Okay, this one is not so much a medical topic than it is a distrust issue. I love coffee. Good coffee. Unfortunately, the price of coffee is going up and the supplies are starting to shrink. Due to that, Starbucks has signed a deal with China to use their beans. China is new to the coffee world (remember all the times you were served coffee at a Chinese restaurant?) but since this is a new pot of gold for them (lots of land and cheap labor) they have decided to go into this industry. And so it begins. The coffee market is a fickle one and doesn't normally jump in on new sources. Using Starbucks as the tip of the spear to break into the market was another brilliant move by China. If history tells us anything it tells us that China will capitalize on the efforts of Starbucks then remove the middle man in some manner. My gut feeling is that Starbucks will walk on this deal because they won't be able to trust the product (remember China's issues with dog food, milk, dry wall, kid's toys, etc.). China will then try to take over the industry with cheap, poor quality and tainted coffee. I will stick with home roasted stuff at the Carrabassett Coffee Company here in Maine. Tell them Doug sent you.
Posts
