Connected By Coffee is an inspiring and thought-provoking look into the lives and history of the people who grow the coffee we drink.
Coffee is a multi-billion dollar industry, yet most coffee farmers live in poverty. Connected by Coffee follows two North American coffee roasters on a 1,000-mile journey across Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua to listen to the stories of the people who grow their coffee. On the way they meet with soldiers who have become growers, powerful women who are controlling their own destinies and countless farmers joining together to form cooperatives.
We’ll witness how coffee is changing from a tool of oppression into a tool for empowerment, and how it is transforming small-scale growing communities across the world. And we’ll see the indomitable spirit of people who are determined to live joyfully in the face of economic, social, and environmental challenges. As ethical consumer practices like fair trade grow, questions arise about how fair they really are amidst the historical injustices of global politics and international trade. Connected By Coffee confronts these questions and motivates consumers to make a difference. Throughout the journey we learn how every cup of coffee we drink connects us in a very real way to the people who produce it.
5% of all proceeds directly to the 4 coffee cooperatives featured in this film towards COFFEE RUST relief. “La Roya”: a fungus that causes significant damage to coffee plants. It strips them of their leaves, leaving them without nutrients, and ultimately inhibits them from bearing fruit.