Film gives coffee firms a roasting on sustainability

By Chris Mercer

Buying practices of the world’s biggest coffee companies have come under renewed public scrutiny from a new film which explores the journey of coffee beans from plantation to cup. BeverageDaily.com took an early peek.

The film, called Black Gold, vividly depicts the poverty and uncertainty in the lives of Ethiopian coffee producers, and calls for more commitment to a sustainable coffee supply chain.

Dubbed by some as the next ‘Supersize Me', Black Gold will launch in the UK at a time when ethical food and drink sales in the country have hit record highs, posing a challenge for producers and retailers.

Tadesse Meskala, head of the Ethiopian Oromia coffee co-operative, takes centre stage in the film as he is shown attempting to get a better price for his 74,000 producers. “Our hope is that one day the consumer will understand what he is drinking,” Meskala says.

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