My Gut Says Coffee Is Good for You

• Trump's tariffs upended much of the coffee industry last year. The onerous new import taxes raised the cost of everything from green beans to machinery, leading to increased retail prices for consumers and a hastily reordered market for everyone else. And for what? Nobody knows. The U.S. government received some $166 billion from the tariffs across industries, and, now that the Supreme Court ruled them illegal, the process of refunding all that money has started.

Trump’s Tariffs Leave the Coffee Industry Facing an Uncertain New Era

Onerous and erratic tariffs have upended the coffee trade, incentivising loopholes and workarounds. Collectively, these changes herald an uncertain new era for the global coffee industry.

The PouroverFionn Pooler

• Something else that has been causing confusion within the coffee industry in recent years is the EUDR, the European Union's deforestation legislation. It aims to make companies prove that the commodities they import do not contribute to deforestation, something that can be difficult when much coffee comes from myriad small, remote farms. Mapping all that land is tricky, and attempts so far have been individual and fragmented. Now, a group of large companies wants to map the whole coffee-growing world, starting with East Africa, and says it will provide the data open-source to the entire industry.
• According to new research from Ireland, coffee benefits both our gut health and our mental state—and they're linked. It's to do with something called the gut-brain axis, a communication network that sends signals between our gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system. Researchers found that those who drank both caffeinated and decaf coffee had higher levels of beneficial gut bacteria, and also reported lower perceived stress and depression and improved mood.

For more on all these stories, check out the full Roundup over at Fresh Cup Magazine:

Coffee News Club: Week of April 27

Tariff refunds are rolling out. Plus, coffee may be good for your gut health. Here’s the coffee news your need for the week of April 27.

Fresh CupFionn Pooler

If you missed it, last week's main Pourover article looked at how fears of contamination in coffee—particularly concerns over mould and mycotoxins—serve to unnecessarily confuse consumers and also put downward pressure on coffee farmers.

On the Unfounded Fears of Coffee Contamination

The internet is full of warnings about the dangers lurking within coffee, whether it’s mould, mycotoxins, or other contaminants. The truth, however, is far more prosaic.

The PouroverFionn Pooler

Paid subscribers will receive their fortnightly bonus article this Friday, but until then it's goodbye from my sister's cat Maru, who is sleeping in a regular way: