Quote of the Day (John Gapper, on Weakening ‘Old Empires of Coffee, Cocoa and Tea’)

“[T]he old empires of coffee, cocoa and tea are getting fragile amid climate change and the interruption of global trade routes. The price of their weakness is already becoming obvious, and the supermarket shelves may not always stay full.”—Business columnist John Gapper, “How Cocoa, Coffee and Tea Empires Became Fragile,” The Financial Times, Feb. 24-25, 2024

The image accompanying this post, of John Gapper, was taken Oct. 15, 2010, by The Financial Times. 

Quote of the Day (John Gapper, on a Crucial Event in ‘Carbon Lock-In’)

“There was a period in the early 20th century when electric (or steam) batteries nearly emerged as the dominant form of propulsion for cars, before the gasoline-powered combustion engine triumphed.

“We are still trying to overcome the destructive environmental impact of this historic event, although improvements in battery technology, regulatory initiatives and changes in consumer preferences are progressing. It’s a great example of what’s known as carbon lock-in – the entrenchment of carbon-emitting industries and technologies in everyday life.”— Business columnist John Gapper, “Debit Cards, Electric Cars and Ghosts of the Technological Past,” The Financial Times, Jan 22-23, 2022

The image accompanying this post, of John Gapper, was taken Oct. 15, 2010, by The Financial Times.