For paid subscribers: Donald Trump’s latest arbitrary tariff threat, this time against Brazil, has once again enveloped the coffee industry in chaos and uncertainty. When will it end?
The United States has long been at the centre of the global coffee industry. But as policies shift under the Trump administration, that dominance is under threat.
Starbucks is raising wages—well, sort of. A tiny bit. For some workers. Depending on their tenure. And not all unionized workers will get the same raises as their non-union colleagues. Plus it’s a pretty pitiful amount—at most 5% if you’ve worked at Starbucks for 5 years—especially when you consider the company’s record sales and CEO Laxman Narasimhan’s pay packet of potentially $28 million plus.
A legal-but-shady loophole letting traders at the Intercontinental Exchange reclassify old coffee is about to close, and it could be the reason stockpiles appear to be falling. Get Poirot on the case!
And researchers looked into the effects of coffee and alcohol on sleep, choosing financial traders as their guinea pigs because they consume a lot of both.
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
