It would seem the shortage that has forced our local coffee roaster to seek his source elsewhere is just another sign of the economic downturn that has dragged the US, Europe and Japan into "the first simultaneous recession since World War II," according to Bloomberg.com.Carlos Caminada, Bloomberg's Latin America columnist, says today that growers in Brazil can't get loans for fertilizer and pesticide so they're forced to settle for almost half the usual yield. Couldn't they learn organic methods and grow without fertilizer and pesticide, I optimistically ask myself. Not without radically raising prices and driving away customers, my inner skeptic scoffs. Much as I'd be thrilled by the idea that world agriculture might be forced to kick the chemical habit cold turkey, I sense that it's not likely to happen on any kind of large scale.
Is it time to kick our habit? Well, not quite yet. The Capt called this morning from AZ to report he'd bought eight pounds of French Roast on sale for around $8/lb. But maybe it's time to start using those tiny espresso cups and sipping it like the Godfather.