Global Coffee Report January/February 2025

January/February 2025

Leading with

purpose Cafédirect CEO John Steel on balancing commercial success and social impact

2025 industry predictions Leaders share their hopes and concerns

The rise of Robusta

Could Arabica’s relative resolve coffee’s climate woes?

Green flag, red tape

NGOs weigh in on EUDR postponement

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CONTENTS JA N UA RY/ F E BRUA RY 2 0 2 5

45 COVER STORY 08 Leading with purpose

Cafédirect CEO John Steel on balancing commercial success and social impact.

“To make a difference, whether that’s commercial growth or social impact, it’s much better to do fewer things but do them brilliantly.”

John Steel

CEO, CAFÉDIRECT

FEATURES 14 2025 industry predictions Leaders share their thoughts, aspirations, and concerns for the year ahead.

20 The rise of Robusta Could Arabica’s often-overlooked relative be the answer to coffee’s climate woes?

30 Green flag, red tape NGOs weigh in on what EUDR postponement means for the industry.

08

34 Exploring coffee’s uncharted origin How unravelling the genetic story behind Yemen’s coffee could futureproof the wider industry.

45 Cold comfort Is the rising popularity of chilled coffee a trend or here to stay?

50 New brew, new rules University of California, Davis on the revision of the Coffee Brewing Control Chart.

52 Common grounds The ICO introduces its Coffee PublicPrivate Task Force to establish a global partnership between industry and governments.

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS 26 Entrepreneurial spirit

42 Common knowledge Melbourne International Coffee Expo is satiating the coffee sector’s appetite for education.

TECH PROFILES 28 Coffee’s new look Syntegon launches fresh technology with sustainability at its core.

40 Best in class How Cama Group’s packaging solution can improve flexibility, speed, and efficiency.

LAST WORD 58 Coffee price stress Exploring the link between coffee price volatility and psychological distress among farmers.

How Waterbean Coffee Founder Tony Vo helped to establish North Carolina’s specialty scene.

38 Powerhouse alliance The Ali Group Coffee Division on how it blends innovation and expertise to remain at the forefront of the coffee industry.

30

REGULARS 04 Editor’s note 06 News in brief 54 Marketplace 56 Diary dashboard

34 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

3

EDITOR’S NOTE GL OBA L C OF F E E R E P ORT

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Christine Clancy

christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au

Coffee’s crystal ball

A

S WE MARK the start of 2025, there’s one key focus shared by business leaders across the coffee industry. Each year, we ask the CEOs and Founders of some of the world’s largest coffee companies and organisations for their predictions for the year ahead and, in 2025, sustainability was a focus for every single leader who contributed.

The impact of climate change on the coffee industry was drawn into sharp focus in 2024 as extreme weather events continued to impact production in some of the world’s largest coffee-producing countries. Brazil struggled to recover from damaging frosts and experienced severe drought, Vietnam encountered unseasonally dry weather before heavy rains at the start of harvest, and Colombia endured almost a year of continuous rain.

These acute weather events, partnered with other contributing factors such as logistics issues, have caused the market to sky rocket. At the end of November 2024, coffee futures reached their highest price since 1977, with Arabica experiencing a 70 per cent increase over the year. It is expected that this price surge will be felt by consumers as companies along the supply chain increase prices to protect their margins.

Many of the leaders we spoke to stressed that production and sourcing issues driven by climate change were going to be one of the biggest challenges for the industry in 2025. Adaptation, diversification, and innovation were listed as just a few of the tools to take on this tremendous challenge, with many leaders highlighting the ambitious sustainability initiatives already in place and producing promising results around the world.

There was also positive news from Vanúsia Nogueira, Executive Director of International Coffee Organization,

who said “the world is expected to move towards a steadier and improved coffee harvest in 2025”.

This is music to the ears of companies struggling to keep up as demand for coffee continues to rise each year.

Consumption is forecast to grow in the Middle East and Asia, while the more mature Northern Hemisphere market is expected to remain in a phase of stability.

As more of the world awakens to the joys of coffee, major roasters continue to pursue international expansion. Anders Fredriksson, CEO of Löfbergs, says that despite the challenges the global coffee market faces currently, in 2025 the Swedish roaster is committed to building new business opportunities in new markets.

Café chains also have their sights set on global growth. Starbucks International CEO Brady Brewer told Global Coffee Report that the company will explore “great opportunities for growth globally” this year, while also “refocusing on what has always set Starbucks apart – a welcoming coffee house where people gather and we serve the finest coffee, hand-crafted by our skilled baristas”.

While sustainability was the most common factor in the predictions, collaboration along and across the supply chain was another shared theme.

The industry might face some colossal challenges over the next few years, yet many of the businesses within it are working together to protect the future of the industry and the 125 million people worldwide who depend on coffee for their livelihoods. GCR Kathryn Lewis Editor, Global Coffee Report

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EDITOR

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4 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

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NEWS in brief

20

AMERICAS Global Coffee Report invites industry leaders to share their thoughts, aspirations, and concerns for the year ahead amid continued market volatility and climate concerns. Contributors include Vanusia Nogueira, Executive Director of International Coffee Organization; Third Wave Coffee Co-founder Ayush Bathwal; Brady Brewer, CEO of Starbucks International; Löfbergs CEO Anders Fredriksson; Rozy Rana, Managing Director of Dormans Coffee; Café William CEO and President Rémi Tremblay; Jamie Brown, CEO of Ludlow Coffee Group; SCA CEO Yannis Apostolopoulos; and Andrea Illy, Chairman of illycaffè.

See page 14.

Waterbean Coffee Founder Tony Vo first started working on a Unic machine when he was learning the barista trade at Texas Coffee School in 2013 – and has sworn by the espresso machine brand ever since.

When he opened his first store in North Carolina, he installed a Stella di Caffè and rolled out the model in all his venues until 2018, when the new Stella Epic was released and installed across Waterbean Coffee’s locations.

“I love the Epic because it’s simple and very easy to work on. It’s also extremely reliable and doesn’t require a lot of maintenance, which is essential when you’re operating 20 different locations,” says Vo. See page 26.

Over the past five years, the global cold coffee market has grown exponentially.

According to a 2024 report by The Brainy Insights, the cold brew coffee market is expected to grow from US$604.57 million in 2023 to US$4,595.53 million in 2033. The United States was identified as the largest chilled coffee market globally, with a 49.17 per cent market revenue share in 2023,

US$4595 million

The expected size of the cold brew coffee market in 2033.

6 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

Robusta can flourish in a wide variety of environments due to its increased genetic diversity.

Image: Roberto Diaz for WCR.

although other countries such as Japan, India, and China have also seen rapid growth with more projected.

See page 45.

Industry professionals have used the Coffee Brewing Control Chart (BCC), developed by Ernest E. Lockhart from the Coffee Brewing Institute, to perfect drip coffee for almost 70 years.

The chart illustrates how adjusting brewing variables can alter the flavour profile of a coffee. While it has guided the sector in producing drip coffee aligned with consumer preferences, the evolving needs of the industry calls for a chart better aligned with the modern consumer’s discerning palate.

In 2023, Professor Jean-Xavier Guinard from the University of California, Davis alongside a research team brewed an updated version.

See page 50.

ASIA-PACIFIC The production of Robusta coffee is steadily increasing every year. In the early 1990s, the species accounted for about 28 per cent of global coffee production, while today it’s almost 44 per cent. Over the past three decades, worldwide coffee production has grown by about 1.9 per cent each year, with a significant proportion of that growth accounted for by increased Robusta production, according to the International Coffee Organization.

See page 20.

Coffee production in Yemen is shrouded in mystery. Coffee typically needs 1000 millimetres of rainfall a year to grow, but the country’s coffee growing regions receive, on average, 200 to 350 millimetres annually. And yet coffee grows.

It may seem cliché that the birthplace of coffee farming could hold the answers to the plight of the plant, but one key figure, with deep ties to Yemen, says although the country and its farmers have pioneered coffee for centuries, it has been overlooked as a central player in shaping the global industry.

See page 34.

Following the success of the Café Owners Education Series and Global Coffee Report Breakfast Symposium at the 2024 edition of Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE), both panel discussion events will return in 2025 with extended programs.

While the Café Owners Education Series is designed to explore content that will benefit café owners and managers, the ticketed Global Coffee Report Breakfast Symposium has an international angle and investigates themes across the supply chain.

“Last year, all the Global Coffee Report Breakfast Symposium sessions sold out before the event. There’s a huge appetite for these knowledge sharing events and we want to deliver even more value to the coffee professionals from across the world who meet at MICE,” says Lauren Chartres, MICE Show Director.

See page 42.

A study by Dr Saurabh Singhal of Lancaster University in the United Kingdom and Co-Author Professor Finn Tarp of University of Copenhagen in Demark found strong evidence that rising volatility in international coffee prices leads to increased psychological distress, poorer overall health, and lower happiness levels among coffee farmers.

“Specifically, when coffee price volatility rises by one standard deviation – equivalent to uncertainty over roughly 11 per cent of a typical farmer’s household income – the prevalence of depressive symptoms increases by 15 per cent,” says Dr Singhal.

See page 58.

EUROPE On 7 June 2023, Cafédirect CEO John Steel went from overseeing 25 employees to almost 100. As part of the social enterprise’s takeover of Bewley’s UK, in 24 hours the company tripled its workforce, took on a 4000-tonne-per-annum roasting facility in Yorkshire, and acquired specialty coffee company Grumpy Mule.

“Buying a business larger than your own is quite a big deal – as is going from an organisation that mostly outsources its roasting to one of the largest coffee roasters in the UK,” Steel tells Global Coffee Report.

See page 8.

The PMX 4001 vertical bagger for ground coffee, the latest release from packaging machine manufacturer Syntegon, is the most compact model in the series. Thanks to its low height and footprint of only 2.6 by 2.1 metres, it’s ideal for manufacturers with limited space. It’s also designed to slot into the production line without interfering with any other processes.

“The machine can be accessed from all four sides, which allows for quick and easy access in case of maintenance or troubleshooting requirements,” says Christina Holm, Syntegon Product Manager.

See page 28.

The European Union (EU), a leading global economy, made a significant move towards forest protection with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), agreed upon by the Commission, Council, and Parliament in December 2022.

However, as voted by the European Parliament in November 2024, the regulation’s timeline has been extended by 12 months with enforcement now set for December 2025 for large operators and June 2026 for micro- and small enterprises.

Several non-governmental organisations weigh in on what this means for the global coffee industry.

See page 30.

According to Augusto Meléndrez, Global Director of Strategic Marketing at Ali Group

Coffee Division, the coffee powerhouse has reinforced its broad yet highly specialised expertise with its acquisition of Welbilt.

He says it’s more than just a unification of brands: it’s a convergence of expertise, innovation, and tradition.

Its key advantage is the ability to share knowledge across various specialties – whether it’s super automatic machines, Italian espresso, raw coffee, milk systems, grinding technology, telemetry, or filter coffee solutions.

See page 38.

Cama Group recently designed, developed, and deployed a multi-machine project at a United States (US)- based vertically integrated coffee specialist supplying both own brand and private label products.

The three machines – two 800-cupsper-minute single flavour lines and one 2400-cups-per-minute multi-flavour line – have dramatically improved the company’s efficiency, speed, and throughput, helping it to cater to the near exponential rise in demand for cup pods in the US. See page 40.

The Coffee Public-Private Task Force was born with the aim to build common ground for a global partnership between the coffee industry and governments.

The Task Force has a roadmap with ambitious goals for the coffee sector.

For example, by 2030, half of the producing country members of the International Coffee Organization would be implementing initiatives to close the living income gap and working towards farmer prosperity. This means at least 21 producing countries would have a national coffee plan that includes a living and prosperous income strategy; a strategic process built with the local government, national coffee industry, farmer organisations, and civil society.

See page 52.

200 to 350 milliliters

52

Members of the Coffee Public-Private Task Force recently met in Mexico to discuss the project. Image: ICO.

The annual rainfall needed to grow coffee in Yemen successfully.

GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

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COVER STORY C A F É DI R E C T

Cafédirect CEO John Steel has ambitious sustainability targets for the social enterprise.

Image: Claire Wood.

8 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

Leading with

purpose Cafédirect CEO John Steel on balancing commercial success and social impact, consolidating the enterprise’s output, and becoming one of the UK’s largest roasters overnight.

