For paid subscribers: Coffee is increasingly used to burnish the United Arab Emirates’ international image. Now it is being supercharged by merging with the popularity of the Dubai chocolate trend.
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.
Happy Monday! Let’s take a look at the week’s coffee news:
Indonesia’s Mikael Jasin is the 2024 World Barista Champion! It’s the third time in four years that the WBC winner has come from a producing country. (I recently wrote about the costs of barista competitions, if you missed it.)
Bats are surprisingly important to agriculture, and coffee is no exception. For example, bats are a natural pesticide—they can eat up to half their bodyweight in insects every night! Unfortunately deforestation and climate change are putting pressure on bat populations worldwide, but shaded coffee plantations can double as refuges for these cute coffee helpers.
Speaking of climate change, much of Asia is suffering from an historic heatwave—in addition to all the other impacts, the record high temperatures and lack of rain are affecting coffee farmers in Vietnam and India.
Workers at Coffee By Design in Portland, Maine, ratified their union contract after six months of negotiations. The contract includes pay rises and a labor-management committee. “It’s been an amazing feat to watch the baristas of Coffee By Design come together with teamwork, patience, dedication and solidarity,” said barista and shift lead Jillian Mercier.
I'm a coffee writer and creator of The Pourover. Based in Scotland, I have over a decade of experience in the specialty coffee industry. Ask me about coffeewashing. (he/him)
