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.
The world’s biggest coffee brands are buying more coffee that meets sustainability baseline standards than ever before, according to the latest report from Global Coffee Platform.
The German Coffee Association is helping its members meet the country’s corporate sustainability laws by launching a platform to gather anonymous reports of labor and environmental abuses within the coffee supply chain.
Luckin Coffee is hopping aboard the alcoholic coffee train with a new latte featuring China’s national liquor, baijiu—a drink with more than 50% alcohol by volume that has been variously described as “throat-scorching” and “fiery”. It has so far proven very popular.
If you missed it, my latest piece looks at the trend of coffee companies launching “sustainable” products using recycled coffee, many of which are just marketing:
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)
Fionn Pooler