BY KATHRYN LEWIS

O

N 7 JUNE 2023, Cafédirect CEO John Steel went from overseeing 25 employees to almost 100. As part of the social enterprise’s takeover of Bewley’s UK, in 24 hours the company tripled its workforce, took on a 4000-tonne-perannum roasting facility in Yorkshire, and acquired specialty coffee company Grumpy Mule.

The acquisition was a long time coming for the CEO who, since 2017, had been searching for a business procurement to take Cafédirect to the next level. After a series of unsuccessful tenders, taking over Bewleys’ United Kingdom (UK) operation turned out to be the ideal growth opportunity.

“Buying a business larger than your own is quite a big deal – as is going from an organisation that mostly outsources its roasting to one of the largest coffee roasters in the UK,” Steel tells Global Coffee Report.

“One of the benefits of buying Bewley’s UK was that we’d already been working with the company for more than 20 years through our existing contract roasting partnership. Although we took over the business straight away, parent company Bewley’s Ireland was able to support us through the transition with

some essential hand holding.”

At its new roastery in Meltham, Cafédirect now roasts its own coffee as well as products for other businesses. More than 60 times larger than its previous roasting facility in London Fields that focused on small-batch production, the plant is not only a huge step for the company but also for its farmer partners, for whom the social enterprise was established to support more than 30 years ago.

Steel says there were two main drivers for the acquisition. The first was to become a leader in the out-of-home coffee market and the second was to upscale the brand’s roasting capacity and backward integrate into manufacturing effectively. Both aims fall under the CEO’s broader ambitions for the social enterprise, which he’s been working towards since taking on the role in 2012.

Finding balance

A pioneer of ethical and sustainable coffee, Cafédirect was established in 1991 by fair trade organisations Oxfam, Traidcraft, Equal Exchange, and Twin Trading.

The social enterprise was launched in response to coffee prices falling below farmers’ production costs and sought to

trade coffee, tea, and cocoa directly with growers to give them a larger portion of the purchase price.

In the three decades that have passed it has achieved many industry firsts and led the charge for fair and ethical sourcing.

In 1994, Cafédirect’s Medium Roast & Ground Coffee was the first in the country to carry the Fairtrade mark, while in 2018 it became the first UK coffee company to gain B Corp certification.

In 2004, it became a public company, but with a commitment that its three core pillars – people, planet, and profit – would continue to receive equal focus. It was also the year that producers formally joined the board of directors. When Steel took the lead in 2012, he says the organisation was at an impasse.

“The company had been through a difficult patch where it had grown and then started to decline and come under some pressure,” he says.

“When I came on board, my role was to maintain the purity of the impact model on which Cafédirect was built, but to modernise and help the business in order to compete against its big commercial competitors.”

Steel admits that, despite his background GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

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COVER STORY C A F É DI R E C T

but, in the world of commerce, traditionally it has been less pioneering.”

Single focus

Lucila Cruz, member of Cafédirectsupported La Prosperidad de Chirinos Cooperative in Peru. Image: Cafédirect.

in large finance-orientated organisations such as Nestlé, in the first few years he was swayed by the ethical culture of the organisation and wasn’t competitive enough in terms of scale or ambition.

“When you come into a business with purpose, it’s easy to get drawn into the purpose and forget it’s a business,” he says.

“I remember people would say that small business is beautiful. They were quite anti commerce, suggesting the finance and money side of the business was a bad thing, when in fact it’s a key component when trying to influence change.”

Eager to increase the organisation’s

Since taking over as CEO, Steel has streamlined Cafédirect’s product range to focus on coffee. Image: Cafédirect.

10 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

impact, his game-plan was to streamline its output. With a wide range of tea, coffee, and cocoa products on sale in retail markets across the world, a foodservice wing, and hundreds of farmer projects in producing countries, Steel believed Cafédirect could thrive if it did fewer things better.

“To make a difference, whether that’s commercial growth or social impact, it’s much better to do fewer things but do them brilliantly,” he says.

“There are many things that Cafédirect has always done well, such as setting up the first producer-led charity, Producers Direct, and introducing producers to the board

Over the past decade, Steel has exited many of Cafédirect’s product and consumer markets to focus on one thing: coffee.

“We were turning over around £12 million (approximately US$15.3 million) in four or five different product groups with lots of different customers, which made it very difficult to try and scale up in any particular segment,” he says.

“We switched our focus onto coffee in UK grocery, which I think surprised many people because grocery has a high concentration of power. However, since this streamlining we’ve increased our grocery segment from £7 million to £19 million per year.”

The CEO admits it wasn’t an easy decision to make. The company is structured so that farmers receive Fairtrade and organic premiums, as well as benefiting from its investment in cooperatives to provide support and training.

“Streamlining the focus has meant the company has had to move away from some projects. We care about tea producers, but the order of things is important if you want to make a difference,” he says. “If you’re fiddling around, helping tea farmers a bit and then helping coffee farmers a bit, you’re not really moving forward enough to challenge the status quo. We’ll come back to tea and cocoa, but for now we’re about coffee.”

The new roastery in Yorkshire is more than 60 times larger than its previous roasting facility in London Fields. Image: Claire Wood.

In 2012, Cafédirect ran more than 100 small projects in 32 different cooperatives across the world. The company has also shifted its approach to these charitable programmes to focus on large-scale projects. For example, Cafédirect is now a partner of Producers Direct’s threeyear, seven-figure project in Peru across nine cooperatives to improve quality and environmental impact.

“We’re now providing an example of what can be done at scale, which will hopefully influence others and encourage cooperatives to say ‘we want some of that’,” he says.

Pioneering ambition

In line with the company’s founding principles to put growers first and respect the earth, in the past few years Steel and team have set several ambitious targets.

As part of its Gold Standard framework, by 2030 it wants every small-scale farmer

“I want to call out very loudly and clearly that the coffee you drink today is vital to ensuring there’s good coffee in the future.” in its network “to be empowered and engaged, having a powerful voice and earning beyond a living income”.

In order to achieve this, Cafédirect will work alongside the growing partners on its board to tackle systematic challenges facing the smallholder farmers and continue to invest in product quality, shared insights, and transparent relationships to deliver meaningful impact.

“Through our business model, we will continue to increase the value that goes to farming communities. We will continue to pay fair prices, equitable social and environmental premiums, and investigate opportunities for further value to remain at origin,” says Steel.

“Ultimately, we aim to work with key partners to understand what a living income is for every country that we source from, and our ambition is to surpass this benchmark within our network by 2030.”

Steel also has ambitious environmental plans. One of only three SMEs in the UK’s Food and Staples sector to commit to the Science Based Target initiative, the company is working towards achieving net zero by 2040. Since acquiring Bewley’s UK, this now represents a bigger opportunity for impact.

“Our biggest task is making changes now that enable coffee farmers to survive and flourish in the future,” he says.

GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

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COVER STORY C A F É DI R E C T

Grumpy Mule Barista Trainer Jack Ellis at the Meltham site.

Image: Cafédirect.

“We’re reducing our emissions and very conscious that there’s more work for us to do in this area. This goes beyond our own operating framework in the UK to the farms and our consumers.

As roasters, we need to secure the future of coffee as climate change is a genuine threat. Significant changes to the environment of this planet are going to make the lives of those farming the land incredibly difficult.”

He continues that, because Cafédirect is focused on the farmers’ lives, not just the coffee, it faces increased pressure when trying to reduce emissions.

“We can’t just shift coffee production to wherever it’s possible to grow coffee in 2050. We need to make it work in the places that already grow coffee, which makes the challenge even greater,” Steel says.

As companies around the world look to reduce their carbon footprint, he says the coffee industry, like many others, is vulnerable to greenwashing.

“Twelve years ago, people weren’t talking about sustainability in the UK. They are now, which is a positive,” he says.

“Yet, the downside is that many of the companies who are talking about it really have no intention to change. We must help 12 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

consumers see through the greenwashing.

It’s a hard thing to navigate in a grocery store or café. How does a consumer know they’re making a good decision?”

Cafédirect’s recently updated brand ethos is ‘making sure drinking coffee today doesn’t stop us drinking coffee tomorrow’.

“To make a difference, whether that’s commercial growth or social impact, it’s much better to do fewer things but do them brilliantly.”

The company aspires to change the way coffee is bought and sold to guarantee the future of the crop and the people who farm it.

In terms of the future of the company, over the next year Steel says the focus is on its newly acquired specialty roaster, Grumpy Mule.

“We have big plans for Grumpy Mule

in 2025. It’s exciting to be able to help the specialty market in the UK grow and, in turn, provide more value for producers,” he says.

“For Cafédirect, I want to call out very loudly and clearly that the coffee you drink today is vital to ensuring there’s good coffee in the future. Over the past 33 years, the enterprise has done some pioneering work, but our ambition is to find a brand voice that can cut through the mainstream competitors. I want large roasters to look at Cafédirect and think, ‘wow, that’s what I want to buy into – the right kind of future’.”

In the long term, and with the acquisition bedding in, scaling up the business is the ultimate goal.

“If you want the market to change, it’s not enough to be a small pioneer. I don’t want 95 per cent of the world’s coffee to be held by large multinational companies who are trying to make profit for the few,” he says.

“Now we’ve made our first acquisition, I want to continue doing that. It’s tonguein-cheek, but I like to say ‘the planet is running out of time, so if your company isn’t going to collaborate to make a difference, maybe I’ll have to step in to make sure there’s more good coffee in the future.” GCR

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FEATURE I N DUS T RY PR E DIC T ION S

INDUSTRY PREDICTIONS Industry leaders share their thoughts, aspirations, and concerns for the year ahead amid continued market volatility and climate concerns.

Vanúsia Nogueira

Executive Director, International Coffee Organization IN 2025, THE WORLD is expected to move towards a steadier and improved coffee harvest. The effects of climate events on production have weakened, suggesting a positive outlook for the year ahead.

In terms of consumption, strong and growing demand from the Middle East and Asia is projected, with global consumption likely to remain on the rise despite markets in the more mature Northern Hemisphere remaining in a phase of stability. The growing interest of Generation Z in coffee will be an intriguing phenomenon to watch. Coffee has become more and more appealing to this age group, and the distinguishing factor in this case lies in their emphasis on coherence. Generation Z consumers demand that promises made during sales are fulfilled, reinforcing the need for stakeholders across the entire value chain to be increasingly transparent.

As for production, regenerative agriculture practices are gaining traction and proving to be feasible without

14 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

requiring investments that are too large.

The same applies to circularity, which goes beyond simple waste management to include resource reuse, such as water reuse, sustainable energy use, and carbon credit initiatives, among others.

Both regenerative agriculture and circularity resonate strongly with Generation Z. They have the potential to engage more producers as they provide opportunities for income diversification and have a direct impact on making coffee cultivation more sustainable and competitive. As a result, 2025 is shaping up to be a year of positive transformation in both coffee consumption and production, driven by trends that prioritise sustainability and innovation.

Ayush Bathwal

Co-Founder, Third Wave Coffee THIRD WAVE COFFEE will focus on

expanding roastery operations to meet growing demand while ensuring consistent, high-quality coffee for retail and café customers. This expansion will also support the growth of our B2B and B2C segments, enabling us to deliver premium coffee solutions to partners and consumers. Additionally, we plan to expand our café presence in existing and new markets, and reach a wider audience through strategic brand partnerships to ensure we remain at the forefront of the specialty coffee movement in India.

One trend that will dominate the international coffee market is sustainability, encompassing every step from growing and sourcing to roasting and packaging. As climate change poses a significant threat to coffee production, the focus will shift towards implementing sustainable practices at every stage.

Additionally, there will be increasing interest in Robusta as a way to boost global consumption, driven by its resilience to

climate changes and its potential to cater to diverse taste preferences.

The biggest global industry challenge will likely be production and sourcing issues driven by climate change. Unpredictable weather patterns and rising temperatures are significantly impacting coffee-growing regions, leading to lower yields and

higher prices. For instance, the surge in Robusta prices in 2024 due to shortages in Indonesia highlights the growing vulnerability of coffee production to climate disruptions. These challenges are expected to intensify, putting pressure on the industry to adapt thorough sustainable farming practices, diversification of sourcing regions, and innovations to stabilise supply chains.

My hope for the international coffee industry is for greater collaboration and transparency in sharing sustainable practices across the value chain. By openly exchanging insights on how brands are adopting sustainability we can collectively advance more eco-friendly practices.

This shared knowledge would empower more brands to adopt and innovate sustainable solutions, ensuring the entire industry contributes to mitigating climate challenges while delivering quality coffee to consumers. Together, we can create a more resilient and environmentally conscious coffee ecosystem.

