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forward. "The opinion of the majority of people I spoke with was, 'I'm not going to run out and buy these coffees tomorrow for my shop, yet I'm really excited by what I tasted,'" says Hetzel. "I think people understand the potential and see that there's definitely an application for these coffees in different places." Exactly what that application is should take shape in the coming months as the burgeoning robusta market—and CQI's R System—mature. :+$7 0$77(56 72 &21680(56" Because Sustainable Harvest's Relationship Coffee model puts the focus on transparency and traceability throughout the supply chain, those ideas are typically explored at Let's Talk Coffee. But how much does traceability matter to the end consumer? That question was at the center of a couple of talks during Let's Talk Coffee's first morning, and the answer appeared to be, "Very much." 3(5*$0,12 ,1 0('(//,1 transfer—or if they'll spend more money if they're supporting a cause," Gomez says. "People in the study tended to pay a higher premium for Sustainable 90, with most of that premium going to social capital, which showed that socially altruistic individuals are very interested in supporting development in these communities. That's the main finding." The idea of consumers wanting to do social good with their &251(// 352)(6625 0,*8(/ *20(= 5,*+7 :,7+ )/$9,2 0(,5$ %25(0 Miguel Gomez, an economics professor at Cornell University, traveled to Let's Talk Coffee to present the findings of a recently conducted study that examined the degree to which consumers care about certifications. The study—which Gomez says is in the review process and is expected to be published in the next six months— invented labels called Sustainable 90 and Sustainable 10. In the first, the consumer was told that 90 percent of the price premium was invested in social capital, "meaning better training and better social conditions, investments in health and education," Gomez says. In the other label, 10 percent of the premium went toward that end. The study offered participants four types of coffee: one with no label; one with an existing (though confidential in the findings) label ensuring a price premium was paid to the producer; one labeled Sustainable 90; and one labeled Sustainable 10. The study found its subjects were willing to pay 10 to 15 percent premiums for the labels—paying the highest premiums for Sustainable 90 and the existing label—but that the factors important to them in paying a premium varied widely, from environmental protection to supporting social projects. "There is an economic theory on altruism that talks about whether people donate just to donate so that they feel good about themselves—they call it the cash dollars is hardly earth shattering, but the Cornell study is among the first research on the topic to land hard numbers. The question of how to connect with consumers on sustainability issues was discussed at length during Let's Talk Coffee's proceedings, and it's one retailers ponder frequently as well. One sentiment echoed regularly at the gathering: Though customers want to do good, they also favor simplicity. Andy Barker, social mission coordina- tor at one of America's best-known sustainability-minded brands, Ben & Jerry's, offered some succinct advice: "Consumers have too much information and too little time," he said. "And what they want to know is something very general: Is the act of buying this product creating the kind of world I want to live in?" Retailers who can quickly communicate that message through their coffee may be rewarded with return customers. *$7+(5,1* 2) 7+( 0$66(6 The field-trip crowd eventually files out of Pergamino and onto buses. Surveying the group exiting the café, I'm reminded how unique this get-together is, how seldom every link of the supply chain is in the same room—or in the same café, for that matter. There's an electricity to such connectivity, and it's one of the chief reasons Let's Talk Coffee now has 10 years in the books. "People don't just want to buy a coffee," David Griswold, Sustainable Harvest's founder, tells me during the conference. "They want to have a personal connection to that grower. They want to be able to tell their own personal story, and that's what we're really moving toward." Among the attendees at LET'S TALK COFFEE 2012 was Mexico's Fabrizio Sención Ramírez, who placed second at this year's World Barista Championship in Vienna. Head to freshcup.com for a Web-exclusive interview about his time in the spotlight, his efforts to run a roastery and café in Guadalajara, and much more. freshcup.com November 2012 39 ELLIOTT SCHOFIELD PHOTOGRAPHY ELLIOTT SCHOFIELD PHOTOGRAPHY