Episode 026 - What is Sustainable Coffee? Part 6 - Chemistry

How chemistry and soil health play a role in coffee quality. An interview with Sarah Brinkley, Ph.D. candidate and researcher at Texas A & M, working in the Center for Coffee Research and Education.

In this episode, Brendon interviews coffee chemistry guru, Sarah Brinkley, to talk about the role chemistry plays in the perception and evaluation of coffee quality. Sarah discusses her sinuous path of interests leading her through vineyards, coffee farms and chemistry labs. She explains how a singular specialty coffee "score" or rating is not sufficient to describe coffee "quality." She outlines the development of a "living lexicon" to better describe coffee and how chemistry aids in this pursuit. Sarah also discusses her research, evaluating how soil amendments help improve plant health and influence coffee quality, both at the consumer perception and chemical profiling levels.

Sarah also defines biodynamic farming, recounts the history and significance of Norman Borlaug, and discusses the array of applications for various chemistry technologies. Ultimately, Sarah discloses her desire to see coffee become more of a gourmet product, with a higher price point and appreciation for this specialty crop, in order to mitigate price crises and provide equitable compensation for farmers in this industry.

To connect with Sarah Brinkley, click here; Twitter: @scbrinkley
To read Sarah's most recent publication on Coffee Chemistry and Climate Change, click here.
To check out Sarah's side hustle and Coffee education repository, click here.
To learn more about Texas A & M's Center for Coffee Research and Education, click here.