiere
SOC-14 5K
Situation
In 1977, East Germany experienced difficulties meeting domestic demand for coffee, a commodity that had to be purchased using "Westgeld", or freely convertible Western currencies, in short supply in Eastern Bloc countries. The coffee crisis indirectly led to changes in the world market for coffee. The coffee crisis led to a reorientation of East German foreign policy[2] as well as considerable belt-tightening.[3] In particular, the East German government engaged in barter with Third World countries, exporting weapons and trucks in exchange for coffee and energy.[4]
Background
In the Soviet occupation zone, much like the rest of Europe after World War II, coffee was a scarce good. The first coffee imported into East Germany came from the Soviet Union. When these imports stopped in 1954, this led to the first mass shortages and intensified efforts to acquire foreign currency with which to purchase coffee. Beginning in 1957, roasted coffee was produced under the brand name Röstfein [de]. Beginning in the 1960s, East Germany was able to reliably provide basic necessities, but luxury and exotic products remained scarce.[5] This led to increased demand for the available luxury goods, such as confections, tobacco, alcoholic beverages, and coffee (3.6 kilograms (7.9 lb) annually per capita) in the 1970s. By the 1970s, coffee was one of the most important items in an East German household budget, although gifts from friends and relatives in the West met about 20 percent of the country's coffee needs.[6] East German citizens spent an average of 3.3 billion East German marks for coffee per year, an amount comparable to expenditures on furniture and twice the amount spent on shoes.[7]
Coffee crisis of 1977
The coffee crisis began in 1976. The price of coffee rose dramatically after a failed harvest in Brazil, forcing the East German government to spend approximately 700 million West German marks on coffee (approximately US$300 million, equivalent to $1.28 billion today), nearly five times the expected DM 150 million per year.[8] The Socialist Unity Party (SED) leadership restricted the importation of food and luxury goods, while trying to gather sufficient foreign currency reserves to import petroleum.[9] This occurred against the backdrop of the 1970s energy crisis, as the effects of the 1973 oil shock only began to affect East Germany in the mid-1970s.[10]
The suggestion to cease coffee production, put forward by Alexander Schalck-Golodkowski, was able to be avoided after Central Committee member Werner Lamberz encouraged barter trades and armament sales[11] with Third World countries, such as Ethiopia and Mozambique. The cheapest variety of coffee, "Kosta", was discontinued and only more expensive varieties were available.[12] Other alternatives were made available, such as "Kaffee-Mix", a 50 percent mixture of genuine and ersatz coffee, and rationing was not required. The Kaffee-Mix was pejoratively referred to as "Erichs Krönung", a reference to Erich Honecker, leader of East Germany, and the West German Jacobs Krönung coffee brand. The East German government assumed that much of the population would acquire coffee from Westpakete sent by West German relatives. This increased the demand for the typical return gift, a Dresdner Stollen, which also caused difficulties in the East German economy, because many of the ingredients, such as almonds, raisins, and succade, were also only available as imported goods. Alexander Schalck-Golodkowski's suggestion of a ban on gifting Stollen was unsuccessful.[13]
The citizens of East Germany[14] overwhelmingly rejected the Kaffee-Mix and saw the coffee shortage as an attack on a major consumer need that was a large part of everyday life. The coffee mix also damaged some coffee machines, as the mixture contained substitute ingredients such as pea flour, which contains proteins that swell under heat and pressure, clogging the filters.[15] This led to numerous complaints and outraged reactions and protests.[16] Even though the price of coffee on the international markets retreated and normalized in 1978,[17] the problems faced by the East German government acquiring foreign currency continued into the 1980s, prolonging shortages that progressively damaged the image of the country's political leadership. It is estimated that 20–25 percent of the entire East German coffee consumption from 1975 to 1977 arrived from the West in care packages.[13] Coffee attained a value as a symbol of inner-German unity, far above its role as a mere consumer good or commodity.[18]
Effects on West Germany
In West Germany, the coffee price increases in 1977 did not lead to any shortages, but did lead to the adoption of cheaper varieties of coffee in the lower price segment.[13] Coffee brands such as Tchibo and later Eduscho began to make forays into cross-selling, by offering coffee as well as non-food items. These changes can also be attributed to the effects of the coffee crisis on West Germany.[13]
Influence on coffee production in Vietnam
Main article: Coffee production in Vietnam
The relationship between East Germany and Vietnam was exceptionally close.[19] Coffee production began in Vietnam in 1926 during French colonial rule.[20] Beginning in 1975, largely parallel with the coffee crisis in East Germany, the production of Robusta coffee began in Vietnam. Robusta plants grow faster, contain more caffeine, suit the climate of the Vietnamese Central Highlands, and lend themselves better to mechanized harvesting. However, Robusta coffee is cheaper and of lower quality than the gold standard Arabica.
In 1980 and 1986, two treaties were signed between East Germany and Vietnam, whereby East Germany provided the necessary equipment and machinery for production, increased the area of coffee plantations from 600 to 8,600 hectares (1,500 to 21,300 acres), and trained the local population in cultivation techniques.[20] In particular, East Germany provided trucks, machinery, and irrigation systems for the newly founded Kombinat Viet-Duc, as well as spending approximately $20 million on a hydropower plant.[20] East Germany also built housing, hospitals, and shops for the 10,000 people who were relocated to the area for coffee production. Against this investment, East Germany was scheduled to receive half of the coffee harvest for the next 20 years.[20] However, coffee takes eight years from planting until the first usable harvest, which occurred in 1990.[21]
Vietnam was quickly able to establish themselves after 1990 as the second-largest coffee producer in the world after Brazil, driving much of the traditional coffee production in Africa out of the market. In particular, this was helped with the re-establishment of trade relations between the U.S. and Vietnam. This overproduction led to a crash in worldwide coffee prices in 2001. In 2016, Germany still was the largest export destination for Vietnamese coffee.[22]
In 1977, East Germany experienced difficulties meeting domestic demand for coffee, a commodity that had to be purchased using "Westgeld", or freely convertible Western currencies, in short supply in Eastern Bloc countries. The coffee crisis indirectly led to changes in the world market for coffee. The coffee crisis led to a reorientation of East German foreign policy[2] as well as considerable belt-tightening.[3] In particular, the East German government engaged in barter with Third World countries, exporting weapons and trucks in exchange for coffee and energy.[4]
Background
In the Soviet occupation zone, much like the rest of Europe after World War II, coffee was a scarce good. The first coffee imported into East Germany came from the Soviet Union. When these imports stopped in 1954, this led to the first mass shortages and intensified efforts to acquire foreign currency with which to purchase coffee. Beginning in 1957, roasted coffee was produced under the brand name Röstfein [de]. Beginning in the 1960s, East Germany was able to reliably provide basic necessities, but luxury and exotic products remained scarce.[5] This led to increased demand for the available luxury goods, such as confections, tobacco, alcoholic beverages, and coffee (3.6 kilograms (7.9 lb) annually per capita) in the 1970s. By the 1970s, coffee was one of the most important items in an East German household budget, although gifts from friends and relatives in the West met about 20 percent of the country's coffee needs.[6] East German citizens spent an average of 3.3 billion East German marks for coffee per year, an amount comparable to expenditures on furniture and twice the amount spent on shoes.[7]
Coffee crisis of 1977
The coffee crisis began in 1976. The price of coffee rose dramatically after a failed harvest in Brazil, forcing the East German government to spend approximately 700 million West German marks on coffee (approximately US$300 million, equivalent to $1.28 billion today), nearly five times the expected DM 150 million per year.[8] The Socialist Unity Party (SED) leadership restricted the importation of food and luxury goods, while trying to gather sufficient foreign currency reserves to import petroleum.[9] This occurred against the backdrop of the 1970s energy crisis, as the effects of the 1973 oil shock only began to affect East Germany in the mid-1970s.[10]
The suggestion to cease coffee production, put forward by Alexander Schalck-Golodkowski, was able to be avoided after Central Committee member Werner Lamberz encouraged barter trades and armament sales[11] with Third World countries, such as Ethiopia and Mozambique. The cheapest variety of coffee, "Kosta", was discontinued and only more expensive varieties were available.[12] Other alternatives were made available, such as "Kaffee-Mix", a 50 percent mixture of genuine and ersatz coffee, and rationing was not required. The Kaffee-Mix was pejoratively referred to as "Erichs Krönung", a reference to Erich Honecker, leader of East Germany, and the West German Jacobs Krönung coffee brand. The East German government assumed that much of the population would acquire coffee from Westpakete sent by West German relatives. This increased the demand for the typical return gift, a Dresdner Stollen, which also caused difficulties in the East German economy, because many of the ingredients, such as almonds, raisins, and succade, were also only available as imported goods. Alexander Schalck-Golodkowski's suggestion of a ban on gifting Stollen was unsuccessful.[13]
The citizens of East Germany[14] overwhelmingly rejected the Kaffee-Mix and saw the coffee shortage as an attack on a major consumer need that was a large part of everyday life. The coffee mix also damaged some coffee machines, as the mixture contained substitute ingredients such as pea flour, which contains proteins that swell under heat and pressure, clogging the filters.[15] This led to numerous complaints and outraged reactions and protests.[16] Even though the price of coffee on the international markets retreated and normalized in 1978,[17] the problems faced by the East German government acquiring foreign currency continued into the 1980s, prolonging shortages that progressively damaged the image of the country's political leadership. It is estimated that 20–25 percent of the entire East German coffee consumption from 1975 to 1977 arrived from the West in care packages.[13] Coffee attained a value as a symbol of inner-German unity, far above its role as a mere consumer good or commodity.[18]
Effects on West Germany
In West Germany, the coffee price increases in 1977 did not lead to any shortages, but did lead to the adoption of cheaper varieties of coffee in the lower price segment.[13] Coffee brands such as Tchibo and later Eduscho began to make forays into cross-selling, by offering coffee as well as non-food items. These changes can also be attributed to the effects of the coffee crisis on West Germany.[13]
Influence on coffee production in Vietnam
Main article: Coffee production in Vietnam
The relationship between East Germany and Vietnam was exceptionally close.[19] Coffee production began in Vietnam in 1926 during French colonial rule.[20] Beginning in 1975, largely parallel with the coffee crisis in East Germany, the production of Robusta coffee began in Vietnam. Robusta plants grow faster, contain more caffeine, suit the climate of the Vietnamese Central Highlands, and lend themselves better to mechanized harvesting. However, Robusta coffee is cheaper and of lower quality than the gold standard Arabica.
In 1980 and 1986, two treaties were signed between East Germany and Vietnam, whereby East Germany provided the necessary equipment and machinery for production, increased the area of coffee plantations from 600 to 8,600 hectares (1,500 to 21,300 acres), and trained the local population in cultivation techniques.[20] In particular, East Germany provided trucks, machinery, and irrigation systems for the newly founded Kombinat Viet-Duc, as well as spending approximately $20 million on a hydropower plant.[20] East Germany also built housing, hospitals, and shops for the 10,000 people who were relocated to the area for coffee production. Against this investment, East Germany was scheduled to receive half of the coffee harvest for the next 20 years.[20] However, coffee takes eight years from planting until the first usable harvest, which occurred in 1990.[21]
Vietnam was quickly able to establish themselves after 1990 as the second-largest coffee producer in the world after Brazil, driving much of the traditional coffee production in Africa out of the market. In particular, this was helped with the re-establishment of trade relations between the U.S. and Vietnam. This overproduction led to a crash in worldwide coffee prices in 2001. In 2016, Germany still was the largest export destination for Vietnamese coffee.[22]
Timerover51
SOC-14 5K
I assume that this article came from Wikipedia. I have reservations about the comment regarding African coffee, as my local coffee shop does not seem to have any problems getting coffee from Eastern Africa, the Kenyan being extremely good, and I would rank it only slightly behind Jamaican Blue Mountain and Kona coffee. I have had both, with some of my Kona being purchased in Kona, Hawaii, while on a cruise around the Islands. The same holds true for the Jamaican Blue Mountain. Papua New Guinea is also showing up, but I have not tried that variety as yet.
Side Note: The worst coffee I have ever had in a restaurant was in Chili's, and it must be the variety that they are using, as it is not restricted to a single restaurant. Now, that is based on my taste buds, and yours would like vary quite a bit from mine. I am not a fan of Starbucks either, but my daughter loves the place. To each his or her own.
Side Note: The worst coffee I have ever had in a restaurant was in Chili's, and it must be the variety that they are using, as it is not restricted to a single restaurant. Now, that is based on my taste buds, and yours would like vary quite a bit from mine. I am not a fan of Starbucks either, but my daughter loves the place. To each his or her own.
Keklas Rekobah
SOC-14 1K
It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion.
It is by the beans of Java the thoughts acquire speed,
The hands acquire shaking,
The shaking becomes a warning.
It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion.
It is by the beans of Java the thoughts acquire speed,
The hands acquire shaking,
The shaking becomes a warning.
It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion.
Commander Truestar
SOC-13
I have not read this entire thread so I apologize if this has been commented on before...
While many posters have pointed out where different sub-species of the coffee bean are grown here on Earth, there is another consideration.
Will plant-life from Earth be able to be cultivated on other worlds?
Will the specific minerals and chemistry permit the cultivation of the coffee bean?
Where some say, "Absolutely" without checking the science, that is not the case.
There are many places here on Earth where we can "force" plant growth of various types, but we cannot naturally grow some plants, much less support commercial agriculture.
So, when we get to the next rock, what will we need to do there?
Will we be able to simply use a "Earth-mineral" fertilizer?
Will we be forced to scrape off surface 'native-soil' and replace it with 'Earth-soil'?
Will we be forced to build specialized and enclosed agro-facilities to keep 'native pollutants' and local micro-life/small-life from preventing sgriculture?
There are so many issues created by the differing properties of a new world's soil, atmosphere and other characteristics that we can only assume a limited number of the worlds we colonize will allow us to carry out "Terran" agriculture.
The next step would then be, as we have already been doing here on Earth, modifying the plants to live there. But, that begs the question, "Is it still coffee once it's been modified?"
Where that question can be debated to an insane degree, the truth is that soon it will not be coffee. Soon, it will be something else, and buying "Coffee" will be a question of exporting it from a distance
IMTU, the characters have faced this issue in the Spinward Marches, and they drink a stimulant generically called "caff"
They can get something actually called "Coffee" at extreme cost, because the plant has limited agro-cultivation in the Marastan system as part of the Imperial Botanical Reservation there.
Beyond that, I have determined a number of systems like a strand of pearls back to Earth itself. So, a character who wants to spend that kind of cash can pay the import costs(including cargo costs) to bring an amount of actual coffee from one of those systems.
As you can guess, even a pound of such grinds or beans will cost in the thousands of Credits to get from a system a sector or two away. Even if it was included as a lot within a "composite ton" of cargo.
While many posters have pointed out where different sub-species of the coffee bean are grown here on Earth, there is another consideration.
Will plant-life from Earth be able to be cultivated on other worlds?
Will the specific minerals and chemistry permit the cultivation of the coffee bean?
Where some say, "Absolutely" without checking the science, that is not the case.
There are many places here on Earth where we can "force" plant growth of various types, but we cannot naturally grow some plants, much less support commercial agriculture.
So, when we get to the next rock, what will we need to do there?
Will we be able to simply use a "Earth-mineral" fertilizer?
Will we be forced to scrape off surface 'native-soil' and replace it with 'Earth-soil'?
Will we be forced to build specialized and enclosed agro-facilities to keep 'native pollutants' and local micro-life/small-life from preventing sgriculture?
There are so many issues created by the differing properties of a new world's soil, atmosphere and other characteristics that we can only assume a limited number of the worlds we colonize will allow us to carry out "Terran" agriculture.
The next step would then be, as we have already been doing here on Earth, modifying the plants to live there. But, that begs the question, "Is it still coffee once it's been modified?"
Where that question can be debated to an insane degree, the truth is that soon it will not be coffee. Soon, it will be something else, and buying "Coffee" will be a question of exporting it from a distance
IMTU, the characters have faced this issue in the Spinward Marches, and they drink a stimulant generically called "caff"
They can get something actually called "Coffee" at extreme cost, because the plant has limited agro-cultivation in the Marastan system as part of the Imperial Botanical Reservation there.
Beyond that, I have determined a number of systems like a strand of pearls back to Earth itself. So, a character who wants to spend that kind of cash can pay the import costs(including cargo costs) to bring an amount of actual coffee from one of those systems.
As you can guess, even a pound of such grinds or beans will cost in the thousands of Credits to get from a system a sector or two away. Even if it was included as a lot within a "composite ton" of cargo.
Well that Martian guy grew potatoes in Martian and human...uh...amendments.
The micro flora MAY be an issue, but we have a lot of agriculture being grown in, almost, sterile environments.
I can easily see hybrid plants being created and grown in alien soils. Will corn still be corn? Well, as I understand it, if we saw what we know as corn today back in the beginning, we'd hardly recognize it. Yet, we still call it corn.
Now, coffee suffers from being taste sensitive. Corn is corn. I don't know if California corn tastes different from Iowa corn, or if it did would anyone notice anyway. But coffee folks, like beer and wine folks, are fond of the nuances and bouquets. Rhylanor coffee may taste different from Ruie coffee, at least to the cognoscenti, but they'll likely still be "coffee".
Condottiere
SOC-14 5K
Let's just feed raw coffee beans to some Aslan, and see what develops.
I civet you did there...
BackworldTraveller
SOC-13
Now I know you are just talking C#%&. or Bull$&^%.
Why would any self-respecting Aslan sully it's Ao by drinking that stuff?
Why would any self-respecting Aslan sully it's Ao by drinking that stuff?
Timerover51
SOC-14 5K
Brewed coffee and Vargr I can see, having a dog that loved coffee with milk and sugar.
For the Aslan, raw beans would probably give it a good case of diarrhea. None of my cats ever liked coffee. Vanilla ice cream was a different story.
Why are we bringing uplifted bovines into this?
Wait. Does Traveller even have uplifted bovines?
