ARTE Distribution

Faced with the challenges of climate change, and after years of poor farming practices, the cultivation of coffee - the world's most widely enjoyed beverage - is reinventing itself, to be more eco-friendly and fairer to the men and women who grow it. 

What are these new sustainable routes for coffee? What are the new solutions the industry is developing for tomorrow? Are they sustainable? And what kind of hope do these new agronomic, botanical and social experiments give us for the future of humanity? Coffee, a universal beverage and the world's leading agricultural resource in terms of value, is in crisis due to the climatic challenges threatening its production. However, a new sector known as “specialty coffee”, is emerging, advocating eco-friendly and sustainable practices like those used for craft beer or top-of-the-range chocolate. This movement has been expanding rapidly over the past thirty years, offering new opportunities to producers and reviving old techniques. At the heart of this transformation is Tom Darval, a young barista, who explores some of the coffee bean's most emblematic countries. Through his professional and personal quest, Tom meets agronomists and local actors, as they are in a quest to understand and create new farming methods and their impact on communities. This journey illustrates a hope for change in the face of environmental threats, while celebrating the values of togetherness and sharing this beverage conveys.