Brady Brewer

CEO, Starbucks International THIS YEAR, WE’RE REFOCUSING on what has always set Starbucks apart – a welcoming coffee house where people gather and we serve the finest coffee, hand-crafted by our skilled baristas.

We know that Starbucks is beloved by many people around the world who visit to enjoy our coffee served by our wonderful partners (employees) and that the brand is woven into the fabric of the communities we serve around the world.

We see great opportunities for growth globally and are excited about what this next year will bring for the Starbucks Coffee Company.

More broadly, climate change will continue to be the dominant theme and biggest global challenge in the coffee industry. That is why I am proud Starbucks invests in regenerative agriculture, reforestation, forest conservation and water replenishment to support a healthy coffee future for all. We are focused on helping farmers get the financing they need to support their businesses and

families in rapidly changing conditions through our ten Farmer Support Centers and the Starbucks Global Farmer Fund.

We also provide coffee trees that can help farmers adapt to the impacts of climate change and increase their productivity over the long-term – in fact, we have made a commitment to distribute 100 million coffee trees by 2025. To date, we have distributed more than 80 million of the next generation of climate-resistant coffee trees in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico. Additionally, in Colombia, we provide coffee seedlings to farmers and have delivered more than 53 million seedlings as of FY23.

As I look ahead, my hope is for continued partnership with others in the industry to ensure the future of coffee for all. Together, we can support coffee growing communities that face escalating risks while we broaden the positive impact we can make around the world through coffee.

GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

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FEATURE I N DUS T RY PR E DIC T ION S

Anders Fredriksson CEO, Löfbergs

LÖFBERGS’ PRIMARY FOCUS in 2025 will

addressing this challenge will require collaboration among governments, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), and private-sector actors like Löfbergs. We are ready to take our share of responsibility, ensuring that solutions are both effective and fair.

Looking ahead, our hope for the coffee industry is a future built on partnership.

Addressing climate change and ensuring fair conditions for coffee farmers are essential to safeguarding the future of coffee. Collaborative efforts will be key to creating a thriving, resilient industry where every stakeholder benefits.

Together, we can navigate the challenges and create a coffee sector that delivers sustainability, equity, and exceptional quality for generations to come.

be on driving international growth. We are committed to building new business opportunities and establishing ourselves in new markets while strengthening our position as a leader in sustainable coffee.

The international coffee market will continue to face significant challenges, with rising coffee prices and the escalating impacts of the climate crisis at the forefront. This demands greater efficiency and responsibility across the value chain to ensure we can deliver coffee that is not only delicious and affordable but also produced with sustainability at its core. At Löfbergs, we see this as an opportunity to innovate and lead.

One of the most pressing global challenges in the year ahead is the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). While it is a crucial step towards protecting our planet’s forests, its implementation poses significant hurdles, not least for smallholder coffee farmers. Successfully

Rozy Rana

Managing Director, Dormans Coffee THIS WILL BE a monumental year for Dormans Coffee as we celebrate 75 years of coffee excellence. This milestone reinforces Dormans’ legacy and offers us the opportunity both to reflect on our rich heritage and renew our commitment to building on the trust that our customers and partners have placed in us.

To mark this anniversary, we will honour our loyal customers with special limited-edition blends inspired by our journey since 1950, and make a meaningful impact through various community-driven and collaborative initiatives.

Innovation remains a cornerstone of our success. In 2025, we are exploring a partnership to introduce products developed with advanced brewing and extraction techniques. Additionally, we plan to scale technologies successfully piloted in 2024 designed to streamline operations, advance efficiency, and elevate customer experience.

16 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

Sustainability and ethical sourcing will shape the global coffee market, driven by evolving frameworks like the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Dormans, with its deep-rooted commitment to sustainability, is wellpositioned to lead this movement and meet these growing demands.

Climate change remains the greatest challenge, impacting crop yields and coffee quality. Coupled with new regulatory demands, the industry must adapt swiftly.

Dormans is committed to bridging gaps in traceability, partnering with relevant bodies, and fostering resilience throughout supply chains.

My hope and wish are for those near and far to embrace coffee consumption, and for Dormans to exponentially advance our mission to improve communities with every cup of exceptional coffee. Together, we can create a future where coffee uplifts lives, one cup at a time.

Rémi Tremblay

President and CEO, Café William OUR BIGGEST FOCUS this year will be

prices are not all negatives – they might soften the impact of climate change in some ways. Increasing global production might compensate for regional climaterelated events that affect crops. As for a lot of things, finding the right balance will be key. When I say the right balance, it's between the origin prices, production, fair compensation of producers and workers, prices to end consumers, and a fair compensation for all stakeholders in the industry for the efforts and investment that are made and the related risks.

We have a wonderful – and necessary – industry. There is an enormous amount of work behind the morning cup that many of us enjoy. I wish that globally we keep on working and finding solutions to reduce the speed and impact of climate change and that we will find the right balance for all the industry stakeholders. I am a positive person, I believe in human goodness and creativity. We'll find solutions and end up in a place where future generations will keep on enjoying coffee in a sustainable way.

the expansion of our sustainable series throughout Canada. Furthermore, we would like to develop a partnership with one or more United States retailers for the distribution of sail cargo and clean electric energy roasted coffee.

Coffee prices will continue to dominate conversation in the international coffee industry. The market price almost doubled in 2024 and increased 30 per cent in November. For roasters, higher prices are not a major concern, even if at some point it might affect consumption. Turbulences and instability are more of a concern, but this is something we do not control. The supply and demand, principally for coffee from Brazil, will dominate the market in the upcoming months. EUDR will also be an important topic.

In the long term, climate change and worldwide production will challenge the industry. Having higher prices will encourage producers and farmers to invest in more production, so higher

Jamie Brown

CEO, Ludlow Coffee Group 2025 MARKS a momentous milestone

for Coffee Planet as we celebrate our 20th anniversary. Our key focus is commemorating two decades of coffee innovation, exceptional quality, and partnerships. We will launch a series of celebratory initiatives, including the introduction of limited-edition blends such as the Mocha Java, the world’s oldest coffee blend, alongside a new-age specialty blend that reflects our forwardthinking vision.

Moreover, Ludlow Coffee Group will prioritise global expansion through Jigsaw Coffee Company, the roastery side of our business, and accelerate efforts to achieve sustainability goals. Our aim is to combine legacy with innovation, showcasing how Coffee Planet has evolved while staying true to our roots.

Consumers are increasingly prioritising brands that reflect environmental and ethical values, pushing the industry towards greater transparency, sustainable farming practices, and eco-friendly

products. Sustainability will remain at the forefront of the global coffee market.

One of the most pressing challenges for the industry is the rising cost of coffee driven by the effects of climate change.

Adverse weather patterns are severely impacting coffee-growing regions, reducing yields and affecting quality. This is causing significant volatility in green coffee prices, which, in turn, places pressure on the entire supply chain – from farmers to roasters

and ultimately consumers.

For an industry built on long-term sustainability, balancing these rising costs while maintaining accessibility and quality will be a delicate challenge.

My hope is for the coffee industry to achieve greater stability in pricing, fairness for farmers, and continued education for consumers. Farmers are the cornerstone of the coffee industry, yet many face significant challenges due to market volatility, rising production costs, and the impacts of climate change.

Ensuring farmers are fairly compensated for their labour and expertise is not just a moral imperative, it is essential for the sustainability of the entire supply chain.

Equally important is educating consumers about the realities of coffee production and the value of supporting ethical sourcing.

Through collaboration and transparency across the value chain, we can create a system where farmers, roasters, and consumers all share in the benefits of a fair and sustainable industry.

GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

17

FEATURE I N DUS T RY PR E DIC T ION S

Yannis Apostolopoulos CEO, Specialty Coffee Association

FOR THE FIRST time, the Specialty Coffee

Association (SCA) will focus on directly engaging with consumers and supporting the industry to grow the specialty coffee market. This represents a significant advancement for the SCA as a trade association dedicated to the growth of the market through consumer education and increased awareness initiatives. SCA will also drive the adoption of the Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) as a transformative tool for the industry. The CVA represents a new paradigm for value discovery, sparking critical discussions on value distribution across the value chain. CVA’s adoption will happen by strengthening our collaboration with local institutional partners in producing countries.

The key theme in the global coffee market for 2025 is expected to be resilience amid uncertainty. Converging factors such as climate change, geopolitical tensions, and economic pressures present unmatched challenges throughout the value chain. The industry must prioritise adapting supply

chains, investing in farming practices resilient to climate change, and ensuring equitable compensation to producers.

Consumption in producing countries is

rising and Brazil is trending to become the biggest consuming country in the foreseeable future.

The biggest challenge for the global coffee industry will be balancing profitability with sustainability. As rising costs pressure margins, stakeholders must navigate the tension between short-term financial goals and long-term resilience. Addressing this will require collaboration across the value chain – from producers to retailers – to adopt innovative solutions that align economic and environmental priorities.

I wish for the global coffee industry to build resilience by tackling the challenges producers face. The surge in coffee prices at the end of 2024, primarily due to supply disruptions from climate change, underscores the disproportionate risk shouldered by producers. To create a genuinely resilient industry, developing strategies that equitably distribute risk and aid producers in establishing sustainable livelihoods while contending with these obstacles is essential.

Andrea Illy Chairman, illycaffè

THE COFFEE INDUSTRY is at a pivotal

moment. Recognising the severity of the challenges it faces – climate change, poverty, and market instability – G7 2024 endorsed the creation of a global public-private partnership. This initiative aims to secure coffee’s future by scaling proven solutions that can serve as a model not just for tropical crops but for agriculture worldwide.

This commitment couldn’t come at a more critical time. Droughts in Brazil and Vietnam, the two largest coffee producers, combined with the European Union’s new deforestation regulation, have disrupted global coffee supply chains and driven prices to historic highs. Smallholder farmers, who produce more than 70 per cent of the world’s coffee, are bearing the brunt of these shocks.

Thankfully, solutions are within reach and highly cost-effective. Regenerative agriculture is a groundbreaking innovation, offering adaptation and mitigation against climate change. It

18 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

requires tackling the chronic poverty faced by micro-growers. Education is the key lever for both fighting poverty and transitioning to regenerative practices. By equipping farmers with the knowledge and tools they need, we can generate meaningful change.

Looking ahead, my hope is that resources are allocated swiftly to launch sustainable supply chain projects across Africa, Latin America, and Asia. If these initial efforts yield scalable impacts, we can expand funding to the estimated US$10 billion needed over the next decade. Together, we can ensure a sustainable future for coffee – one that not only addresses climate challenges but also uplifts the communities enhances soil health, conserves water, that cultivate this vital crop. protects biodiversity, and reduces emissions At illycaffè, we remain committed to – all while maintaining productivity, leading this transformation, proving that lowering costs, and producing superior economic success and environmental coffee quality. Moreover, new coffee plant stewardship are not mutually exclusive varieties, designed to be more resilient and but mutually reinforcing. Together, we can productive, are ready for adoption. ensure coffee’s future is not one of crisis but Addressing climate challenges also of resilience and hope.

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FEATURE T H E R ISE OF ROBUS TA

Robusta can flourish in a wide variety of environments due to its increased genetic diversity.

Image: Roberto Diaz for WCR.

The rise of Robusta With production of Robusta growing each year, has opinion on Arabica’s often-overlooked relative changed and could it be the answer to coffee’s climate woes?

T

HE PRODUCTION of Robusta coffee

is steadily increasing every year.

In the early 1990s, the species accounted for about 28 per cent of global coffee production, while today it’s almost 44 per cent. Over the past three decades, worldwide coffee production has grown by about 1.9 per cent each year, with a significant proportion of that growth accounted for via increased Robusta production according to the International Coffee Organization.

20 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

Hanna Neuschwander, Senior Advisor for Communications at World Coffee Research, says there are several factors contributing to the species’ rise, but a key driver has been the development of the Vietnamese coffee sector.

“From 1990 to 2024, Vietnam has seen a 2100 per cent increase in Robusta production. Behind Brazil, Vietnam is now the world’s second largest coffee producer, and nearly all the country’s output is Robusta,” says Neuschwander.

Compared to Arabica, Robusta thrives in hotter, more humid, and lower elevation environments, which makes Vietnam an ideal origin for the coffee species. As global demand for coffee continued to rise in the 1990s, Vietnam saw an economic opportunity.

“Arabica tends to like higher elevations and Vietnam is a lower-elevation country.

