A video featuring elites at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland discussing how coffee production contributes to climate change has sparked outrage on social media, after going viral with over three million views. The video, originally shared by tech journalist Tim Hinchliffe, shows Swiss banker Hubert Keller warning viewers that "they’re coming for your coffee."
Keller, who was a speaker at the WEF panel, highlighted the significant carbon footprint of coffee production, noting that every tonne of coffee emits between 15 and 20 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. He also highlighted the impact of monoculture, a farming practice where a single crop is grown on a large scale, and how it is contributing to the deterioration of natural assets.
The WEF contributor also pointed out the need for re-organizing the coffee industry, which is estimated to be a $250 billion market globally, to make it more sustainable and to address the issue of poverty among coffee farmers. However, many viewers interpreted Keller’s points as a move to strip coffee farmers of their livelihoods and a ploy by massive corporations to control the market.
Tech journalist Tim Hinchliffe shared his interpretation of the video, stating, "They're going after coffee farmers. When he says production is ‘fragmented,’ he's saying it has yet to be captured by corporations & centralized. The coffee farmers in the globalist-termed 'global south' are to be stripped of their livelihoods in the name of climate justice."
Hinchliffe’s post sparked a wave of comments from social media users, with many criticizing the WEF and elites for trying to regulate something as simple as coffee. Author and scientist Gad Saad sarcastically listed out how almost every aspect of human life, from pets to cars, is being blamed for damaging the environment, and ridiculed the idea of becoming celibate and drinking water as a substitute for coffee.
Conservative columnist Tim Young also expressed his disapproval, stating, "Now, the WEF clowns are claiming that coffee is bad for the environment. You'll have nothing and you'll like it." Australian politician Malcolm Roberts echoed Young’s sentiments when he berated the WEF elites for discussing the need to reduce animal farming and fishing while indulging in steak and seafood themselves.
The general consensus among social media users is that these statements by the WEF elites are part of a larger plan to make people feel guilty for their existence and to manipulate their purchasing decisions in favor of products owned by the billionaires associated with the Forum. One Nation, a political party in Australia, declared its stance against the "CO2 Climate scam" and promised to support the promotion of a pro-human and anti-WEF agenda.
This video has sparked a larger conversation about the role of the WEF, an exclusive gathering of world leaders and top business executives, in shaping global policies and influencing consumer behavior. Many see this as another instance of the elites trying to control and profit from people’s everyday activities, such as drinking coffee.
As the controversy over coffee and climate change rages on, one thing is clear – social media users are not going to let this slide. The outrage expressed in the comments section of the video is just the tip of the iceberg, with many promising to take action against what they see as a global conspiracy.
It remains to be seen how the WEF will address this backlash and whether it will continue to pursue its agenda of sustainability and poverty reduction in the coffee industry. Until then, coffee lovers around the world are on high alert, ready to defend their beloved beverage from the supposed threat of WEF elites.