The Soul of Coffee

The Soul of Coffee

National Geographic photographer Reza’s work marries visual storytelling with humanitarian heart, and has earned him several awards and distinctions, including the Chevalier de l'Ordre du Mérité and the University of Missouri School of Journalism Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism.

The National Geographic fellow’s latest project, “The Soul of Coffee,” shines light on the lives of coffee workers across the world. His wife, Rachel, talked about the photo above, in which seasonal workers separate mounds of red coffee cherries, awaiting inspection.

“This plantation in Karnataka, India, has been operated by the Rodrigues family for four generations, as couples arrive from different regions to work here during the coffee cultivation season. Husbands and wives often work together in harvesting the cherries. There was an abundance of cherries on the terrace, and their gathering remained the subject of attention. Nothing bypassed the eyes and hands of these seasonal workers, as they are paid by the quality and quantity of coffee berries that are gathered and sorted out. An inspector passed by the mounds of these red cherries for a last verification. After his approval, the coffee cherries are stocked in sacks. When it is time for them to be weighed, each name corresponds to a weight and the amount collected. The cherries were then carried on to be washed before being separated from their core, leaving us with the coffee bean.”

—Rachel Deghati