THE FLAMEKEEPER
Presented by the Roasters Guild

Eco-Sensitive Limited Edition;
An Inconvenient Brew

Brought to you by the Roasters Guild Communication Committee

WITH THE 19th annual SCAA conference right around the corner, the Roasters Guild is ready to rock Long Beach on a level not seen since the Scorpions’ 1986 World Tour. So get your taxes falsified early ’cause there’ll be lots of coffee-related goodies to buy and try!
     Here’s what’s happening at the Roaster Guild’s Underground Bunker that we thought you’d like to know about.

Roasting True

The last few years have seen a lot of developments in roaster technology. Much like the gas range however, to a certain extent it’s difficult to improve upon perfection. Most new features deal with automation, roast profiling, convenience, afterburners and to a lesser extent heat energy recycling.
     As roasters we all know that although afterburners may keep our neighbors happy, they can actually consume more energy and thus are more energy-inefficient than roasters without afterburners…beginning to see the paradox here?
     Some companies have created alternate energy coffee roasters in recent years, but their popularity hasn’t yet skyrocketed. What we’re getting at here is quite simple. How can we as coffee roasters reduce the environmental pollution that is inherent to our trade?
     Some simple suggestions are in order. Chaff is an excellent fertilizer and makes plants very happy. If you’re currently throwing waste chaff into the garbage, consider pouring it out into a flowerbed instead. The same goes for waste coffee and unsold coffee that’s outlived its shelf life—grind it up and add it to your garden or vermicompost heap. That’s right, whether they’ve been through the brewer or not, coffee grounds make great worm food. In fact, there might be a large-scale vermicompost site near you that would be willing to come pick up your chaff and grounds.

Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag

What kind of bags are you using? Paper Kraft bags? A mylar or other synthetic polymer-based bag? Are they easily recyclable or bio-degradable? Although those shiny, vacuum-sealed bags are pretty and airtight, they may not be the best choice for the environment.
     Isn’t “freshly roasted” still something for us to celebrate? Is the mylar bag with a one-way valve really the godsend it’s made out to be? In the end, doesn’t it just encourage consumers to let their coffee sit and get stale? As an experiment, why not switch up your bags for a while with an environmentally-friendly bag and a campaign for a specific, ecologically sound coffee? It can be a fun and worthwhile experience as well as a great way to gauge your customer’s environmental sensibilities and preferences.

The Guild Likes to Give…

The Roasters Guild is very proud of the contributions we were able to give last year to Grounds For Health, the non-profit organization dedicated to preventing and treating cervical cancer among women coffee laborers in Mexico and Central America. Although their mission will be in our thoughts and minds again this year, the Roasters Guild is moving forward to pick a new charity with a large stake in coffee-producing regions. If you have a suggestion for a worthy charitable organization for the Roasters Guild to lend its support to this year then let us know. Send your suggestion to roastersguild@scaa.org.

Road Trippin’…

Jumping off our soapbox, there are other happenings just now bubbling to the surface! The next Roasters Guild Origin Trip is in the works and Costa Rica is out of the running as they’re no longer offering tourist visas to the Roasters Guild Executive Council for reasons of “Seguridad Nacional,” as too many members tried to stay and seek employment. Colombia looks like the winning horse! If you want to sign up early for updates, e-mail Stacie Woods at swoods@scaa.org.

As we all get ready for an epic SCAA convention, the Roasters Guild wishes you safe travels, happy roasting and best wishes!
     See you in Long Beach!