The Coffee Import Scramble

Dubai’s Chocolate-Based Propaganda Push

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.

Extra! Extra! Coffee is in the news again!

Here's what went down last week, summarised from my Fresh Cup Magazine column:

With not long until Trump's additional 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports to the U.S. come into effect (assuming they actually do), importers are scrambling to get as much coffee as they can into the country. Traders are diverting cargo ships that were en route to other destinations, or moving coffee from Mexican and Canadian warehouses into the U.S. before the price skyrockets.
Coffee producers around the world are getting older, and convincing the next generation to take over is an uphill battle. Coffee farming is hard and many producers struggle to earn a living, while at the same time young people are leaving rural areas for cities. "Without real investment, modernisation, or incentive, we will continue to push towards this demographic cliff," consultant Gerd Mueller-Pfeiffer told Daniel Woods from Global Coffee Report.
Much of the U.S. is currently experiencing a heatwave, and both the National Weather Service and the Centers for Disease Control advised those under heat advisories to limit their intake of caffeinated drinks because they can cause dehydration. But do you really need to avoid coffee during heatwaves? The research suggests that, in moderation, it's not that bad. In fact, one 2014 study found that "coffee, when consumed in moderation… provides similar hydrating qualities to water". That word again: moderation.

For more on all these stories, plus a new barista-focused event that is coming to Minneapolis in September, check out the full Roundup over at Fresh Cup Magazine:

If you missed it, why not check out my latest deep dive, using the sketch show I Think You Should Leave as a framing device to talk about coffee corporations' inability to take responsibility for their actions: