Coffee industry veteran Walter Zwald has resigned from his honorary role at the Swiss Coffee Trade Association, alleging ethical failures among some of the world’s largest coffee companies and calling for mandatory sustainability standards.
For paid subscribers: From Howard Schultz’ hostility to the relatively more amenable Laxman Narasimhan and through to Brian Niccol’s current intransigence, Starbucks' response to its union over the years has mirrored the CEO’s position.
Deeply researched articles exploring all the ways coffee connects to politics, history, and culture—delivered direct to your inbox
Coffee industry veteran Walter Zwald has resigned from his honorary role at the Swiss Coffee Trade Association, alleging ethical failures among some of the world’s largest coffee companies and calling for mandatory sustainability standards.
Nearly five years since the first Starbucks location unionised, contract negotiations are still dragging on. Can external pressure from shareholders and human-rights campaigners make a difference?
Meteorologists are predicting that an exceptionally strong El Niño will likely form in 2026. If past events are any indication, the impacts on coffee could be profound.
Tech CEOs and other prognosticators have described drones as the future of coffee delivery for more than a decade. Why haven’t they materialised yet?
For paid subscribers: From Howard Schultz’ hostility to the relatively more amenable Laxman Narasimhan and through to Brian Niccol’s current intransigence, Starbucks' response to its union over the years has mirrored the CEO’s position.
It's the Coffee News Roundup: Week Ending June 19th
It's the Coffee News Roundup: Week Ending June 12th
For paid subscribers: retail coffee prices have soared in recent years, driven by climbing commodity costs and tariff stupidity. Some of those pressures have now started to ease, and yet retail prices continue to rise. Will they ever come down?
For paid subscribers: Eight years ago, the media got very excited about a patent for a drone that could monitor and deliver coffee to the those it deemed under-caffeinated. It never became reality—why not?
As the Hormuz Strait blockade and its cascading consequences lay bare, coffee is still profoundly reliant on petroleum and its byproducts.
Coffee is increasingly at risk from the climate crisis, and corporate-driven incremental change won’t save it. The theory of degrowth offers hope for a better world and a fairer coffee industry.
As the climate crisis intensifies, regenerative agriculture could play a key role in sustaining and strengthening the global coffee industry. That is, if it can escape becoming just another corporate sustainability buzzword.
The past year of climate shocks and surging coffee prices has felt portentous. Without significant investment and industry cooperation, coffee’s future seems increasingly uncertain.
Acquisitions and consolidation have always been part of coffee. Does the latest wave point to an industry in decline—or one ripe for renewal?
Smuggling has been a part of coffee since the beginning, and continues in many forms today. In the process, it reveals much about the industry’s power structures.
Despite evolving tastes and increased competition, India’s oldest and largest coffee chain—a communist-founded, worker-owned cooperative—is still going after 70 years.
How a 19th century Scottish instant coffee brand has adapted, evolved, and survived.
The release of millions of Jeffrey Epstein's emails uncovered volumes of sordid information. They also revealed more banal details—like his coffee habits.
Independent coffee shops are speaking up for their neighbours and saying no to ICE in their stores. Some big coffee brands, however, have taken a different approach.
Coffee is increasingly at risk from the climate crisis, and corporate-driven incremental change won’t save it. The theory of degrowth offers hope for a better world and a fairer coffee industry.
The coffee scene in Dubai is thriving, and the city is set to welcome the Specialty Coffee Association’s World of Coffee event next month. But underneath the glitzy facade and marketing buzz lies a moral quagmire.
Coffee companies are going all in on automation. We’re told that it improves efficiency, cuts costs, and yields a better product. But what does it mean for the baristas whose labour these automations displace?
Coffee professionals and brands are increasingly adopting generative AI. But should an industry that prides itself on authenticity and sustainability really be embracing such a destructive tool?
Technology is deeply embedded in the coffee industry, from loyalty apps to blockchain traceability platforms. But is that a good thing?
There are a lot of coffee gadgets on Kickstarter. Some are successful, others less so. This is the story of the latter.
Independent coffee shops are speaking up for their neighbours and saying no to ICE in their stores. Some big coffee brands, however, have taken a different approach.
While Starbucks tries to return to its coffeehouse roots, a new wave of cafes spreading across the United States show how to really build a welcoming third place.
Big brands love to bemoan the plight of coffee farmers without acknowledging their role in creating that plight.
How a Microsoft business strategy from the ’90s explains Starbucks’ new cortado—and the general flattening of modern coffee culture.
As well as improved pay and benefits, a ratified union contract offers coffee workers power in an often-exploitative industry.
Coffee companies are going all in on automation. We’re told that it improves efficiency, cuts costs, and yields a better product. But what does it mean for the baristas whose labour these automations displace?
Workers at Blue Bottle Coffee, acquired by Nestlé in 2017, have unionised. Now, they’re building international solidarity with the conglomerate’s union in Colombia.
In the U.S., Starbucks workers continue to fight for a union contract after years of roadblocks and retaliation. The struggle seems endless—but organisers in Chile offer a vision of what can be achieved.
The co-founder of Sip of Silk discusses opening a coffee shop and trying to both celebrate her heritage and support her community amidst an ongoing terror campaign by the federal government.
The co-founder of the chain Biggby Coffee talks about building a successful company with hundreds of franchised locations, only to switch to a new way of doing business—one that prioritises more than just growth and profit.
The consultant and educator discusses her coffee background, how she became an educator, and the upcoming Level Up event for baristas.
The photojournalist and author discusses his experiences capturing the essence of India’s oldest and largest coffee chain, as well as its legacy and importance as a resistance to brands like Starbucks.
The coffee scene in Dubai is thriving, and the city is set to welcome the Specialty Coffee Association’s World of Coffee event next month. But underneath the glitzy facade and marketing buzz lies a moral quagmire.
As the climate crisis intensifies, regenerative agriculture could play a key role in sustaining and strengthening the global coffee industry. That is, if it can escape becoming just another corporate sustainability buzzword.
Coffee is filled with buzzwords that lack agreed-upon definitions: slightly woolly terms like “Sustainable,” “Ethical,” even “Specialty.” Companies use them constantly to sell more coffee—but what do these words actually mean?
How can supposedly ethical coffee brands pitch themselves as environmentally conscious while partnering with airlines?
Coffee professionals and brands are increasingly adopting generative AI. But should an industry that prides itself on authenticity and sustainability really be embracing such a destructive tool?
We used to grudgingly turn to coffee alternatives in times of turmoil. Now, however, there is a new breed of venture capital-backed substitutes, with a more antagonistic relationship to coffee.
As the climate crisis comes for coffee, new ideas are needed. But some solutions are already out there—we just need to recognize and embrace them.
A conversation with the landmark report's lead author Sjoerd Panhuysen.
Deeply researched articles exploring all the ways coffee connects to politics, history, and culture—delivered direct to your inbox
