Coffee: A Dark History
Encyclopedia
Coffee: A Dark History is a 2005 book that examines the history of coffee
. It was written by Antony Wild and was published by Norton. Wild had previously worked as a buyer for a specialty-coffee company for over ten years. He argues that coffee has had major effects on the economy of the British Empire
. He also maintains that First World
consumption of coffee and the accompanying free trade
policies have had a negative impact on Third World
coffee farmers.
and then Arab society in general. He credits coffee with causing "a revolution in... political, economic, and cultural life" in England. Wild argues in the book that the energizing effects of coffee are partially responsible for the creation of the modern stock exchange
, Lloyd's of London
, and the London police force in the 1600s. He believes that many British thinkers of the day would have been less prolific if they had drank ale
instead of coffee. He also claims that coffee replacing ale as a popular morning beverage helped cause the Age of Enlightenment
. He also notes that coffee was frequently consumed at meetings of the Royal Society
and by political philosophers such as Andrew Marvell
and Samuel Pepys
. He also describes how that nations in the Americas
were able to rapidly increase coffee production in the 18th century due to the use of slavery. He states that coffee played a role that was similar to sugar in promoting the international slave trade.
Wild describes the global supply chain of coffee in detail. He quotes an estimate by the World Bank
that 500 million people are involved in the global coffee trade. He notes that coffee is very cheap due to the use of Coffea canephora
(robusta coffee) in Vietnam
and other countries. In addition to its inexpensive price, he says that the invention of instant coffee also made the drink easier to make and thus more popular, particularly among American soldiers in World War II
. He is particularly critical of Starbucks
and Nestlé
, viewing them as complicit in neocolonial
oppression of African farmers. He advocates the purchase of Fair Trade
coffee as a way to help Third World farmers.
Wild also discusses the health effects of caffeine
. He believes that excessive caffeine consumption poses a risk to human health. He also argues that the coffee industry has produced flawed information that distort the actual effects of caffeine.
Brendan I. Koerner
faults Wild for bland, unrefined storytelling, poor logic, and off topic digressions with unnecessary detail about unimportant minutiae. Randolph Schmid of the Associated Press
described the digressions as often fascinating, however. Koerner also believes that some of the claims made by Wild about the effects of coffee are outlandish. In addition, he notes that Wild departs from his discussion of coffee to dwell on subjects such as U.S. drug policy and the Vietnam War
. However, he praises Wild for eye-opening accounts of the coffee manufacturing process, descriptions of the effects of Free Trade, and for casting "much-needed light on the consequences of Starbucks' coffee-house hegemony". Jonathan Yardley
also praised Wild for the well founded indignation and sorrow with which he describes the global coffee industry.
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
. It was written by Antony Wild and was published by Norton. Wild had previously worked as a buyer for a specialty-coffee company for over ten years. He argues that coffee has had major effects on the economy of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. He also maintains that First World
First World
The concept of the First World first originated during the Cold War, where it was used to describe countries that were aligned with the United States. These countries were democratic and capitalistic. After the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the term "First World" took on a...
consumption of coffee and the accompanying free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
policies have had a negative impact on Third World
Third World
The term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either capitalism and NATO , or communism and the Soviet Union...
coffee farmers.
Summary
Although he is unable to determine exactly when and where coffee was first consumed, Wild believes that its effect as a stimulant was first discovered by Ethiopian farmers. He also describes its adoption by Sufi IslamSufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
and then Arab society in general. He credits coffee with causing "a revolution in... political, economic, and cultural life" in England. Wild argues in the book that the energizing effects of coffee are partially responsible for the creation of the modern stock exchange
Stock exchange
A stock exchange is an entity that provides services for stock brokers and traders to trade stocks, bonds, and other securities. Stock exchanges also provide facilities for issue and redemption of securities and other financial instruments, and capital events including the payment of income and...
, Lloyd's of London
Lloyd's of London
Lloyd's, also known as Lloyd's of London, is a British insurance and reinsurance market. It serves as a partially mutualised marketplace where multiple financial backers, underwriters, or members, whether individuals or corporations, come together to pool and spread risk...
, and the London police force in the 1600s. He believes that many British thinkers of the day would have been less prolific if they had drank ale
Ale
Ale is a type of beer brewed from malted barley using a warm fermentation with a strain of brewers' yeast. The yeast will ferment the beer quickly, giving it a sweet, full bodied and fruity taste...
instead of coffee. He also claims that coffee replacing ale as a popular morning beverage helped cause the Age of Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
. He also notes that coffee was frequently consumed at meetings of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
and by political philosophers such as Andrew Marvell
Andrew Marvell
Andrew Marvell was an English metaphysical poet, Parliamentarian, and the son of a Church of England clergyman . As a metaphysical poet, he is associated with John Donne and George Herbert...
and Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys FRS, MP, JP, was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament who is now most famous for the diary he kept for a decade while still a relatively young man...
. He also describes how that nations in the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
were able to rapidly increase coffee production in the 18th century due to the use of slavery. He states that coffee played a role that was similar to sugar in promoting the international slave trade.
Wild describes the global supply chain of coffee in detail. He quotes an estimate by the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
that 500 million people are involved in the global coffee trade. He notes that coffee is very cheap due to the use of Coffea canephora
Coffea canephora
Robusta coffee is a variety of coffee which has its origins in central and western sub-Saharan Africa. It is a species of flowering plant in the Rubiaceae family. Though widely known as Coffea robusta, the plant is scientifically identified as Coffea canephora, which has two main varieties -...
(robusta coffee) in Vietnam
Agriculture in Vietnam
In 2004, agriculture and forestry accounted for 21.8 percent of Vietnam's gross domestic product , and between 1994 and 2004, the sector grew at an annual rate of 4.1 percent. Agriculture's share of economic output has declined in recent years, falling as a share of GDP from 42% in 1989 to 26% in...
and other countries. In addition to its inexpensive price, he says that the invention of instant coffee also made the drink easier to make and thus more popular, particularly among American soldiers in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He is particularly critical of Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
and Nestlé
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
, viewing them as complicit in neocolonial
Neocolonialism
Neocolonialism is the practice of using capitalism, globalization, and cultural forces to control a country in lieu of direct military or political control...
oppression of African farmers. He advocates the purchase of Fair Trade
Fair trade
Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...
coffee as a way to help Third World farmers.
Wild also discusses the health effects of caffeine
Health effects of caffeine
The health effects of caffeine have been extensively studied. Short term side effects such as headache, nausea, and anxiety have been shown as symptoms of mild caffeine consumption. The long term consequences of moderate caffeine consumption can be reduced risk of developing Parkinson's disease,...
. He believes that excessive caffeine consumption poses a risk to human health. He also argues that the coffee industry has produced flawed information that distort the actual effects of caffeine.
Reception
Writing in The Washington MonthlyThe Washington Monthly
The Washington Monthly is a bimonthly nonprofit magazine of United States politics and government that is based in Washington, D.C.The magazine's founder is Charles Peters, who started the magazine in 1969 and continues to write the "Tilting at Windmills" column in each issue. Paul Glastris, former...
Brendan I. Koerner
Brendan I. Koerner
Brendan I. Koerner is a contributing editor for Wired magazine and a columnist for both The New York Times and Slate magazine.He sometimes writes using the pseudonym "Mr...
faults Wild for bland, unrefined storytelling, poor logic, and off topic digressions with unnecessary detail about unimportant minutiae. Randolph Schmid of the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
described the digressions as often fascinating, however. Koerner also believes that some of the claims made by Wild about the effects of coffee are outlandish. In addition, he notes that Wild departs from his discussion of coffee to dwell on subjects such as U.S. drug policy and the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. However, he praises Wild for eye-opening accounts of the coffee manufacturing process, descriptions of the effects of Free Trade, and for casting "much-needed light on the consequences of Starbucks' coffee-house hegemony". Jonathan Yardley
Jonathan Yardley
Jonathan Yardley is a book critic at The Washington Post, and at one time of the Washington Star. In 1981 he received the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.-Background and education:...
also praised Wild for the well founded indignation and sorrow with which he describes the global coffee industry.