Climate and French coffee
Climate and French Coffee
The importance of the novel “Midq Alley” lies in the ability of the Nobel writer – Professor Naguib Mahfouz – to embody the effects of World War II – which geographically extended to all corners of the planet Earth – in marginalized social groups, whose world does not exceed the borders of a narrow alley the size of a coffee cup, in which Sunqur – the café boy – moves like a shuttle between the customers, to a vast, expanding world.
I am confident that if our great writer had extended his life, he would have thought of a second part in which he would address the consequences of climate change on those in simple professions that represent a basic pillar of middle-class life. Suqar, who used to buy ground coffee from a wholesale store in the Al-Ghuriya neighborhood, may find it difficult to obtain it in the future. The street, which smelled of brewed coffee mixed with cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, rose seeds and mastic, may become a memory that people pass on from generation to generation.
During the current year, the European Commission is expected to activatethe directive issued regarding the specifications of coffee imported from African and Latin American countries; To ensure the availability of sustainability standards, and to avoid negative impacts on forests resulting from the use of pesticides at excessive rates, as well as avoiding the burning of hydrocarbons, in addition to the requirement that roasted coffee achieve a level of 400 micrograms per kilogram, in accordance with the text of Commission Regulation No. (2158/2017).
These conditions have led to a reduction in coffee imports to the European Union this year. Which negatively affected the sales of about five million families who depend mainly on coffee exports.
75% of global coffee production – according to the Visual Capitalist website – is concentrated in five main countries: Brazil 37.4%, Vietnam 17%, Colombia 8.4%, Indonesia 7.1%, and finally Brazil 4.3%. Small and medium fields represent a large proportion of them; This makes it vulnerable to the effects of the implementation of European environmental policies.
And even the milk that is added – as desired – to French coffee “Café au laitCafé au lait” It seems that it will not be spared – either – from the consequences of climate change, as livestock herds are seen as one of the main sources of methane gas, participating in approximately 20% of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) Greenhouse Gases (GHGs).
What is worrying in academic reports and studies is its high growth rates, when reassurance comes from the speed of its decomposition compared to carbon dioxide. Which made it a focus of interest for scientists to study ways to reduce its emissions, in preparation for achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.
Cattle herds, which range in number – globally – from one to one and a half billion cows, contribute the highest percentage of global methane emissions – about 25% – in addition to being a major source of meat and milk.
On the other hand, calls to sharply reduce the number of cows and replace their meat with plant-based foods were met with opposition from countries whose national product depends mainly on cows and their products. Such as New Zealand and Ireland.
Also, the idea of “less methane, more milk” – which aims to mix cow feed with seaweeds that reduce the rates of cows releasing methane into the atmosphere when they burp – was not welcomed, as the presence of these herbs is limited to Australia only, and it is difficult to cultivate them in offshore marine environments. Which does not make it a sustainable and effective solution.
During the holding of the twenty-eighth climate summit in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates – between November 30 and December 13 – a report was launched regarding the loss and damage clause, previously approved in Sharm El-Sheikh last year, and established on the first day of the Dubai summit; The agricultural sector – and its related activities – are more affected by climate change. Hence, the recommendations stressed the commitment to support agriculturally affected countries, work to assess climate risks, and develop mechanisms to avoid them, or reduce them in the worst cases, with an emphasis on policies to reduce the water footprint.
It is worth noting that the greater the ratio of small farmers to the general population of landowners, the higher the level of fragility of agricultural systems, as most of them face great difficulties in financing and managing their small and medium investments. Due to the absence of the crowd influencing supply and demand. Hence, the effects of the European Union’s decisions – regarding coffee acceptance standards – were shocking to millions of poor families, who find it difficult to comply with sustainability standards. Either due to lack of knowledge of the procedures, or limited income, and on the other hand, their livestock are threatened if standards for methane gas are approved.
The climate conference in Dubai witnessed for the first time a number of oil and gas companies pledging their commitment to address methane emissions, and allocating approximately $1.2 billion for this purpose.
Humanity faces many challenges, and their negative effects are directly reflected in the food basket and the simple professions associated with it among social groups with a fragile financial level, which fall under the concept of the working class. On its way, it sweeps (Sanqur the coffee boy) and the creative cups he makes of cardamom and mastic, passing through the frankincense stick, and customers who are accustomed to eating dishes of rice pudding and pudding mixed with drops of orange blossom water, and cakes whose flour is mixed with local ghee, so that it melts in the mouth – due to its softness – before the hot milk touches it, and the smell of its freshness lingers. Noses; And the fattah boats with sesame crackers swimming in lakes of milk, cold or hot – depending on demand – on whose glowing surface granules of local ghee (bright yellow, pleasing to the eyes), melting on its glowing surface, explaining the chest of the eaters.
All of this will become a heritage that is passed down through generations as a popular heritage, and with it will erode job opportunities for social classes representing broad sectors of society, and this is if they are unable to adjust the standards of their activities with the determinants of sustainability. Then the waterfall of change sweeps it to where we do not know!!
