Many of you sent me out to Tanzania with comments and questions – the villagers loved that they could hear direct from those who enjoy their coffee and we had some fun in translation of the questions!
Here are a few of their responses (I’ve paraphrased):
- What are your biggest joys and frustrations as a coffee farmer? – “Biggest joy is when we get paid! And biggest frustration is climate being so changeable and unreliable.”
- What options do farmers have when they don’t like the alternatives that buyers offer them? – “Once the coffee is grown, no option. We have to sell to whoever comes along. But relationship with Ian has changed that. Other things we grow to help sustain us include maize and bananas.”
- What help do they think we can offer?Do you drink coffee? – “Buying coffee at a good price and coming back every year.”
- Do you drink coffee?– “Yes!” (I knew the answer to this before I asked and it is ‘no’, they don’t really like it, and it s a valuable crop, but they wanted to be polite so answered ‘yes’. When I questioned them they just all laughed.)
More photos and little stories online soon
