5) Desperately Seeking Sustainability

When was the last time you bought a coffee that was Fairtrade certified? Certifications make it easy for consumers to put their ethics into practice. But, hidden beneath the glossy sticker is a maze of complications and paradoxical outcomes. In this fifth episode of A History of Coffee, Jonathan and James explore where coffee certifications came from, how they tried to stop coffee’s devastating race to the bottom and assess whether they succeeded. A History of Coffee is a collaboration between James Harper of the Filter Stories - Coffee Documentaries podcast and Jonathan Morris, Professor of History and author of ‘Coffee: A Global History’. Visit Jonathan’s Instagram (https://bit.ly/37eMS3F) and Twitter (https://bit.ly/3jNr9ou) & James’ Filter Stories Instagram (https://bit.ly/2Mlkk0O) and Twitter (https://bit.ly/3baTsJk) Help other people find the show by leaving a review on... Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/3jY42aJ Castbox: http://bit.ly/38sXdcH Read Jonathan’s book, ‘Coffee: A Global History’ here: https://amzn.to/3dihAfU Listen to other coffee documentaries on James’ Filter Stories podcast: https://bit.ly/3ajoT5e Subscribe to The Science of Coffee podcast Live in Berlin? Join me for a free decaf cupping at Communal Coffee on the 12th December 2025. Reserve your ticket here: https://bit.ly/4nZXyrf.