A complex web of pressures, from climate change to tariffs, are pushing up coffee prices. But the industry has a challenge: How to communicate necessary price rises to consumers without scaring them off.
For paid subscribers: deleted scenes from last week's lexicon. Musings on the words "Sustainability", "Specialty", and the old-school buzzwords like "Artisan" and "Gourmet".
An investigation by a Swiss NGO unveils how Nestlé treats its Mexican coffee suppliers. Needless to say, the multinational doesn’t come out of it looking good: “Nestlé states that its pricing is based on trends on the international markets. The farmers say that, in the past, a low price was often justified by the low market rate. Now that this is high, however, it apparently plays no role.”
The impending EU deforestation legislation will “reorder the world of coffee” according to the AP. Some countries, like Vietnam and Brazil, stand to profit from the laws; others, such as Ethiopia and Peru, are struggling to gather the required data from their thousands or millions of smallholder farmers.
Producers in Colombia’s Sierra Nevada mountain range are facing unpredictable rainfall cycles and warming temperatures, to the degree that production has fallen 35% over the past five years. This story has some very good quotes, including one from farmer Jaime Garcia Florez: “Behind every cup of coffee is a family that depends on it, who has dreams and wants to move forward.”
Plus, coffee is good for multiple things this week. Read the full roundup over at Fresh Cup Magazine:
If you missed it, my latest piece is the second in an ongoing series looking at venture capital and private equity investment in the specialty coffee industry:
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
