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Artwork for A History of Coffee

A History of Coffee

James Harper
Coffee
Guatemala
Hamburg
Specialty Coffee
Ethiopia
Coffee Farming
Mahlkönig
Arabica Coffee
Coffee Preservation
Climate Change
Indigenous Land Rights In Guatemala
Coffee Farm Profitability
Hakultanango
Coffee Yield
Brazil
Guatemalan Civil War
Indigenous People
Coffee Exchange
Germany
Bismarck

A History of Coffee is the story of how a tiny psychoactive seed changed the world and shapes our lives today. Across six episodes, documentary maker James Harper and professional historian Jonathan Morris narrate how humans race coffee across oceans to keep up with demand for this addictive drink. Coffee creates enormous fortunes for some, and misery for others. Sometimes the environment benefits... more

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes23Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
HistoryDocumentarySociety & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for A History of Coffee

Latest Episodes

Welcome to The Coffee Producer Toolkit, a series made in collaboration with Lucia Solis.

This series will help you understand coffee farming better than most professionals you'll meet at a trade show.

Each episode takes one part of the farming busi... more

Specialty coffee changes the story for the indigenous people of Guatemala. Coffee as a tool of oppression finally offers hope....and then something a bit more complicated.

This episode explores the tension between the values of the Mayan communities... more

When you buy a bag of coffee labelled fifth-generation family farm, it feels like a good choice.

But in Guatemala, that label might actually be a signal for a more uncomfortable truth.

This episode explores how land has been understood, used, and ... more

What happens when coffee disappears?

This is not a thought experiment! It’s happened many times in history: War, blockades, tariffs, ideology, health panics, sanctions, supply shocks.

When coffee is not around, people still need something warm, co... more

Key Facts

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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Lucia Solis
Coffee fermentation and processing specialist, consultant, and former winemaker
Episode: Introducing: The Coffee Producer Toolkit
Fernando Castillo
Coffee farmer who manages his family's farm in Guatemala
Episode: Introducing: The Coffee Producer Toolkit
Lalo Pérez
Agronomist focused on organic farming and farm profitability
Biofilia
Episode: Introducing: The Coffee Producer Toolkit
Sam Knowlton
Agronomy consultant and regenerative agriculture specialist
Soil Symbiotics
Episode: Introducing: The Coffee Producer Toolkit
Ted Fischer
Academic/author referenced in the episode, expert on Guatemala coffee
Author of Making Better Coffee
Episode: Guatemala’s Inconvenient Truth, Part 2: Who does specialty serve?
Juan Jose
Community member from Hacaltenango, Mayan Mayan coffee producer
Guatemalan Mayan coffee farmer
Episode: Guatemala’s Inconvenient Truth, Part 2: Who does specialty serve?
Juan Jose López
PhD candidate in anthropology studying coffee and Maya communities
Independent researcher, Guatemalan community studies
Episode: Guatemala’s Inconvenient Truth, Part 1: Whose land is it anyway?
Dr. Aaron Davis
Senior Research Leader of Crops and Global Change at the Royal Botanic Gardens and Head of Coffee Research
Royal Botanic Gardens
Episode: Mother Coffee: The history and heritage of Ethiopia’s wild coffee forests
Solomon Takle
An Ethiopian from the Kaffa region, involved in documenting oral histories of coffee
Episode: Mother Coffee: The history and heritage of Ethiopia’s wild coffee forests

Hosts

James Harper
Documentary maker and creator of Filter Stories
Jonathan Morris
Professional historian and author of Coffee: A Global History

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 256 ratings
  • Barista Approved

    I love LOVE this show. As a lifetime learner (and specialty coffee lover), I’ve made it my mission to know what I’m brewing and drinking. This swiftly composed medley of episodes does an amazing job at diving head-first into the good, the bad, and the ugly of all things coffee. Be advised, the stories you hear are not just about the mighty psychoactive bean, they’re also about the history, the land and the people who’ve been a part of this long and delicious journey. To top it all off, the host ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MarthaButNotStewart
    United States7 days ago
  • More please

    Listening to this podcast while driving and having my coffee, best multidimensional experience ever

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Dmytr002
    United Kingdom9 months ago
  • Fascinating and thought provoking

    Given up on latest episode because I can’t make out what is being said for loud piano music

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Lacwn
    United Kingdom9 months ago
  • White washing Islamic imperialism and Arab slave trade

    Podcast is great and would get 5 stars if they didn’t give into the leftist doctrine that Islamic imperialism and Arab slave trade must be erased and never spoken about. According to them coffee was native to Ethiopia, then those noble brown Arabs turned into a delightful drink before the evil European colonizers got involved

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    cassierae87
    United Statesa year ago
  • So glad I found this podcast

    An exquisite and thought-provoking podcast. The history shared kept me tuned in. I’m going to listen again and take notes this time. Found you by searching doe “coffee”. Glad I did.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    SRobinson831
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The unflinching treatment of exploitation and inequality can be thought-provoking, but some listeners object to its framing.
Listeners appreciate the attention to the people, land and environmental costs behind coffee production.
Listeners value the well-researched history and the links between coffee, trade, colonialism and everyday life.
The conversational pairing of a historian and documentary maker is often praised as engaging and easy to follow.
Production and music are often praised, though one listener found piano music too loud to hear the narration clearly.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#225
Singapore/History
Apple Podcasts
#227
Russia/History
Apple Podcasts
#238
Mexico/History
Apple Podcasts
#249
South Korea/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Guatemala’s Inconvenient Truth, Part 2: Who does specialty serve?
Q: How do you know which farmer that is and how to identify them?
There are three main groups—historic German plantations, Ladino farmers, and Maya producers—each with different implications for land, access, and pricing; understanding the producer's background helps assess impact and quality.
Guatemala’s Inconvenient Truth, Part 2: Who does specialty serve?
Q: Jonathan, you want to buy a coffee from Guatemala, is that delicious?
Yes, Guatemalan coffees are generally delicious, but you should consider which farmer you're buying from because there are different histories and cooperative structures that affect who benefits.
Mother Coffee: The history and heritage of Ethiopia’s wild coffee forests
Q: Where and when did the species Arabica coffee come from?
Arabica coffee originated from a unique mating event between two different coffee species, with evidence indicating this happened somewhere in sub-Saharan Africa.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About A History of Coffee

What is A History of Coffee about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A narrative history of coffee as a global commodity, tracing how cultivation, trade and changing tastes have shaped societies from coffee's origins to today. Documentary maker James Harper guides the story with professional historian Jonathan Morris, combining conversational narration, historical research, interviews with scholars and people connected to coffee-growing communities, and occasional hands-on tastings. Topics include colonialism, land and labor, trade hubs, coffee substitutes, biodiversity and the environmental pressures facing production.

The distinctive focus is on both the drink and the people and systems behind it: how coffee created wealth, enabled exploitation and affected local communities and landscapes. The approach s... more

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Which podcasts are similar to A History of Coffee?

These podcasts share a similar audience with A History of Coffee:

1. In Our Time
2. You're Dead to Me
3. The Ancients
4. Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
5. Parenting Hell with Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe

How many episodes of A History of Coffee are there?

A History of Coffee launched 6 years ago and published 23 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on A History of Coffee?

Recent guests on A History of Coffee include:

1. Lucia Solis
2. Fernando Castillo
3. Lalo Pérez
4. Sam Knowlton
5. Ted Fischer
6. Juan Jose
7. Juan Jose López
8. Dr. Aaron Davis

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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