The current coffee processing revolution offers us means to improve the live of coffee growers and processors not just through direct product improvement, but through a new, powerful narrative that can drive more respect, and value, back to producers. But, says Joel Schuler, it requires a paradigm shift, one we can only make if we ask--and collectively answer--many questions, and a movement towards parity.

Joel Shuler

Joel Shuler specializes in coffee post-harvest processing and quality analysis. He holds a master's degree in Agricultural Engineering from Universidade Federal de Lavras, specializing in post-harvest processing, and is a Q Arabica, Q Robusta, and Q Processing instructor. He has worked on diverse projects including the development of the Q Processing program for CQI, a post-harvest processing manual for Yunnan, China, and providing post-harvest support for the nascent specialty coffee industry in Myanmar, among others. He has authored and co-authored several chapters on coffee production in texts such as Coffee: Chemistry, Quality and Health Implications (Royal Society of Chemistry) and the Handbook of Coffee Post-Harvest Technology: A Comprehensive Guide to the Processing, Drying, and Storage of Coffee (Gin Press), a text which Joel also translated from Portuguese to English.