Guest: Jared Hales
Role: CoFounder/Green Buyer at Hacea Coffee Source
Buy Green Coffee Online: https://haceacoffee.com/collections/green-coffee
Topic: How a labor strike may impact our coffees.
Coffees available from Hacea now:
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A few weeks ago, I saw this headline, "Coffee containers pile up at US ports during strike," By Marcelo Teixeira. The column was about a dockworker strike being held at ports on the East Coast (and eventually Texas). It made me wonder how real and how quick a labor strike could impact our coffee experience from the perspectives of the industry and the consumer.
The strike Jared and I were talking about is over. A deal was announced within an hour of us recording this episode, but that doesn't take away from the need for us to be aware of how labor disputes can impact the coffee industry. You may see higher prices, delayed shipments, or both depending on where you sit. Labor strikes are a big deal. In this case, President Joe Biden stepped in to help facilitate an end to the strike to ensure things got moving again. That's pretty amazing. A sitting President offering negotiation advice to private industry to ensure that fewer Americans are negatively impacted.
In this case, negotiations moved quickly. That isn't always true, and strikes aren't exclusive to the United States. The coffee chain, as is the impact of labor/employer relations, is worldwide. Whether you agree with the political leaning of a particular labor union or not, a strike often means there was a breakdown in communication between how a group of employees value their skills and time in the current world versus how the employer (and, by extension, the consumer) does. The dockworker's strike on the East Coast is over this time.
According to Jared, his cool title of Green Coffee Buyer is really code for green coffee logistics manager. He acquires and moves products from point A to B, and perhaps C, while managing the cash in and out. If he is doing a good job, more comes in than is being put out. In Hacea Coffee's case, they add the lens of doing it ethically where all sides of the coffee supply chain are treated fairly.
Because supply chain delays are somewhat inevitable for numerous reasons beyond a strike, Hurricanes Helene and Milton come to mind. Hacea Coffee Source councils their clients to have at least an extra month's worth of green coffee on hand to ride out any delay. It's always easier to have extra than too little, which will force you to scramble, possibly causing you to pay a higher price as you compete with others for a shrinking inventory.
GAEASTAR CUPS WERE A BIG HIT AT TRAIL FEST
This past weekend, I spent time at Mount Laguna, providing coffee support for the San Diego Mountain Biking Association's annual Trail Fest. My goal was to go an entire weekend without creating any paper cup and lid waste. We communicated to attendees that they should bring their own mugs, but knowing that it wasn't realistic to presume everyone would, I reached out to GaeaStar to see if I could get my hands on any of their 3D-printed clay cups.
You may remember our Coffee Smarter episode featuring GaeaStar founder Sanjeev Mankotia from a few months ago (link below). He and the GaeaStar team were kind enough to connect me with Verve Coffee (LA). They were one of the first to hop on board with the GaeaStar clay cup concept and were kind enough to share a case with us for the event.
They were a huge hit. MTB'ers spend a lot of time in nature. It wasn't a hard sell to convince them that there might be a better way to do coffee conveniently. The beauty of the clay cup is that when you're done with it, it can be recycled in a smash box to become another clay cup, or merely crushed into the dirt. It is merely salt, water, and clay after all.
Pursuing sustainability in our daily lives can be a challenge. Too often, we're told one thing is better, only to find out later we were misled or greenwashed. It is one reason I've become such an advocate for the disposable clay cup concept from GaeaStar. The idea has been around for centuries in other countries, and from my chat with Sanjeev, it is clear they are considering the entirety of their impact beyond just the cup.
If you haven't already listened, I encourage you to check out our podcast episode featuring Sanjeev Mankotia. Or, if you already have, head to gaeastar.com to learn how you or your favorite cafe can reduce plastic in your community.
The next Hacea Coffee Source class (and the first up in Portland) is coming up fast. Spots are limited. Makes for a great date if you’re with a coffee-loving partner—just saying. Click the photo for more details.
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Coffee Smarter: Dockworker Strikes with Jared Hales