Coffee Features
A collection of all in-depth coffee features on The Pourover.
How To Save Coffee: Lessons From the Degrowth Movement
Coffee is increasingly at risk from the climate crisis, and corporate-driven incremental change won’t save it. The theory of degrowth offers hope for a better world and a fairer coffee industry.
The Moral Cost of Dubai’s Coffee Boom
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.
Panama’s Specialty Coffee Association Moves To Brand and Trademark ‘Panama Geisha’ as Auction Prices Soar
This year’s Best of Panama coffee auction was the most expensive ever, and was once again dominated by the gesha variety that put Panamanian coffee on the map. Now, the country’s coffee association is seeking to brand and trademark its most valuable asset.
Regenerative Agriculture: Climate Solution or Yet More Coffeewashing?
As the climate crisis intensifies, regenerative agriculture could play a key role in sustaining and strengthening the global coffee industry. That is, if it can escape becoming just another corporate sustainability buzzword.
In the Age of Coffee Automation, What Happens to Baristas?
Coffee companies are going all in on automation. We’re told that it improves efficiency, cuts costs, and yields a better product. But what does it mean for the baristas whose labour these automations displace?
Mergers, Acquisitions, and the Future of the Coffee Industry
Acquisitions and consolidation have always been part of coffee. Does the latest wave point to an industry in decline—or one ripe for renewal?
The Hyperreality of Specialty Coffee
Well-funded startups mimic the aesthetics and language of specialty coffee. Giant multinationals cosplay community. Companies chase trends created by social media. It all points towards coffee's growing hyperreality.
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 Coffee Industry Will Regret Embracing Generative AI
Coffee professionals and brands are increasingly adopting generative AI. But should an industry that prides itself on authenticity and sustainability really be embracing such a destructive tool?
The Long and Complicated History of Coffee Smuggling
Smuggling has been a part of coffee since the beginning, and continues in many forms today. In the process, it reveals much about the industry’s power structures.
Forget Starbucks—Yemeni Coffeehouses Are the Real Third Places
While Starbucks tries to return to its coffeehouse roots, a new wave of cafes spreading across the United States show how to really build a welcoming third place.
We’re All Trying To Find the Coffee Company Who Did This
Big brands love to bemoan the plight of coffee farmers without acknowledging their role in creating that plight.