The life cycle of a cup of coffee - A.J. Jacobs

Trace the globe-spanning journey of coffee as it goes from plant to brew, and the complex infrastructure that makes it possible.

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How many people does it take to make a cup of coffee? For many of us, all it takes is a short walk and a quick pour. But this simple staple is the result of a globe-spanning process whose cost and complexity are far greater than you might imagine. AJ Jacobs traces the journey of this caffeinated elixir from seed to cup.

Lesson by A.J. Jacobs, directed by Biljana Labovic.
Animation by Daniella Schnitzer

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Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Ken, zjweele13, Jurjen Geleijn, Anna-Pitschna Kunz, Edla Paniguel, Thomas Mungavan, Jaron Blackburn, Venkat Venkatakrishnan, ReuniteKorea, John Saveland, Aaron Henson, Cailin Ramsey, Begum Tutuncu, Ever Granada, Brian Richards, Divina Grace Dar Santos, Cindy O., Jørgen Østerpart, Tyron Jung, Carolyn Corwin, Charlene You, Carsten Tobehn, Katie Dean, Ezgi Yersu, Gerald Onyango, alessandra tasso, Alan Froese, Côme Vincent, Doreen Reynolds-Consolati, Manognya Chakrapani, Ayala Ron, Samantha Chow, Eunsun Kim, Phyllis Dubrow, Ophelia Gibson Best, Paul Schneider, Joichiro Yamada, Henrique 'Sorín' Cassús, Lyn-z Schulte, Elaine Fitzpatrick, Karthik Cherala, Joshua Merchant, Clarence E. Harper Jr., Clarissa Bartolini-Toro, Exal Enrique Cisneros Tuch, Srikote Naewchampa, Tejas Dc, Khalifa Alhulail, Martin Stephen and Dan Paterniti.

[victorpaesplinio]

I love how photos of actual people were shown in the end.
It is sad that this human working process could be dehumanizing for many people in the very beginning of the chain. Many things we consume is due to the hard work of people who needs to do this just for mere surviving.
And I don't think we have a practical solution that could solve it overnight. But the fact is that we need a solution to change the way we produce and consume food and other goods.

Coffee can be considered a symbol here on Brazil. At least it was the basis of our economy in the last centuries. A cup of coffee is a tradition in our homes.

[moemensayour]

"let's make sure we don't value the final product more than the people who make it." 💔

[johnjohn-]

A new Ted-ed video and a hot coffee: perfect match

[PTNLemay]

"I'm an engineer"
"Oh cool, what kind?"
"Coffee"

[TheRiga]

I remember a high school teacher of mine saying to me once: "when you you wake up in the morning and put on clothes, remember there's a farmer who grew cotton for your shirt, a truck driver who brought it to a factory..." - let's not take our lifestyle for granted. the money we use to buy things doesn't nearly cover for the human and natural resources we exploit!

[atharvanair]

A big thank you to all those workers who have made it possible for me to drink a cup of coffee ☕😊

[londonshaf]

Shout out to aunty at the beginning, angrily sipping her coffee and smoking her spliff.

[juanestebanacostagutierrez]

I'm colombian and Pitalito isn't that remote. It even has malls. Thanks Ted Ed for bringing awareness to colombian coffee underpaid workers.

[Filipe_Veras]

I live in a “coffee town” in Brazil and this video hits me right in the heart.
I don’t think people realize how much hard work this farmers endure. But at least here, I must say they are well paid. It’s a crop that can sustain a family even with farms not that big.

[d.vijayalakshmi]

Coffee is the reason I'm able to clear my exams. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING COFFEE ☕ I WILL ALWAYS BE SLEEP DEPRIVED !

[lizardguyNA]

The Coffee industry does need to pay it's people more.

[craftyanna]

Why did the espresso keep checking his watch?


Because he was pressed for time.

[anamilena]

Wow! 😃👍 Thank you very much for this recognition to coffee growers and all the people involved in this process! As a coffee lover, I find this moving! It's a pity many of them are abused, even in the same countries where coffee is a commodity. Hope more awareness and prompt action leads to more respect and appreciation for coffee growers soon! ¡Saludos desde Colombia! 🇨🇴

[clayel]

“In a process called cupping, ” I’d never thought I would heard ted-ed talk about this O_O

[cta]

I am Colombian and It is very nice to watch a video like this on youtube about my country . We have struggled about the stigma of narcotrafic for so many years but I am glad to see our recognition for our excellent product that we can share all over the world.

[vaishnavaramjass]

I’m in Spanish class but i need to know if coffee had a happy life. Ok. I NEED IT
Edit: i live in the Caribbean island of Trinidad 🇹🇹

[jeromecatubig]

here in the Philippines, people are slowly turning their support to local producers and there flavors are so delish and different from one another

[thinkofteddy]

I'm glad I live in a country that has different kinds of coffee in each province. Some small coffee companies employ local neighbours to work with them. I buy locally-produced coffee and I buy from small sellers to support more local businesses. For me, drinking coffee isn't only about enjoying the smell and how the drink itself can help fix my mood, but also how I support local businesses that support providing my favourite morning drink.

[helenalily]

Please buy directly or at least fair traded coffee, writing in the comments “thank you for the workers” is not enough :)

[hrhmartinh]

Thank you so much for the message of appreciating the people behind the product. That kind of of messaging and approach is what we need more of!