When Vietnam began making major investments in expanding coffee production in the 1980s and 1990s, Robusta was the

better fit for the land they had available– and thus a coffee powerhouse was born,” she says.

“This is just one of the many factors that came together over the past four decades to see tremendous growth in the Robusta sector.”

Back to origin

Robusta’s ability to flourish in a wider variety of environments is due to its increased genetic diversity. Unlike Arabica, which is believed to have spontaneously originated in the mountain forests of Ethiopia, Robusta is said to have more centres of origin and is thought to have developed in a range of different environments.

Despite this, Neuschwander says the commercial trade of Robusta is four centuries behind that of Arabica, hence its slower rise in popularity.

“We’ve had about 400 more years of commercial trade with Arabica than we do with Robusta, and that has led to all sorts of differences in how we think about and experience the two species,” she says.

“The commercial trade of Arabica started about 500 years ago, whereas Robusta

“We’ve had about 400 more years of commercial trade with Arabica than we do with Robusta.”

Hanna Neuschwander SENIOR ADVISOR FOR COMMUNICATIONS, WORLD COFFEE RESEARCH

was only about 100 years. Therefore, we have less experience with the cultivation of Robusta and adapting it to different environments. We also have less experience researching it. For all those reasons, Robusta is often thought of as the ‘newer’ species, even though genetically it’s much older.”

The significant commercial development of Robusta didn’t start until the early 20th century, when the trade of Arabica was disrupted by a major outbreak of coffee leaf rust, a disease caused by the Hemileia

Vastatrix fungus. When looking for a solution, Robusta was put forward as a similar plant that didn’t seem to be so badly affected by the disease.

“Robusta, in part because of its higher caffeine content, is more resistant to some diseases and pests,” says Neuschwander.

Robusta saves the day?

A century later, some players in the coffee industry are once again looking to Robusta to save the day. Following a research study by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) predicting land area suitable for Arabica coffee production will be halved by 2050, producers are looking for alternative ways to continue to meet the world’s demand for coffee.

Because of its natural resistance to some diseases and pesticides, and its ability to grow in hotter, more humid climates, many are asking if Robusta is the answer.

“There’s a common, vague understanding that maybe Robusta is better for climate change,” says Neuschwander.

“Part of that stems from the idea that the world is getting hotter and Robusta does better than Arabica in warmer climates, but it turns out very hot temperatures can also

Hanna Neuschwander is Senior Advisor for Communications at World Coffee Research. Image: WCR.

GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

21

FEATURE T H E R ISE OF ROBUS TA

The significant commercial development of Robusta didn’t start until the early 20th century.

Image: Armin Hari for WCR.

badly affect Robusta production.”

She stresses that Robusta isn’t a silver bullet for climate change, but it does provide options. As well as having some resistance to heat and disease, many Robusta varieties have a larger yield than Arabicas and production costs are often lower.

“The important thing to understand is that there’s not a single solution for climate change: instead, farmers need options,” she says.

“Humans have done a very good job of spreading coffee all over the world, so farmers grow coffee in all sorts of different environments and circumstances. They need options to meet the different needs of the environments in which they are farming in and the markets they’re selling into. This is where Robusta could help some farmers.”

However, switching from growing Arabica to Robusta is not a simple swap.

“If you’re a farmer, it’s not easy to change your trees from one species to another.

It is possible to adjust and adapt, but the requirements to do so for a farmer are very high and capital intensive,” Neuschwander says.

22 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

“In blind trials, consumers prefer blends of Arabica with Robusta compared to only Arabica, but the name Robusta still causes rejection.”

Dr Manuel Diaz SENIOR CONSULTANT, ONA CONSULTING

“The trees need to be managed a little bit differently, which involves training.

You have to have access to different markets. And there is a political context too, for example some countries don’t allow Robusta production because of its association with lower quality.”

Despite this, she says for farmers facing extreme weather events or a shifting climate that’s making Arabica production increasingly difficult, switching to Robusta

may be easier than changing to an entirely new crop such as macadamia.

Star quality

While perceived quality might hold some producers back from adopting Robusta, Neuschwander believes the simple fact that humans have a longer relationship with Arabica is one of the reasons it’s often favoured.

“There is a general consensus that Robusta doesn’t taste as good as Arabica. One reason for this is because we apply higher standards for Arabica quality and we remove the defective beans through sorting,” she says.

“Farmers, traders, and buyers have been working to make Arabica taste better for a long time through enhanced farming techniques, post-harvest preparation, and quality standards. It’s only very recently, in the past 15 years, that international quality standards for higher-quality Robustas have been introduced.”

Dr Manuel Diaz, coffee quality expert and Senior Consultant at Ona Consulting, says that, although the commodity segment of Robusta is creating incentives for volume not quality, there is a premium sector emerging.

“A small segment of premium Robusta

coffee farmers is following the specialty Arabica trends, improving genetic materials, and post-harvest processing for high quality,” he says.

“Through careful processing, Robusta can offer intense mouthfeel and crema, and bitter-related flavours, such as chocolate, forest fruits, and resinous. In particular, Robustas can impart complex spiciness to coffee flavour.”

With interest in specialty Robustas rising and the species even being showcased in the upper echelons of the industry at the World Barista Championships in recent years, Diaz believes high-quality Robustas will become even more popular in competitions and premium products.

“Prejudice and stigma are preventing faster progress. In blind trials, consumers prefer blends of Arabica with Robusta

“When we perpetuate this binary of superiority and inferiority between Arabica and Robusta it’s deeply harmful to Robusta growing communities around the world.”

Sahra Nguyen

FOUNDER, NGUYEN COFFEE SUPPLY

compared to only Arabica, but the name Robusta still causes rejection,” he says.

“An increasing number of farmers in Vietnam, Indonesia, Brazil, and other Latin-American countries manage to sell high quality Robustas at C+ prices but well below specialty Arabicas. By unit of volume, and by monetary value, high quality robustas can deliver more coffee flavour than woody, flat Arabicas.”

Robusta revolution

One person who noticed the prejudice towards Robusta in the specialty coffee industry and wanted to make a difference was Sahra Nguyen. A first generation Vietnamese American, Nguyen was a journalist and documentary filmmaker with no experience in coffee when she was catapulted into the industry in 2016.

Sahra Nguyen established Nguyen Coffee Supply in 2018.

Image: Nguyen Coffee Supply.

GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

23

FEATURE T H E R ISE OF ROBUS TA

Nguyen says she felt the human lens was missing from the Robusta conversation.

Image: Nguyen Coffee Supply.

“As a journalist in New York City, I spent a lot of time in coffee shops. I noticed the rise in popularity of Vietnamese iced coffee and Asian drinks in general. It captured my attention and I did a bit of research into the industry. I discovered that Vietnam was the second largest producer of coffee in the world, but I couldn’t find any roasters in the United States (US) selling a single origin Vietnamese coffee,” she says.

“I felt there was an injustice happening 24 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

that was excluding and exploiting the Robusta growing community, so I started my own coffee company.”

Nguyen says she felt the human lens was missing from the Robusta conversation.

“When we perpetuate this binary of superiority and inferiority between Arabica and Robusta it’s deeply harmful to Robusta growing communities around the world.

It excludes them from the opportunity to elevate their livelihoods through advancing

quality coffee production,” she says.

The same year, she got on a plane for her first sourcing trip to establish direct-trade relationships with farmers in Vietnam, and soon after learned how to roast coffee. Two years later, in 2018, Nguyen Coffee Supply was officially launched as the first specialty Vietnamese coffee importer and roaster in the US. Nguyen says, at first, starting a qualityfocused Robusta coffee company was challenging.

“We faced a lot of resistance from people in the industry, because we came out with something that was completely different to the status quo. We received a lot of judgment and scepticism from coffee professionals,” she says.

Despite this, she persevered and it paid off. The company, which started as purely e-commerce, recently launched in 2600 grocery stores across the US and roasts around 4000 pounds of coffee each week.

It offers 100 per cent Robusta, 100 per cent Arabica, and Robusta-Arabica blends, as well as a line of ready-to-drink 100 per cent Robusta cold-brew cans.

“We created innovative and delicious Robusta-focused products to show people the possibilities with Robusta coffee. That’s why we were very adamant to go 100 per cent Robusta for our cans to help expand the experience and shift perception,” says Nguyen.

“Robusta broadens the coffee experience for the entire coffee community. It has a higher caffeine content, so if you’re someone who wants energy, you can get it naturally from Robusta. Its flavour profile is also very different from Arabica: it’s much bolder, richer, and dark chocolatey, so it’s a great choice for anyone who prefers this coffee profile – with or without milk.

Coffee is personal and consumers should have the choice to choose between both Arabica and Robusta profiles, rather than have the industry dictate which bean is superior.”

The future of Robusta

In keeping with its focus on the coffee plant and its variety development, World Coffee Research is preparing to launch its first ever Robusta breeding program.

The long-term multi-decadal study will be similar in design to its Arabica Innovea breeding program, which brings together multiple countries that grow the species in order to deliver new varieties.

“The aim is to produce new Robusta varieties that meet the needs of both the

farmer, the country, and the consumer,” says Neuschwander.

“We’ll use diverse germplasm (genetically diverse trees that haven’t been crossed together before), and distribute the resulting populations to network partners for them to grow and evaluate. Then, using modern breeding methods to help speed up the process of selecting winners, we will support our partners to release new varietals to ensure continually better plants are available for farmers.”

The project is due to launch in 2025.

For the team at World Coffee Research, the network is a huge step forward in the advancement of Robusta.

“If you look at any crop, one of the markers of success for growers is how much innovation has happened with the most basic technology that farmers use – the plant,” she says.

“The performance gains we will be able to make through a dedicated, long-term, and collaborative global breeding network are exciting. One reason why there is so much upside is because coffee lags behind other crops. If you take apples, for example, more than 5000 varieties have

World Coffee Research is preparing to launch its first ever Robusta breeding program.

Image: Robert Diaz for WCR.

been released by breeding programs around the world over the past 20 years.

For coffee, the number of internationally registered new varieties is about 110, with only 10 of those Robustas.

However, we can adapt the learning

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“It’s exciting but also urgent. With the variability of climate conditions continuing to grow, coffee farmers need more options.” GCR

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INDUSTRY INSIGHTS U N IC

Entrepreneurial spirit Waterbean Coffee Founder Tony Vo on helping to establish a specialty scene in North Carolina and why he’s remained loyal to one espresso machine manufacturer for more than a decade.

W

HEN ENTREPRENEUR Tony Vo had the idea to open a coffee shop in Cornelius, North Carolina, in 2013, specialty coffee wasn’t a familiar term in the area. Despite there not being an established market for highgrade coffee, Vo was determined to do something different.

“I always try to be as original as possible.

If someone, or many people, are already trying to make something work, then you know the field is going to be difficult to break into,” Vo tells Global Coffee Report.

“At the time, some of my family were in the restaurant business, but I was interested in specialty coffee and saw an opportunity for someone to do something different with it in the Lake Norman area.”

After discussing the idea with his wife Annie, they came up with the name Waterbean, representing how a good cup of coffee requires only the right mixture of water and beans to get the best taste. When their venue opened in winter 2013, it was the first specialty coffee shop in the area to offer pourover, French press, AeroPress, and five espresso options.

At first, Vo says most of the locals didn’t

26 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

know much about specialty coffee and were used to ordering the kind of drinks served in large café chains.

“In the beginning, our team had to spend a lot of time communicating to customers how we worked and what we offered. They would come in and try to order a venti macchiato. We had to explain we didn’t do that and talk them through our espresso options, which range from medium to dark roasts,” he says.

Despite offering a novel coffee concept to the people of Cornelius, Waterbean was a success and after just nine months Vo opened a sister venue in Huntersville.

“I had no idea if launching a specialty coffee shop here would work. With the first store, I thought I’d open it and see how it does, but I fell in love with the industry,” he says.

“When we had opened the second venue in Huntersville, just five minutes from the first, I said to Annie that over the next 10 years I’d like to reach 10 venues, then I’d quit. It was a goal I never thought I’d hit. Eleven years on from the first opening, we’re getting ready to launch our 20th location.”

As Waterbean Coffee has grown, so has the specialty scene in North Carolina, and the brand now has a lot more competitors.

While each Waterbean venue has been uniquely designed to reflect its local area and demographic, in 2017 Vo established a roastery to supply all the cafés with freshly roasted specialty-grade coffee and ensure consistency across the venues.

“Opening our own roastery was a big risk to take, but we knew it was the right kind of growth we needed for Waterbean,” he says.

“Having our own roasts sets us apart from the competition. We’re not using the same beans as anyone else and we have complete control over the quality. We now roast almost exclusively organic coffees, except for a few limited-edition releases each year.”

Vo believes the key to the brand’s success has been multifaceted, but says the most important factor to growing a profitable coffee shop group is capital.

“You can’t grow if you don’t have capital.

Having the right funding is of the utmost importance,” he says.

“After that, having the right staff and the best product is key to delivering a quality experience. Our team are like family to us,

Images: Unic.

Launched in 2013, Waterbean Coffee has grown to include 20 locations.

and that’s enabled us to grow rapidly. You can have the vision and the capital, but if you don’t have the team to realise the ambition, it’s not going to work.”

Another element he believes has been crucial to the brand’s accomplishments is consistency, something he says has been supported by Waterbean’s longterm partnership with espresso machine manufacturer Unic.

First working on a Unic machine when he was learning the barista trade at Texas Coffee School in 2013, Vo has sworn by the espresso machine brand ever since.

When he opened the first store, he installed a Stella di Caffè and rolled out the model in all his venues until 2018, when the new Stella Epic was released and installed across Waterbean’s fleet.

“During my time at Texas Coffee School, I worked on a lot of different espresso machines, but I really enjoyed the Stella di Caffè and have used Unic machines ever since,” he says.

“I love the Epic because it’s simple and very easy to work on. It’s also extremely reliable and doesn’t require a lot of maintenance, which is essential when you’re operating 20 different locations.”

For Vo, the consistency the machine delivers is another crucial element to the success of his company.

“It’s very important the quality of our

coffee remains consistent across our venues, so having a trustworthy espresso machine is key. A lot of our staff work at multiple venues too, therefore they need to be able to create the same high-quality beverage, wherever they are that day,” he says.

“We train all our staff on the Epic machines – they’re very simple to guide new baristas through the workflow.”

Unic’s US team have been at Waterbean’s side over the past 11 years and have been an invaluable asset to Vo as the company has expanded.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better company to partner with over the past decade,” says Vo. “If anything ever crops up with any of the machines, no matter what time of day, the Unic team are ready to help and ensure we get everything back in action as quickly as possible. The service they provide is incredible. They’ll check in to see how we’re doing and when events like the Specialty Coffee Expo come around they’ll invite us along.

“There aren’t a lot of companies that go the extra mile for you like the team at Unic.”

Not only smashing but almost doubling his original goal, Vo plans to continue to grow Waterbean – albeit at a slower pace.

“Five years ago, growth was my only focus, but for the next few years I want to slow it down a bit. We’ve just had our biggest year to

date, opening five new locations, including our first drive-thru,” he says.

“Going forward, I’d like to explore wholesale and retail. I’m very focused on quality, so the idea of just anyone making our coffee makes me a bit nervous, but it would be cool to see Waterbean Coffee in other venues and grocery stores.”

He’s also confident the specialty coffee market in the US will continue to grow, with more consumers turning away from large national chains.

“Local, family-run coffee shops will continue to succeed and provide a unique experience. It’s not just about the product – you also need good service, a friendly team, and a comforting environment,” he says.

“Not everyone wants to grab a coffee and go. Many people want somewhere to relax and take some time out of their day to forget about what else is going on in their lives. At a time when most coffee shops focus on getting the customers in and out of their doors as quickly as possible, we try to give them a place to relax, hold meetings, go over school work, or just hang out with friends. We want to be more than just another coffee shop.” GCR

For more information, visit unic-espresso.com

All of Waterbean Coffee’s blends and single origins are now roasted at its North Carolina roastery.

GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

27

TECHNOLOGY PROFILE

Images: Syntegon.

S Y N T E G ON

The PMX 4001 vertical bagger offers high product protection on a small footprint.

Coffee’s new look How Syntegon’s latest release is gearing up the coffee industry to excel in sustainability.

S

YNTEGON has long been a key player in coffee’s global supply chain, with a legacy of more than 160 years supporting food manufacturers through innovative packaging solutions.

As the industry faces increasing complexity – from evolving environmental regulations to shifting consumer preferences – Syntegon has consistently developed solutions to help its clients navigate these challenges.

Its latest offering is no exception. The company has recently expanded its coffee packaging portfolio, carefully surveying the regulatory landscape to ensure manufacturers are fully equipped to meet environmental standards as they come into effect. This includes the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which takes effect in 2030 and requires all relevant packaging to be capable of being recycled and contain a certain amount of recycled content.

“We needed to prepare our customers for the future of coffee packaging as well as support them with challenges such as recycling regulations,” says Christina Holm, Syntegon Product Manager.

“Manufacturers are looking for sustainable packaging as many do not meet the requirements of the PPWR. We needed

28 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

a machine concept that could process both conventional and mono-materials, so customers are prepared to transform their coffee bags into 100 per cent recyclable bags at some point in the near future.”

The PMX 4001 – released in September 2024 – is a vertical bagger for ground coffee and whole beans, designed to offer manufacturers product protection and high-quality packaging on a significantly smaller footprint.

What’s more, the PMX has been developed to process alternative packaging materials at high output – with an estimate of up to 65 bags per minute with a pack weight of 500 grams. Additionally, integrated modules ensure protection, such as netweighers for consistent weight accuracy, auger fillers for fast cleaning processes, and checkweighers for tendency control and detection of metal contaminants. The operator can interact by using a single human machine interface for the whole system.

“The PMX offers high speeds and high output when processing mono-materials.

It’s a sustainable and future-ready solution for brand owners and private label producers with no extra cost involved,” says Holm.

Notably, Syntegon has seamlessly

integrated valve solutions such as applicators and a range of recyclable valves.

These one-way valves, such as button and sticker valves, can reduce the need for more complex packaging solutions.

“The sticker valve on the outside and the button valve on the inside are all available from Syntegon to complete the sustainable coffee package,” says Holm.

With its integrated valve application and nitrogen flushing of the coffee to minimise residual oxygen, the PMX is tailored to the packaging of coffee to maximise aroma protection and shelf life. What’s more, the aroma-protecting degassing valves have been certified as “excellently recyclable” in accordance with EU standards.

To ensure premium bag quality and highquality bag seals every time, Syntegon’s engineers have developed unique webedge control.

“No matter the type of packaging material, the PMX ensures top-notch bag quality with precise seals and no overlaps on the package,” says Holm.

“For the bag seals, we prefer heat sealing because it provides a stronger, more reliable seal, and it’s easier to adjust for optimal performance,” says Holm. “The ultrasonic sealing for the degassing valve applications allows for stable performance, regardless

of the packaging material.”

Ultrasonic sealing is well suited to mono-material films that are difficult to seal with heat, as the parameters can be easily adjusted.

“Thanks to the elimination of the warmup phase, the sealing quality is consistent from the first bag,” says Holm.

And the risk of incorrect settings after format changes is eliminated, as sealing parameters are stored and automatically applied.

In terms of sustainability, the choice of more environmentally friendly packaging materials depends on many factors, such as the product’s protection requirements or the packaging machines, which is why Syntegon offers manufacturer support in the form of packaging material testing.

“This includes both tests of the material properties in the in-house laboratory and practical tests on the machine,” says Holm.

“There are strong collaborations and partnerships with our customers and film suppliers including testing and consulting for different packaging materials and suppliers to achieve best machine performance.”

Beyond the packaging process itself, the PMX 4001 is the most compact machine in the series, according to Holm. Thanks to its low height and footprint of only 2.6 by 2.1 metres, it’s ideal for manufacturers with limited space. It’s also designed to slot into the production line without interfering with any other processes.

Full corner sealed bag for the vertical bagger.

“The machine can be accessed from all four sides, which allows for quick and easy access in case of maintenance or troubleshooting requirements,” says Holm.

The materials used are not the only thing helping cross the sustainability line. The Industry 4.0 solution Synexio Empower software – which is installed as standard in the PMX 4001 – monitors

The integrated valve applicator applies degassing valves via ultrasonic sealing.

all machine functions as well as energy and resource consumption in real time to help manufacturers boost their production processes.

In addition to consumption monitoring and mitigating waste and downtimes, the software can optimise machine operationbased online data.

“Line health analytics give users full transparency of their machine in real-time and consumption monitoring keep costs at a minimum,” says Holm.

Synexio also gives roasters full control of the sealing process – including pressure and temperature – to create recyclable coffee bags.

Additionally, machines can be networked across locations to compare efficiency of different shifts, batches, and machines.

Yet, above all, Holm says the customers who have used the PMX experienced a fast transition to full production with excellent equipment performance.

“The ramp-up was quick and our bags with full-corner seals have a premium, high-quality appearance,” she says.

“Customers consistently praise the highquality finish of the bags and the reliability of German engineering.” GCR

For more information, visit syntegon.com GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

29

FEATURE

EUDR enforcement is set for December 2025 for large operators and June 2026 for micro and small enterprises.

Green light, red tape

As the European Parliament agrees to postpone the EUDR, non-governmental organisations weigh in on what this means for the global coffee industry.

T

HE EUROPEAN UNION (EU), a leading

global economy, made a significant move towards forest protection with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), agreed upon by the Commission, Council, and Parliament in December 2022.

However, as voted by the European Parliament in November 2024, the regulation’s timeline has been extended by 12 months with enforcement now set for December 2025 for large operators and June 2026 for micro and small enterprises, pending negotiations.

When enforced, the EUDR will require companies to provide geodata, traceability information, and proof of legal compliance to ensure products such as coffee, cocoa, and palm oil imported into the EU are not linked to deforestation.

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that initially called for a delay, including International Coffee Partners (ICP), have welcomed the Parliament’s decision, citing a lifeline for smallholder farms that gives them a chance to build technical capacity for a smooth transition.

On the other hand, the Rainforest Alliance – although agreeing the postponement can help smallholders transition to this new framework – says

30 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

the delay is a setback that mostly benefits the corporate entities who haven’t invested at scale.

Red tape

Fanny Gauttier, Public Affairs Lead at the Rainforest Alliance, says the NGO has backed the implementation of the EUDR since before it was proposed. She says the organisation believes legislation is necessary to ensure a level playing field and drive widespread change.

“We’ve always been in favour of the EUDR. As an NGO with a certification program, we believe legislation is necessary to drive change at scale. Certification is a valuable tool, but its reach is limited,” she says.

Until 2020, many companies made voluntary commitments to tackle deforestation, but those commitments were not met. Therefore, this highlighted the need for legislation to hold companies accountable and ensure compliance.

Overall, the adoption of the EUDR represented a huge step forward in global environmentalism because, according to Gauttier, it was ambitious.

“The final regulation closely aligned with the original proposal. It wasn’t watered

down during the legislative process, which makes it a great example of a successful legislative outcome,” she says.

Despite the delay providing a potential lifeline to smallholders, Gauttier says it serves to benefit those who haven’t been working as intensively to prepare for implementation.

“While it also gives more time to those who were ready, it really benefits those who hadn’t invested at scale,” she says. “On the other hand, from a smallholder farmer perspective, the delay provides more time to work with them and ensure they produce products that align with the EUDR, which is one positive aspect.”

The main issue observed by the Rainforest Alliance is that the European Commission had not delivered on its commitments to support implementation, such as providing guidance and updated FAQs sufficiently ahead of the initial date of implementation.

“As a result, it was becoming increasingly difficult to imagine how the regulation could be implemented on time,” says Gauttier.

“By October 2024, it was clear that continuing on the current path wasn’t feasible.”

Even though the Parliament has agreed

Images: Rainforest Alliance.

GR E E N L IGH T, R E D TA PE

to a postponement, many companies are concerned the EU institutions won’t reach an agreement before the end of the transition period, and that the EUDR will apply at the end of December 2024 “This creates a lot of uncertainty, as companies don’t know what to expect in terms of the implementation date.

Initially, they thought the regulation would take effect by the end of this year, then the Commission proposed a 12-month postponement, and everyone thought that was the way forward,” she says.

“As you can imagine, for a company, not knowing whether they’ll need to implement the regulation at the end of the year or in a year changes a lot about what they need to do. It creates a lot of uncertainty.”

During the 12-month postponement, in the short term the Rainforest Alliance’s strategy is two-fold. In terms of advocacy, the NGO is mobilising the companies it works with to engage directly with EU decision-makers, as the corporate sector tends to have more political sway.

And in terms of implementation, the Rainforest Alliance will continue working with its certificate holders – especially smallholder farmers – to ensure they are ready.

“Now that we have more time, it gives us an opportunity to further support them and ensure they are fully prepared,” she says.

In the future, Gauttier says the EU

“The final regulation closely aligned with the original proposal.

It wasn’t watered down during the legislative process.”

Fanny Gauttier PUBLIC AFFAIRS LEAD, RAINFOREST ALLIANCE

can set a precedent to stronger global commitments to stopping deforestation, as decisions like this depend on the political situations in major markets.

“Once we have more certainty about the implementation of the EUDR, it could help support the introduction of similar requirements in other governments, which would be ideal,” she says.

“At the Rainforest Alliance, we had already prepared for the start of the implementation by the end of this year.

Moving forward, we will continue to develop our systems and support the smallholder farmers in our network.

“For most companies, they should have the opportunity to register in the

information system soon and begin uploading due diligence statements.

Hopefully, this will allow them to test the system before the actual implementation.

We’ll keep encouraging our partners to be ready on time.”

No one left behind

Meanwhile, the ICP has welcomed the postponement to give smallholders more time to comply and build the technical capacity for a smooth transition.

Anders Thorén, Head of Corporate Communications at Löfbergs – one of the seven members of the ICP, says the steps taken by the EU to address the issue of deforestation have been positive, with the purpose of the EUDR aligning closely to the company’s long-standing commitment to sustainability.

However, like Gauttier and many others in the coffee sector, Thorén says the company experienced uncertainties regarding its implementation, especially for smallholder farmers.

“The timeline was tight, and clear guidance on reporting, control schemes, and other essential aspects was lacking,” he says.

“The necessary systems and support simply weren’t in place, which created potential risks for coffee farmers, roasteries, and consumers.”

Thorén believes the delay reflects a

Rainforest Alliance will continue working with its certificate holders to ensure they are ready.

GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

31

FEATURE GR E E N L IGH T, R E D TA PE

The ICP says smallholders will have more time to comply and build the technical capacity for a smooth transition.

recognition of the challenges raised by stakeholders worldwide and shows a commitment to making the regulation practical and effective for everyone involved.

“The extended timeline provides an opportunity to implement the regulation more effectively by fostering stronger dialogue and collaboration across the value chain,” he says.

He adds that Löfbergs has already made significant progress, investing in innovative solutions for traceability such as Era of We – sustainability software for farmers, coffee roasters and others to ease transition to EUDR – as well as data management and compliance.

“Together with Era of We, we’ve developed a solution to address this challenge,” says Thorén.

“While the delay allows companies to refine their processes, it doesn’t alter our commitment – we remain fully focused on achieving the regulation’s goals without pause.”

According to Thorén, smallholder farmers require support in three critical areas to transition to deforestation-free coffee supply chains: financial assistance to adopt traceability systems and sustainable farming practices, capacity building through training programs that enable compliance with regulatory standards, and investments in technical infrastructure, including 32 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

“The extended timeline provides an opportunity to implement the regulation more effectively by fostering stronger dialogue and collaboration.”

Anders Thorén

HEAD OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS, LÖFBERGS

geodata tools and other necessary systems.

“Ensuring access to these resources is vital for their success,” he says.

Moreover, the EUDR as it is currently designed is challenging for some smallholders as infrastructure varies significantly across regions, with some countries having robust national traceability systems while others lack such frameworks entirely.

“These differences highlight the need for a flexible and inclusive approach,” says Thorén.

“Despite the challenges, collaboration across sectors is the way forward. Unified standards, adapted to regional realities, can

drive meaningful change while ensuring smallholders are supported throughout the transition.”

Above all, Thorén does not foresee any environmental setbacks with the extended timeline. Rather, he sees this as an opportunity to strengthen the value chain.

“The extended timeline is an opportunity to strengthen implementation and mitigate risks. The international community can support this by fostering transparency, promoting sustainable practices, and enhancing collaboration across supply chains.”

Empowering smallholders

Norbert Schmitz, Managing Director at 4C, an internationally recognised thirdparty certification system for the coffee sector, says although the postponement of the regulation was not unexpected as prerequisites from the EU were not in place for timely implementation, many of 4C’s system users are already well-prepared thanks to its proactive EUDR solution.

He adds the postponement is still dependent on the outcomes of the trilogue negotiations between the European Parliament, the Council, and the Commission to reach a final decision, but 4C is prepared to support its partners regardless of the outcome.

“At 4C we are fully prepared for any

scenario,” says Schmitz. “We are ready to support organisations in meeting EUDR requirements effectively.”

Schmitz iterates this is not the time to become complacent as deforestation-free supply chains remain a critical priority, and the regulation will still take effect soon.

A cornerstone of the 4C certification, according to Schmitz, is the nodeforestation criterion established with a 2006 cut-off date and now updated to align with the requirements of the EUDR. 4C had implemented the EUDR requirements in its certification standard at the beginning of 2024. As a result, he says its partners are equipped to meet the regulatory requirements once implemented.

As part of this solution, 4C utilises remote sensing technologies for robust risk assessments and verification of deforestation-free coffee production.

“Legality requirements of the EUDR are covered in the 4C system and will be adopted accordingly once further guidance is available,” he says.

He adds that traceability is a key feature of the system, with the 4C Portal designed for seamless tracking along the supply chain.

Companies will be required to provide geodata and traceability information to ensure products imported into the EU are not linked to deforestation.

Its EUDR solution is built on the organisation’s sustainability certification program and provides a traceability system to ensure transparent sourcing and compliance, along with risk assessments from partner Global Risk Assessment Services to identify deforestation risks.

“The organisation’s approach offers strong risk mitigation through independent thirdparty audits, which verify compliance and

build confidence in the integrity of certified supply chains,” says Schmitz.

“We do also see that roasters outside the EU have started to ask specifically for EUDR coffee, as they are committed to deforestation-free coffee as well,” he says.

“Deforestation-free coffee goes along with a lower carbon footprint and helps companies to achieve SBTi (Science Based Targets initiative) targets.” GCR

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FEATURE C OF F E E ’ S U NC H A RT E D OR IGI N

Exploring coffee’s uncharted origin How unravelling the genetic story behind Yemen’s coffee trees could future-proof the global industry.

I

N THE TECHNOLOGICAL world,

artificial intelligence is said to hold the key to the future, while electric cars are steering the automotive industry’s next chapter. In the coffee world, some believe the future of the commodity can be glimpsed by looking to the fields of Yemen.

Coffee production in Yemen is shrouded in mystery. How can one of the most arid environments on the planet, characterised by shifts between extreme heat and cold, and with one of the lowest annual rainfalls globally, have coffee trees that not only survive but thrive?

Coffee typically needs 1000 millimetres of rainfall per year to grow. Yemen’s coffee regions receive, on average, 200 to 350 millimetres of rainfall annually. And yet coffee grows.

It may seem cliché that the birthplace of coffee farming could hold the answers to the plight of the plant, but one key figure with deep ties to Yemen says although the country and its farmers have pioneered coffee for centuries, it has been overlooked as a central player in shaping the global industry.

According to Faris Sheibani, CEO and Founder of United Kingdom-based Qima Coffee, deciphering the genetic story behind Yemeni coffee trees and celebrating 34 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

local farming practices could future proof international coffee production.

“Yemen was the first country to commercialise coffee, 700 years ago. It was the first country to process and sell coffee and it birthed the ‘coffee drink’ culture, making it a pioneer in coffee trading,” says Sheibani.

“Yemeni women have been integral to coffee cultivation for centuries. Despite their significant role, their contributions are rarely acknowledged.”

Faris Sheibani CEO AND FOUNDER, QIMA COFFEE

“Fast forward to now and Yemen, in my view, is still a pioneer.”

Seeing the potential in Yemeni coffee trees, Sheibani founded Qima Coffee in 2016, a company that manages the value chain from farm to café.

“I was drawn to the beauty of the

connection between Yemen and its coffee history, however, I also realised that Yemeni coffee wasn’t being exported to premium international markets at all, despite its rich heritage and potential,” he says.

He adds that the challenges of bringing the commodity to the international market were substantial. In addition to political instability making it difficult to grow industry – let alone one as complex as coffee – there were significant logistical challenges as Yemen has limited infrastructure.

“Roads are poor, and it could take six to eight hours to travel just 100 kilometres.

This made it incredibly difficult to move coffee from farms to markets,” says Sheibani.

Additionally, he says the Yemeni coffee supply chain, though centuries old, had transparency and quality issues. Coffee buyers, especially international buyers, loved the idea of Yemeni coffee but often expressed concerns about traceability. They couldn’t track where the coffee was coming from and the quality was inconsistent, which was a barrier to Yemen’s coffee being recognised on the global market.

The existing system was flawed with poor processing practices, mixing with coffee from other regions, including illegal imports of Ethiopian coffee that were then

Images: Qima Coffee.

Despite Yemen’s coffee-growing regions receiving well below 1000 millimetres of rain, coffee still thrives.

falsely labelled as Yemeni coffee, and a lack of quality control. Sheibani says the only way forward was to start fresh.

“We began by working directly with farmers at the farm gate. We focused on ensuring only the best cherries were picked and that they were kept separate from neighbouring farms’ produce,” he says.

“From there, we managed every step of the value chain ourselves: from overseeing the harvest to processing, drying, and eventually exporting the coffee. This required significant investment – we had to build our own infrastructure, including drying stations, mills, and cherry collection centres.”

Qima Coffee also focused on educating farmers on post-harvest processing standards for specialty coffee, as they were already expert growers but lacked knowledge in specialty coffee processing.

The goal was to ensure every step, from farm to export, met high-quality standards with full traceability and transparency.

According to Sheibani, this was essential to share its potential to the rest of the world.

A sustainable solution

As climate concerns threaten farms across the world, genetic varieties are becoming more important. Due to low genetic diversity, at least 60 per cent of wild Arabica species are threatened with extinction because of climate stress.

“Yemen is one of the most genetically diverse coffee growing origins on the planet. It’s an ecosystem,” says Sheibani. “It’s like a microcosm of the world’s cultivated varieties in a single country – it holds all the world’s genetic diversity.”

Noting how important it is to map this genetic diversity, Sheibani and Qima Coffee have partnered with Dr Christophe Montagnon, Founder and CEO of RD2 Vision and former Chief Scientific Officer of World Coffee Research, to define the genetic profile of Yemeni coffee trees.

“Over the past five years, we’ve conducted extensive research and development,

publishing papers with numerous organisations,” says Sheibani. “Our work has been published in respected scientific journals, not just to share our findings but because we believe the knowledge we’ve gained is valuable to the global coffee community.”

In 2021, Sheibani and Dr Montagnon conducted a study to detail the genetic diversity of Coffea arabica in Yemen, which he says hadn’t been done before. As part of the study, 137 samples of C. arabica were studied from three groups: Ethiopian accessions, worldwide cultivars, and Yemen Qima breeding populations. The research team identified a cluster that was unique to Yemen.

The team named this cluster New-Yemen or Yemenia, which is a novel mother population within the species of C. arabica found exclusively in Yemen and represents untapped genetic potential. It now joins other mother populations including the Ethiopian accessions Typica, Bourbon, SL-34, and SL-17.

Yemeni coffee has a bold, wine-like quality, with notes of fruit, spice, and floral undertones.

GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

35

FEATURE C OF F E E ’ S U NC H A RT E D OR IGI N

A new mother population within C. arabica was found exclusively in Yemen and represents untapped genetic potential.

“There’s a lot of genetic material diversity in Yemen that can ultimately be utilised for the benefit of the 12.5 million coffee growing farms in the world,” says Sheibani.

“They can be used for the benefit of other farmers who are facing the extinction of the crops because of climatic stresses.”

As this genetic diversity in Yemen is now being recognised globally, Sheibani says the next step is to dive deeper into understanding these native varieties and examine their attributes and characteristics.

“Once we identify a variety with significant genetic diversity, we need to assess how it performs. This includes factors like quality, climatic resilience, pest resistance, and disease tolerance,” he says. “These characteristics are critical, as they can offer valuable insights not just for Yemeni farmers but for farmers worldwide.”

Once these native varieties have been characterised, the next phase will involve applying this knowledge to benefit the global farming community, which can be done through research initiatives such as climate-centric breeding programmes.

These types of initiatives would require the involvement of the Yemeni Government, and Sheibani hopes to see the wider industry focus more resources towards understanding coffee varieties.

Aside from the unique ecosystem that shapes Yemeni coffee, Sheibani suggests that coffee growers around the world could learn a great deal from the traditional 36 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

farming practices of Yemeni farmers, especially when it comes to combating the increasing pressures of climate stress.

“They have been growing coffee in such an extreme environment for more than 600 years and have succeeded in doing so; there’s a lot to be learned in terms of traditional farm practices,” Sheibani says.

For example, in Yemen’s harsh, waterscarce environment, coffee plants must be able to reach deeper layers of soil where moisture may be more stable and available, especially during dry spells. By planting the coffee trees deeper, farmers ensure the plants can access water from deeper sources, allowing them to withstand prolonged periods of drought or irregular rainfall.

However, in regions with more consistent rainfall and milder climates, such as Colombia, there’s less immediate pressure on the plants to develop such deep root systems. As a result, the trees don’t need to be planted as deeply.

“For example, when a farmer makes a hole for a coffee seed for a new tree in Colombia, they’ll dig a hole of 30 centimetres cubed. In Yemen, it’ll be a metre cubed,” says Sheibani.

Female factor

In addition to these innovative farming practices, Sheibani highlights the significant role women play throughout the entire coffee value chain in Yemen –

not just in cultivation. He hopes that the global coffee industry will recognise and follow this example.

In many coffee-growing regions – including Yemen – women play a key role in coffee cultivation, often taking on the primary responsibility for tasks such as irrigation, coffee picking, and general farm maintenance with studies in Yemen showing women are responsible for 60 to 80 per cent of the labour involved in coffee growing. But when it comes to the buying and selling of coffee, men typically handle the transactions.

This gender disparity is not unique to Yemen: it’s a global phenomenon.

“Yemeni women have been integral to coffee cultivation for centuries. Yet, despite their significant role, their contributions are rarely acknowledged or rewarded, both historically and in the present day,” says Sheibani.

“We recognised this imbalance and believed it was important to rectify it.

Since 2019, we’ve been working to engage Yemeni coffee-growing communities and highlight the critical role that women play in coffee production. Our goal has been to find ways to recognise and reward their contributions, while respecting cultural sensitivities and male-female dynamics in different communities.”

After years of trust-building, Sheibani says Qima Coffee was able to get buy-in from the communities – not just from the

women – but from the whole family unit.

The results were positive, and for the first time, women farmers were recognised for their work.

Each year, Qima hosts the Best of Yemen auction where winning coffees from Qima’s coffee-quality competition are auctioned.

In 2024, the top lot was produced by a women’s farming group.

“It was a proud moment for us, and for the Yemeni women who have been the backbone of coffee cultivation for so long.

We’re excited about the future and hopeful this recognition will continue to grow,” he says.

A new world of flavour

As the world grows increasingly interested in specialty coffee, Sheibani says the distinctive flavours of Yemen can offer a new and exciting avenue for coffee lovers everywhere.

“You’ll find really distinct flavour profiles in Yemen that you can’t find anywhere else,” he says.

Yemeni coffee is described as having a bold, wine-like quality, with notes of fruit, spice, and floral undertones that are rare in coffees from other regions. This is partly

“There are coffees that I’ll taste in Yemen with an extremely distinct flavour profile that I cannot find anywhere else.”

Faris Sheibani CEO AND FOUNDER, QIMA COFFEE

due to the heirloom varieties of coffee that have been cultivated in the country for generations, many of which are indigenous to the region and cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Sheibani notes the flavour profile is unique. Qima Coffee has origins in Colombia and Ecuador, but he says there’s nothing quite like Yemeni flavours.

“We work in a number of origins now and I still have to say that there are coffees that I’ll taste in Yemen with an extremely distinct flavour profile that I cannot find anywhere else,” he says.

During a cupping panel, Sheibani says Qima Coffee displayed 10 different coffees from 10 different regions in Yemen.

However, the flavour profiles were so diverse the cuppers thought the coffees were from 10 different countries.

“It demonstrates the diversity of Yemeni coffee,” he says. “There’s so much diversity that you can find a big range of flavour profiles, such as nutty caramel notes, delicate, floral or fruity coffees.”

“Yemen coffee has such a wide profile range that there are flavours suited to the American profile, the European taste, and also to Middle Eastern, Japanese, or Taiwanese preferences.”

By bringing these unique flavours to a global audience, Sheibani believes it will provide proper support to local farming communities and acknowledge their centuries-old contributions.

“If these people, these communities, have helped to preserve genetic material of Arabica for 600 years, they’ve been doing that for generations,” he says. “I think it’s fair for them to be rewarded for that now, and for the world to acknowledge and engage with Yemen’s unique coffee culture.” GCR

In Qima Coffee’s 2024 Best of Yemen auction, the top lot was produced by a women’s farming group.

GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

37

TECHNOLOGY PROFILE

Egro is one of the cornerstones of the Ali Group Coffee Division’s portfolio.

Powerhouse alliance The Ali Group Coffee Division on how it blends tradition and expertise to remain at the forefront of the coffee industry.

I

N THE WORLD of coffee, certain brands

stand out for their long-standing history, innovation, and commitment to quality. Names such as Egro, Rancilio, Crem, and Coffee Queen have been at the forefront of the coffee industry for decades, earning a reputation for their specialised products.

Today, these iconic brands – in addition to Rancilio Specialty, Spengler, Promac, and Expobar – are part of the Ali Group Coffee Division, a newly consolidated group formed after the Ali Group’s acquisition of Welbilt.

According to Augusto Meléndrez, Global Director of Strategic Marketing at the Ali Group Coffee Division, the coffee powerhouse has reinforced its broad yet highly specialised expertise with this consolidation.

He says it’s more than just a unification of brands: it’s a convergence of expertise, innovation, and tradition. Its key advantage is the ability to share knowledge across various specialties – whether it’s super automatic machines, Italian espresso, raw coffee, milk systems, grinding technology, telemetry, or filter coffee solutions.

“This decision was important because coffee has its particularities, including the demands of roasters, trends, and specific channels,” he says.

38 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

By combining the strengths of each brand under one umbrella, the division is positioned to offer a wide range of products and solutions that cater to different segments of the coffee market.

For example, the expanded portfolio also includes a range of brewing technologies, such as fully automatic systems and capsule solutions, catering to automation needs, temperature and pressure control, and more.

The unified approach, according to Meléndrez, also gives the group capabilities to tackle new projects and offers clients access to greater technological development, patents, and operational resources across the brands. Furthermore, it enables the company to capture client needs across different coffee environments including offices, hospitality, coffee shops, and restaurants.

Moreover, in today’s rapidly changing market, it’s essential for businesses to maintain a balance between global strategies and local relevance. While the Ali Group is a large company, it remains flexible and focused on providing tailored solutions for each market and client.

“We can work closely with corporate clients or large chains that may need custom solutions, partnerships, or codevelopment. We have the capability to

handle these projects through our research, development, and product management teams, delivering tailored solutions to meet their specific needs,” says Meléndrez.

“For example, in the United Kingdom (UK), the group offers a solution that combines a Rancilio coffee machine with a Coffee Queen hot water boiler.”

Meléndrez says the Ali Group Coffee Division prides itself on its ability to build strong relationships with local stakeholders, including regulators, suppliers, and community organisations.

By understanding the specific needs and challenges of each region, he says the division ensures its brands remain relevant and responsive to local market conditions.

“This approach allows the Ali Group Coffee Division to think globally while acting locally, adapting its products, services, and marketing strategies to meet the unique needs of different markets and remain committed to continuous innovation and responsiveness,” he says.

Meanwhile, manufacturing capabilities across continents and facilities in both Europe and Asia allows for flexibility in production to streamline the group’s logistics and overall client service.

“For instance, we can produce products in our Hangzhou factory in China to support growing markets in Asia, with

Images: Rancilio.

A L I GROU P C OF F E E DI V ISION

factories in Italy and Spain supporting the European and North American markets,” says Meléndrez.

Adding to this, in November 2024 the group opened a subsidiary in the UK to maintain its close ties to the local market and deliver a service personalised to the needs of the region.

The cluster not only enhances logistical efficiency but also provides a unique advantage by allowing individual brands to flourish. This integration enables each brand to leverage the global resources and expertise of the wider group while maintaining its distinct identity.

This is particularly evident in Egro, which allows the group to remain at the forefront of innovation with its fully automatic machines.

“We’ve developed highly stable and advanced technology over decades, perfecting the art of automatic coffee production,” says Meléndrez.

He adds that Egro is one of the cornerstones of the group’s brand portfolio.

Although its new models are regarded as excellent machines, Meléndrez says the group is continuously elevating pre-existing technology as well as developing the next generation of technology.

An example of the brand’s innovation is the new Egro MoDe fully automatic machine. According to Simona Sordelli, Marketing Manager at the Ali Group Coffee Division, it gives businesses an opportunity to stand out from the crowd.

“For HoReCa and OCS sectors it’s the ultimate partner in success,” she says.

According to Sordelli, it’s a gamechanger for offices and moderate-demand locations as it can deliver up to 180 cups daily. What’s more, its three user-specific access levels – barista, manager, and technician – allow easy drink creation to advanced customisation.

“What sets the Egro MoDe apart is its adaptability,” says Sordelli. “It offers tailored configurations for any environment. From the iSteam Pro automatic steam wand for consistent frothing to the freshwater bypass for cool coffee recipes to be served with ice, every feature enhances performance.”

The machine also ticks the sustainability box with on-demand grinding to eliminate coffee waste while preserving freshness.

Moreover, programmable on/off settings reduce energy use during off-hours and its modular design enables replacement of individual parts rather than whole machines, extending its lifespan.

However, Sordelli iterates that this is not

the end of the innovative journey for Egro.

“Super automatic coffee machines are heading towards greater connectivity, sustainability, and personalisation,” she says.

“Egro will likely focus on enhanced telemetry for real-time monitoring, and sustainable materials. The goal is to anticipate customer needs while reducing environmental impact, keeping pace with the growing sophistication of coffee consumers.”

But beyond innovation, Meléndrez says passion about coffee is woven into the fabric of the brands through its dedicated workforce.

“To truly sell coffee, you need to understand coffee, and this structure allows us to speak more knowledgeably and effectively about it,” he says.

He explains that with fully automatic machines like the Egro MoDe, although the technology is designed to be plugand-play, it’s important to provide proper support during the installation process and after-sales services to ensure a smooth experience.

“I’ve been in the coffee industry since I was eight years old – my family has been involved in coffee for generations, from running a roastery to coffee shops. I’ve worked as a barista, roaster, and coffee machine seller, so coffee is truly in my blood,” he says.

Meléndrez has found many colleagues who, like him, have been in the industry for decades, sharing a passion and deep knowledge that he says drive the company forward.

“It’s crucial to have strong local teams that can support the implementation of any piece of equipment, including fully automatic machines. For us, the success of our projects isn’t just about the machines themselves – it’s about the entire service package that comes with them,” he says.

“Listening to our clients, staying humble, and acting in the best interest of both the company and the brands we represent is in our DNA.” GCR For more information, visit aligroup.com/coffee-machines

The Egro MoDe super-automatic machine can deliver up to 180 cups daily.

GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

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TECHNOLOGY PROFILE C A M A GROU P

Cama Group develops tailored secondary-packaging solutions for large coffee companies.

Best in class W

ITH MODERN consumer society often focused on choice, tastes and preferences continuously shift. As a result, food and beverage companies must constantly evolve to find the next breakthrough product that will set the pace in the market.

In some industries, such as coffee and tea, established flavours continue to dominate, yet many consumers still want to be able to mix it up. According to the team at Italian secondary-packaging machine manufacturer Cama Group, multiflavour products enable coffee roasters with capsule ranges to deliver the choice consumers crave.

For coffee company marketing departments, developing a multi-pack of

40 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

different flavours is a simple product to establish. It’s also relatively straightforward for roasters and blenders as they only need to create multiple batches of individually flavoured coffees they already produce. Cama Group believes it’s the secondary-packaging department that feels the pressure as it must mix and match capsules precisely, efficiently, effectively, and at speed into shelf-ready or shelfoptimised packaging.

According to Sales Engineer Manager Davide Di Lorenzo, it’s this list of packaging pressures that leads many companies to turn to Cama Group for help.

“With vast experience in the food and beverage market, backed by a wide variety of successful installations for some of the

biggest household names worldwide, we specialise in secondary-packaging machine solutions,” he says.

To demonstrate the company’s expertise, Di Lorenzo highlights a recent multimachine project designed, developed, and deployed by Cama Group at a United States (US)-based vertically integrated coffee specialist supplying both own brand and private label products.

