America's Bottomless Cup

Your Morning Coffee’s Amazing Journey – Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper. 

1.      Why is Colombia an ideal place for the location of coffee plantations?  Discuss the aspects of the site itself, as well as the people who reside there.

2.      What is tinto?  Explain why Colombians drink this instead of the coffee they export.

3.      Describe the quality review process.  How are the good beans detected, and why are females preferable to men in picking out flawed beans?

4.      For what reasons are shipments of coffee beans staggered?  What types of unintended interruptions can occur in this part of the world?

5.      In this example, where do the beans get transported to?  What type of region is it?

6.      Describe how different the processing part of coffee production is compared with the harvesting part – look at mechanization, workers’ wages, etc.

7.      Briefly discuss the final steps for the Colombian coffee to reach the market.

For questions 8 – 10, refer to the “Strange Brew” section:

8.      Almost half of all coffee is consumed in the United States.  Give some statistics to illustrate America’s obsession with coffee.

9.      Why do you think all coffee is grown (but not processed) within 2,000 miles of the equator?  (Hint: think of climate, and the new international division of labor)

10.  What advantages and disadvantages can be associated with drinking coffee?