Microdosing LSD vs a Cup of Coffee

• The Vietnamese government is investing more than $100 million over six years to help coffee farmers mitigate and respond to the impacts of climate change. In partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Green Climate Fund, the project hopes to "combat rising greenhouse gas emissions and protect vital forest ecosystems where rural people depend on coffee production for their livelihoods", according to IFAD.
• Speaking of projects... A new report by the VOCAL Coffee Alliance criticises the individualistic nature of coffee companies' private sustainability initiatives. Rather than running these "fragmented" projects, the report says coffee companies should build sustainability into their core coffee sourcing strategies. "Producers call on buyers to translate ‘sustainability commitments’ into procurement practices that deliver remunerative prices, faster payments, co-financing for compliance and shared risk mechanisms", the alliance said in a press release.
• Microdosing small amounts of psychedelics is an increasingly popular treatment for various mental health disorders. However, new research has found that microdosing LSD may be less helpful for treating depression than drinking a cup of coffee. "A medium-strength cup of coffee may prove more beneficial in treating major depressive disorder than a tiny dose of acid", wrote Wired's John Semley.

For more on all these stories, plus Starbucks Workers United's call to delete the Starbucks app, check out the full Roundup in Fresh Cup Magazine:

Coffee News Club: Week of February 9

What’s better for treating depression: LSD or coffee? Plus, Vietnam invests $100 million to support coffee farmers, and union baristas ask say delete the Starbucks app.

Fresh CupFionn Pooler

Also for Fresh Cup, last week I wrote about coffee companies in Minneapolis standing up to ICE and protecting their communities. It is a (more hopeful) companion piece to my recent Pourover article which covered a similar subject but involved more criticism of big brands like Starbucks and Caribou Coffee.

In Minnesota, the Coffee Community Stands Up to ICE

The way Minnesota’s indie coffee shops have stepped up in the face of ICE’s violent immigration surge is an inspiring example of coffee community in action.

Fresh CupFionn Pooler

On Friday, paid subscribers received first access to my latest Coffee Conversations piece: a Q&A interview with Hanan Wazwaz of Sip of Silk in Minneapolis. Become a paid subscriber to read it now, or you can wait a few weeks and I'll send it out to everyone.

Coffee Conversations: Hanan Wazwaz on Opening a Palestinian-Salvadoran Cafe in Minneapolis in the Current Moment

The co-founder of Sip of Silk discusses opening a coffee shop and trying to both celebrate her heritage and support her community amidst an ongoing terror campaign by the federal government.

The PouroverFionn Pooler

A lot of people told me it’s a bad idea, that if you mention you’re Palestinian or pro-Palestinian, you’re not going to get business. And I was like, I’m not negotiating that. I’m Palestinian, I’m going to say I’m Palestinian, not just Arab-owned. And so we did do that, and we’ve had a tonne of support for that.

I'll be back on Friday with a new long read, but until then it's goodbye from my friend Angela's cat Jun, who seems delighted to be sharing his bed: