Poor Farmer

CNBC August 14, 2013 The global coffee market has been rather decaffeinated for the past couple of years, with prices falling to less than half their 2011 peak and the bean becoming the worst-performing soft commodity last year. Yet there are some signs the market is recovering, following action from the Brazilian government last month. The long-term implications of Brazil's move to buy up coffee beans to keep prices reasonable for farmers are yet to emerge, but they have "definitely" had an impact in the short-term, according to Mauricio Galindo, head of operations at the International Coffee Organization (ICO). The price of Arabica coffee on the New York Futures exchange has started ticking up again. Coffee is historically a crop which sees prices go up one year and down the next, reflecting production in Latin America. This was supposed to be a year where production fell,but the harvest was better than usual. As the Brazilian real fell, the co...

If you need to avoid caffeine, is decaffeinated coffee a good choice? Mother Nature Network August 13, 2013 Coffee is the bitter dark cup of brew that keeps us in the Northwest going through the rainy season. We especially like to read the many studies affirming the positive impact of coffee on our health. However, it can be addictive because of the caffeine and some prefer to keep their caffeine intake low. Others, such as those with kidney disease or anxiety disorders, may need to avoid caffeine all together. Whether you are avoiding caffeine on doctor's orders or for personal reasons — if you love coffee, you may be wondering whether decaf is a good choice for you. The first and most important consideration is whether or not decaf coffee still contains caffeine. While there is some variance in coffee, decaffeinated coffee certainly does contain caffeine – just in lower amounts. One study found that while a single cup of coffee contains around 85 mil...