Coffee is the direct product of a past that was initially based on slavery. Even today, remnants of the colonial heritage of coffee can still be found in the coffee world. Some are more prominent, while others resonate unconsciously.
Christian Cwik is a historian at the Institute for Inter-American Studies at the University of Graz. I spoke with him about what exactly colonialism is, how the development of coffee production plays into it, and how slavery was able to lay the foundation for the rapid development of coffee production in South America.
Engaging with the history of coffee is essential to recognizing and understanding the structures of injustice that still prevail today. The podcast is similar to a 90-minute lecture, complete with excursions and anecdotes that break down and provide context for this major topic in an objective manner.
