OUR BEANS
Sourced from all over the world, the Arabica coffee beans used in production are grown in Guatemala, Kenya, Brazil, Costa Rica and Columbia. These are then shipped to our roastery on the Gold Coast, allowing Zarraffa's to deliver contemporary flavours and exotic aromas, becoming comparatively superior to market competitors. Once the beans are acquired in their raw (green) state, they are air roasted locally at Zarraffa's Gold Coast premises and packaged on site, ready for wholesale distribution or for sale at any of our strategically located retail outlets.
Like all aspects of Zarraffa's product delivery, our beans are packaged such that they are protected from any adverse properties that may exist in the surrounding environment. Properly roasted Coffee beans are particularly sensitive to light, air and moisture so it is imperative to store the beans in a cool, dry, dark place. Zarraffa's bean packaging techniques are designed to block light from one side of the bag assisting in the protection of the coffee beans. The bags also exhibit a one-way valve to emit any unsolicited air. Once packaged, Zarraffa's Coffee beans are stored in freezers at all Zarraffa's retail outlets to keep the beans from moisture and temperature damage. It is recommended that both whole roasted beans and ground beans be stored in freezer space once purchased.
Our Coffee production and packaging techniques are often criticised for being uneconomical; however, our consistency and quality are frequently commended. To produce an individually perfect cup of coffee for every customer is our goal, and making that cup of coffee from perfectly roasted coffee beans brings us that one step closer.
Fair Trade Coffee
Zarraffa's Coffee has emphasized a need to continually research means for ensuring the continual growth and longevity of our coffee industry. Fair Trade coffee came to our attention recently and being an area of interest to many of our customers we put some research into the prospect of employing fair trade coffee into our business. What we found was that there was a negative side to Fair Trade coffee as well and we did not believe this to be the direction we wanted to take our business.
Uncovering the truth about Fair Trade Coffee
The purpose of Fair Trade Coffee is to support farming families in developing nations and helping them to get ahead in the world through ensuring that coffee is purchased at a 'minimum' price, promoting poverty relief and sustainability. There are studies and articles which suggest the contrary with regards to Fair Trade Coffee. An article by Tim Wilson and Sinclair Davidson in the Australian Financial Review on Saturday 10th May 2008 uncovers many of these untold, 'inconvenient truths' about Fair Trade Coffee in today's society. A report by Marc Sidwell of the Adam Smith Institute of London Delves further into the 'Unfair Trade' movement of the coffee industry by explaining the controlling nature of the Fair Trade Agreement which aims to encumber the economic growth of underdeveloped farmers and maintain apredetermined level of poverty within developing nations. Overall, research indicates that Fair Trade Coffee sets about restricting coffee farmers and denying them the opportunity to grow and prosper, the only way to truly support farmers in underdeveloped countries and economies is to support “Free Trade” within these nations.
For more information on the studies referred to in this document visit: http://www.adamsmith.org/blog/globalization/unfair-trade-20080225957/ or refer 2008, 'Fair trade and unworkable attempt to rig the market', Australian Financial Review, Saturday 10th May, pg2.
