We've attended coffee festivals on four continents, and no matter the location, the experience is often the same: a celebration of competitions, machines, and coffee culture that feels very disconnected from those who grow the beans. The industry loves to talk about "origin," but at these festivals, origin is reduced to a booth in the least coveted corner of the fair that no one ever visits.
Rather than levelling the playing field, coffee festivals tend to reinforce the industry's most damaging imbalance: those at the top of the supply chain are the protagonists, while those at the bottom are marginalised or completely ignored. We constantly see roasters, baristas, and influencers posting endless selfies, but never the producers themselves. What's missing is not just representation, but respect. Festivals rarely invest in bringing coffee farmers in, offering translation services, or creating spaces for real dialogue about challenges at origin.
Even the industry's supposed ethics are lost in the noise. "Sustainability," "traceability," and "direct trade" are buzzwords that flood the stands, but few attendees question what they really mean or if they are backed by action. It's easy to talk about values when there's no accountability. We've seen coffee farmers underpaid for award-winning harvests, while importers and leaders tout the virtues of transparency on panels.
We can't continue to celebrate coffee if we ignore the producer. If the coffee industry wants to grow with integrity, its public events must improve. This means giving coffee farmers a voice, compensating them fairly for their time and expertise, and recognising their place not only in the supply chain but also in the cultural narrative of coffee. Until then, these festivals will remain discriminatory gatherings focused on marketing, sales, and social media narcissism, and that's a bitter pill to swallow that doesn't fit with the concept of specialty coffee.
We can't continue to celebrate coffee if we ignore the producer. If the coffee industry wants to grow with integrity, its public events must improve. This means giving coffee farmers a voice, compensating them fairly for their time and expertise, and recognising their place not only in the supply chain but also in the cultural narrative of coffee. Until then, these festivals will remain discriminatory gatherings focused on marketing, sales, and social media narcissism, and that's a bitter pill to swallow that doesn't fit with the concept of specialty coffee.
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