3 Billion Cups of Coffee a Day, and Pledging to Help Coffee Farmers

3 Billion Cups of Coffee a Day, and Pledging to Help Coffee Farmers

You probably already knew that International Coffee Day is coming up on October 1st. Right? Everything being equal, the October 1st Coffee Day is, in terms of sheer numbers, more popular than Christmas—celebrated by 2 billion worldwide.

After all, 3 billion cups of coffee are consumed every single day. And every one of those cups comes with some kind of mental or vocalized paean: “God, that’s good, “That’s a boost,” or “Now I can work,” or “Now I can relax.”

The International Coffee Organization (ICO) out of London (and England does drink a lot of coffee) is using the International Coffee Day for an ethical marketing push of its idea of a #coffeepledge, a pledge by coffee drinkers to help build better working and payment conditions for the world’s coffee farmers.

The ICO says of this need: “Coffee has never been more popular, with an estimated 3 billion cups consumed every day. In spite of growing demand, coffee faces a dramatic crisis, as the prices that producers receive today are more than 30% below the average of the last ten years, threatening the livelihood of coffee farmers and their families.”

ICO further says: “By signing this petition you’ll give consumers a voice and help us to influence those who can effect positive change for coffee farmers around the world: the international community, governments, development banks, the United Nations and the wider coffee industry. With your assistance we can help coffee farmers receive the livelihood they need and deserve through a living income.”