ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the origins of tea and coffee and how these beverages became domesticated and commodified globally through colonization. It traces coffee and tea from the colonial period through the subsequent waves of the modern industries. There is a focus on the rise of ethical production and environmental sustainability as the global markets for coffee and tea have grown and expanded. The goal of this chapter is to provide a broad historical context for current efforts to transform the coffee and tea industries with an emphasis on sustainability.
