Hi,
Not only am I personally a coffee connoisseur, but also a coffee buyer at our local food Co-op. I make purchase decisions based on quality, locality and business practices such as fair trade/direct trade, organic standards, and sustainability practices. I know the difference between coffee beans, issues the coffee industry is dealing with, various processing & roasting methods, & means to get those beans to market. I work with various coffee companies on a daily basis, most are regional to my local area, but also internationally-known coffee companies, e.g. Equal Exchange.
When I travel, I am always on the look-out for the best cafes in any city or town. To me, the best cafes offer not only good, well-crafted and ethically-sourced coffee, but also a vibe that resonates with what I expect from cafe culture. It is a place to decompress or socialize, is open to creative expression, a non-judgmental and neutral place to temporarily nest the soul.
Academically, I studied anthropology, a holistic & qualitative field concerned with human evolution, humans-environment relations, human culture & how these create the 'big picture' over time. I apply anthropological methodology to coffee procurement at the Co-op as well, always searching for companies with the highest positive impact for all parties involved in terms of trade e.g. women's cooperatives that empower women in traditionally patriarchal societies, and with the lowest consequential impact on the environment.