Monday, 23 September 2013

Have A Cup Of Cruelty: The Truth Behind Kopi Luwak


Kopi Luwak, or Civet Coffee, refers to a kind of brewed coffee that is made from coffee berries which have been eaten, digested and excreted by the Civet Cat.

The enzymes from the digestive tract breaks down the bitterness of the coffee berries and coffee brewed from such berries are said to have a very distinctive flavor.

These cat-like creatures from Indonesia feeds mainly on fruits and berries; including the coffee berries. Their excrement would fall onto the forest floor and farmers will harvest these fermented berries to further process them for human consumption.

Well, there is nothing wrong with drinking Kopi Luwak because in the beginning, the excreted berries were collected from free-roaming civet cats in the wild who not only selects the best berries to eat but have a varied diet as well.

However, due to its increasing popularity and limited availability, the traditional way of collecting these pooped berries can no longer meet the demands of coffee connoisseur around the world.

The farmers now need to produce alot of these coffee berries in the shortest time possible and this give rise to battery farming methods where captured civet cats are forced into tiny cages specifically for this purpose.


Here's a summary of the above video in 2:45 mins

It is not hard to know what is driving force behind this cruel trade.

In Singapore, 1kg of these coffee berries can cost up to $400 while 1 sachet (10 gram for 1 cup) is $10. (I could be wrong about the price though. Do correct me if you know the market rate for this Kopi Luwak)

The Civet Cats that has been locked up in cramped enclosures for long periods of time display signs of depression, pacing to and fro in their cages.

Despite the appalling conditions that the Civic Cats were subjected to, this method of battery farming is not illegal. Not illegal does not mean it is alright to do this.

The only way the farmers can continue with this trade is through your support. They will not stop doing this as long as it brings them profit.

Say NO to Kopi Luwak today.

The next time you enjoy your very expensive coffee, think about the cruelty that goes inside your cup.

CRAP-puchino, anyone?


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