For paid subscribers: A look at what makes coffee health studies so attractive to news organisations and readers, and how such stories also benefit the coffee industry.
Coffee is always in the news, from health studies to novel products to stunt job postings. But what do these “earned media” stories tell us about the motivations behind such coverage?
There's a lot of bad stuff going on in the world, so why not take a break with some extremely niche coffee industry news! Featuring a relatively unremarkable change to the benchmark coffee futures market's system of measurement. Exciting.
Despite most not using it directly, the price of coffee on the commodity futures market (known as the "C price") remains a benchmark for the specialty industry. However, we're going to have to start doing some maths because the exchange is going metric: The company that runs the C market is switching from U.S. cents-per-pound to U.S. dollars-per-metric-ton.
After a futile and violent (and U.S.-backed) decades-long war on drugs, Colombia's leftist president is attempting a more conciliatory approach. One idea is a pilot program that pays farmers to replace their coca plants, the raw material for cocaine, with alternatives crops like coffee. Will it work? Many rural areas are controlled by armed groups who pressure farmers into growing coca, although farmers can also earn a lot more from coca than from coffee.
A study from Harvard found that drinking coffee into middle age was linked to healthier ageing among women. The research, which analysed dietary data from more than 47,000 participants over 30 years, found a correlation between those who drank coffee between the ages of 45-60 and better health outcomes. The study garnered a lot of press coverage—the New York Times, CNN, Fox, People, Sky News, Newsweek, and so many more—despite it not actually having been published or peer reviewed yet.
For more on all these stories—plus some good unionising news—check out the full Roundup over at Fresh Cup Magazine:
Speaking of often fairly spurious coffee news generating a ton of press coverage, I wrote about that. Specifically, this piece explores the interplay of motivations that cause things like stunt job postings and novel coffee products to generate headlines and clicks, and who benefits from such coverage:
I'm the creator and writer of The Pourover. Based in Scotland, I have over a decade of experience in the specialty coffee industry as a barista, roaster, and writer. Ask me about coffeewashing.
Fionn Pooler
Fionn Pooler
