Equal Exchange Quality Manager Beth Ann Caspersen took a coffee "Q Course" at the Coffee Quality Institute, then went through a two-year apprenticeship to become a Q Instructor so that she can teach the Q Course herself. She's one of 31 certified Q Instructors in the world.
Blog
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Beth Ann CaspersenJune 4, 2012Categories:
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Mike MowryApril 3, 2012Categories:
In February I spent a week traveling around Ethiopia with representatives from other coffee companies as part of a Cupping Caravan. In two 15 passenger vans, top loaded with gas ranges, propane, and 5 gallon bottles of water, we spent the first few days cupping—the industry term for analyzing coffee—at various ECX field labs. ECX stands for the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange, which is the government agency responsible for grading all commodities produced in Ethiopia.
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Mike MowryFebruary 12, 2012Categories:
Mike Mowry, Coffee Quality Coordinator, and Beth Ann Caspersen, Quality Control Manager, are in Ethiopia for two weeks. Here Mike talks week one and gives us an overview of what's still to come for the two travelers.
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Beth Ann CaspersenOctober 13, 2011Categories:
I often think about how we are changing the world through trade - with relationships and the belief that everyone has rights, no matter where they are from. It's easy to get overwhelmed by the complex issues spanning the globe, from myriad protests to governmental conflicts to human right abuses. Look at a place like the Democratic Republic of Congo - a war-torn country in Central Africa with a devastated economy and massive sexual violence against women and girls of all ages. Did you know that the D.R. Congo has been called one of the worst places on earth to be a woman?
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Tom Hanlon-WildeJuly 6, 2011Categories:
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Jessica Jones-HughesJune 6, 2011Categories:
Recently at Equal Exchange, we received the question, "Is it true that coffee dehydrates you?" Water is one of the most essential nutrients for your body. So, pour yourself a glass of your favorite chilled Equal Exchange drink and read on!
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Beth Ann CaspersenMarch 30, 2011Categories:
Over the last few years I have written about shifting gender roles in the coffee industry; how women are moving into different positions of power and influence within their own communities and co-operatives. The change is slow, but I believe this systemic change begins with individual women and the opportunities that are available to them.
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Beth Ann CaspersenFebruary 1, 2011Categories:
For many years, the specialty coffee industry has drawn parallels to the wine industry. The most widely used comparison is in the way we describe the flavors we taste. Consumers are familiar with wine labels that boast specialty flavors like mango or plum, bright acidity, and a host of other flavors.
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Ashley SymonsJuly 26, 2010Categories:
Mike Mowry is a Coffee Quality Coordinator at Equal Exchange. It's his job to taste coffee.
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Susan SklarMarch 27, 2009Categories:
At the Tierra Nueva coffee and honey co-operative, some new initiatives are helping women to improve their economic standing. Gender roles in Latin America, as in most parts of the world, are inequitable.