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 âearned mediaâ stories tell us about the motivations behind such coverage?
Right, so anyway whatâs going on in coffee land?
Rwanda is making some regulatory changes to try to boost coffee production, and especially specialty production, after several years of falling yields. One update is a higher export tariff on natural and semi-washed process coffee compared to fully-washedâa tariff that specialty-grade coffee is immune from entirely.
If youâve been grocery shopping in the US recently, youâll probably have noticed that everything is ridiculously expensive. Coffee is part of this trend, with sales falling but prices going up, up, up.
And adding a little sugar to your coffee isnât the end of the world, according to new research from Denmark. The study found that men who added a small amount of sugar to their morning brew had no âsignificant riskâ to health. (Although itâs worth noting that this study comes with some pretty large caveats.)
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.