The three machines – two 800-cupsper-minute single flavour lines and one 2400-cups-per-minute multi-flavour line – have dramatically improved the company’s efficiency, speed, and throughput, helping it to cater to the near exponential rise in demand for cup pods in the US. “The primary challenge was laid down

Images: Cama Group.

Cama Group details how its packaging solution has improved flexibility, speed, and efficiency at one of the United States’ leading coffee-cup companies.

by the multi-flavour packaging line,” says Di Lorenzo.

“As well as its own blends, varieties, and product counts, as a co-packer the company also has to cater for the different packaging demands of its private-label customers. This means the technology must be extremely flexible and adaptable. What’s more, between-batch downtime must be kept to an absolute minimum to maintain vital operational equipment effectiveness (OEE).”

In operation, the multi-flavour packaging process starts with four bowl feeders – supplied by a third party – to sort, orient, and convey single-flavour cups. The output from each bowl feeder is diverted into two lanes, each of which feeds and orients cups to one of two banks of delta robots – specially designed by Cama for the precise needs of secondary-packaging operations.

The first bank receives four lines (cup flavours) face up and the second receives four lines face down, with two cups either side of the central conveyor.

The first bank picks up eight inverted cups (four x two flavours) from one side and then eight inverted cups (four x two flavours) from the other, and places them in a checkerboard pattern of four x four cups on a central conveyor. The second bank of robots does the same, but with cups that are face up. This array is then placed onto the

conveyor so it nests into the gaps between the inverted cups.

This now-complete layer of 16 cups is picked up by another delta robot using a vacuum gripper before being placed into a pre-erected carton. This process is then repeated – with the carton layers being alternated so the cups rest top-to-top and bottom-to-bottom – until the batch- or customer-specific product count is reached.

This count can be anything between 32 and 120 cups per carton, placed in different configurations.

“This packaging line demonstrates Cama Group’s capabilities to combine complex multi-flavour packaging arrays with precision, delicate handling, speed, and throughput,” says Di Lorenzo.

“The coffee company now also has the ability to deliver multiple counts, as the machine can also pack the same cartons with product counts that are not multiples of eight. For example, you could have a product count of 50, which could be a 48+2 promotion, or simply the historic product count for one of the private label customers.”

As part of the partnership, the US brand is also leveraging the Industry 4.0 capabilities of the Cama solution, which includes augmented and virtual reality systems for training, maintenance, and operation.

“This technology means downtime is kept to an industry leading minimum between batches, with RFID (radio frequency identification) enabled part changeovers, while OEE is further boosted with a complete condition-monitoring solution. This keeps a close eye on temperature, vibration and humidity, as well as monitoring electrical and pneumatic supplies and usage,” he says.

Furthermore, Di Lorenzo highlights how Cama Group machines deliver the capabilities required by the manufacturer’s customers.

“Unlike other suppliers who may try to manipulate and modify their customers’ needs to force fit a machine they can supply from a limited portfolio, we tailored our solutions to each individual client,” he says.

“By having such a wide portfolio of machines, supporting technologies, styles and processes, Cama Group can deliver a bespoke, application-specific solution for the most demanding packaging challenges.

There simply aren’t any compromises – the customer gets exactly what they want. With a Cama logo on it, you can be assured it really is the best in class.” GCR For more information, visit camagroup.com or camagroup.us

Cama Group’s solution combines complex multiflavour packaging arrays with precision, delicate handling, and speed.

GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

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INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

The Global Coffee Report Breakfast Symposium features international speakers from across the supply chain.

Common knowledge Melbourne International Coffee Expo is responding to the coffee industry’s appetite for education with a packed schedule of knowledge-sharing panel discussions.

T

HE NATURE of the coffee supply

chain means collaboration is often a key to success. Knowledge sharing is essential to the growth of the industry, whether it be research into the plant itself, tracking consumer trends, navigating market challenges, or developing gamechanging technology.

International tradeshows have become a hub of education, where industry players come together to share what they’ve learnt, glean information from leaders and innovators, and discuss topics with their peers. They’re not only an opportunity to do business but also to build better businesses.

Aware of this appetite for knowledge, Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) is expanding its educational content for its 2025 event, which takes place from 20 to 22 March in Australia. In addition to activations across the tradeshow, a three-day schedule of panel discussions will tackle the industry’s biggest topics and challenges.

“We’re embedded in the international coffee community and what’s clear is there’s a huge desire for educational content right now,” says Lauren Chartres, MICE Show Director.

42 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

“People not only want to learn from their peers but also from other players in the supply chain. Industry insights, practical advice, and successful case studies are invaluable for the business owners and decision makers who convene in Melbourne for MICE.” Following the success of the Café Owners Education Series and Global Coffee Report Breakfast Symposium at the 2024 tradeshow, both panel discussion events will return in 2025 with extended programs.

While the Café Owners Education Series is designed to explore content that will benefit café owners and managers, the ticketed Global Coffee Report Breakfast Symposium has an international angle and investigates themes across the supply chain.

“Last year, all the Global Coffee Report Breakfast Symposium sessions sold out before the event. There’s a huge appetite for these knowledge sharing events and we want to deliver even more value to the coffee professionals from across the world who convene at MICE,” says Chartres.

The 2025 program of discussions will cover a wide range of relevant and timely industry topics. From thriving international

markets and coffee pricing volatility to how businesses can prepare for turbulent times, thought leaders and experienced professionals from across the industry will share their thoughts and advice.

The hand-picked panellists will represent a range of businesses, positions, and links in the supply chain to give attendees a balanced representation of each issue. After the main discussion, the audience will have the opportunity to ask questions relevant to their own businesses.

“These Q&A sessions are extremely valuable for attendees as they can get real-world and relevant advice for their businesses,” says Chartres.

“There’s usually also some lively debate, which demonstrates the engagement of the attendees and how important the topics are. There are lots of discussions online about the trends and challenges the industry is experiencing, but it’s rare to have so many experts in one room to discuss the issue in real time and get instant, constructive feedback.”

Mike Brabant, CEO of Single O coffee roasters in Sydney, Australia, was a panellist in 2024 and explored the recipe

Images: Prime Creative Media.

M IC E 2 0 2 5

MICE exhibitors host a range of activations at their stands across the three-day event.

for expansion success with other business leaders. He says these collaborative, educational sessions are essential to a healthy coffee community.

“We have limited moments to get together as an industry, so when we do we need to make it count. These panels provide that platform to discuss challenges and opportunities in our industry to learn and collaborate,” he says.

“Speaking on Single O’s expansion into Japan was a highlight at MICE2024.

The audience was highly engaged and it was a good moment to talk through our story, learnings, and pitfalls in an honest environment. I’m hoping a few people got something out of it.”

Brabant believes the recent uptake for educational content is driven by the industry’s constant evolution.

“We are at a unique time where there is innovation across the entire supply chain.

For example, innovation in processing at origin, ever-changing automation in cafés, and the explosion of signature and alternative coffee beverages and ways to deliver specialty coffee,” he says.

“Education offers the ability for more people to learn and then take it back to their businesses. Ultimately, that serves our industry as we find more ways to bring more specialty coffee drinkers to the party through new methods, products, and approaches.”

The panel discussions are just one element of the tradeshow held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Across the three-day event, exhibitors from across the industry will also be hosting their own educational and interactive

activations – from cupping sessions to professional tutorials.

“Each year, our exhibitors step up their presence at the tradeshow and put on an incredible line-up of events. They know engagement is the key to success and that people in the coffee industry are always eager to get stuck in,” says Chartres.

One of the main draws of MICE is having the international coffee industry under one roof to share their products, services, and knowledge. Over the years, the tradeshow has become the place to do business. To reflect this, organisers have introduced the Melbourne Coffee Festival and Espresso Bar. The new addition is a space for attendees and exhibitors to relax, have a coffee, and talk business.

“We wanted to introduce an interactive

space where people can gather to network or simply chill out. In the mornings, there’ll be an espresso bar fuelling conversation, while in the afternoons there’ll be DJs and drinks to create a social atmosphere,” says Chartres.

“There are a few last-minute exhibition spaces left for businesses that want to showcase their products and services on the world stage. For those who just want to visit, entry tickets are available to purchase online – as are tickets for the Global Coffee Report Breakfast Symposium.” GCR

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit internationalcoffeeexpo.com

Tickets for the Global Coffee Report Breakfast Symposium are available to purchase on the MICE website.

GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

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FEATURE C OL D C OM FORT

Over the past five years, the global cold coffee market has grown exponentially. Image: Farknot Architect/stock.adobe.com.

Cold comfort Younger generations are driving a shift from hot to chilled coffee beverages. GCR explores how the industry is responding and whether it’s a passing trend or here to stay.

C

OLD IS THE NEW HOT in the coffee

world. While the history of the caffeinated beverage is steeped in brewing tradition, in which ground beans are mixed with boiling water in a variety of methods and then enjoyed while still warm, the tide is turning on how coffee is being consumed.

Over the past five years, the global cold coffee market has grown exponentially.

According to a 2024 report by The Brainy Insights, the cold brew coffee market is expected to grow from US$604.57 million in 2023 to US$4,595.53 million in 2033.

The United States (US) was identified as the largest chilled coffee market globally, with a 49.17 per cent market revenue share

in 2023, although other countries such as Japan, India, and China have also seen rapid growth with more projected.

What’s more, this shift isn’t only occurring in hot climates. The United Kingdom, where the average annual temperature is around 10 degrees Celsius, reported the highest iced coffee sales in Europe in 2024 and has seen 22 per cent compound annual growth rate in the past five years, according to Innova Market Insights.

Generation chill

While there is huge diversity in the burgeoning chilled coffee market, the industry is unified on the two segments it believes are driving this shift in drinking

habits: Gen Z and social media.

Elizabeth Lang, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Peet’s Coffee in the US, believes the COVID-19 pandemic was a major accelerator of chilled coffee’s rise.

“Consumer coffee preferences are constantly changing: it’s all about espresso tonics one month and then espresso martinis the next. However, thanks to Gen Z, it seems the latest trending preference is chilled coffee – no matter the season,” she says.

“This shift is, in part, thanks to social media and the fact that iced coffee appears to be more ‘Instagrammable’ than hot.

Following the pandemic, consumers continued to ride the wave of trends GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

45

FEATURE C OL D C OM FORT

According to Peet’s Coffee, the shift is influenced by social media trends. Image: Peet’s Coffee.

like TikTok’s whipped coffee [water, sugar, and instant coffee whipped into a cloud-like foam and poured over milk].”

As well as being more photogenic and shareable, Lang says chilled drinks have more potential to personalise.

“Another driving force for Gen Z appears to be how refreshing and adaptable iced coffee is. The generation loves to mix and match brews and syrups until they find a drink that fits their taste preference,” she says.

“On top of generating popularity for iced coffee, Gen Z and social media are also the driving force behind the increased amount of customised coffee orders. This generation values personalisation and wants to ensure their coffee experience perfectly fits their unique taste and dietary preference. And, once Gen Z finds that perfect drink, they then share it on social media where it can spread like wildfire and encourage others to either order the customised drink in store or create their own at home.”

The team at Peet’s Coffee also noticed that, since the pandemic, younger consumers 46 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

“Once Gen Z finds that perfect drink, they share it on social media where it can spread like wildfire.”

Elizabeth Lang SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT MARKETING, PEET’S COFFEE

have been creating more coffee beverages at home, instead of visiting coffee shops.

Noticing a gap in the market for a readyto-use product to craft chilled drinks without an espresso machine or other brewing paraphernalia, the company launched its Ultra Coffee Concentrate in September 2024.

“Consumers are choosing to skip coffee

bar lines and master their favourite barista-style drinks right from their kitchens. However, despite this shift, many consumers still felt like they lacked the necessary skills to do this. Ultra Coffee Concentrate was our answer to this struggle,” says Lang.

“Offering no clean-up or hassle, consumers could finally channel their inner barista and whip up café-quality beverages from the comfort of their own home and with no equipment needed. No matter if it’s hot, iced, or even sparkling, Ultra brings Peet’s boldest, most versatile blend straight to any kitchen.”

Iced focus

Cold coffee is a focus for many companies in the industry right now. Nescafé VicePresident Global Category Lead Don Howat says it’s one of the fastest growing segments in the coffee category and is therefore a strategic priority for the international coffee brand.

“In 2023, 32 per cent of the coffee consumed out of home was cold – the

equivalent of one in every three cups,” he says.

“Younger generations, in particular, have embraced the trend of drinking their coffee cold. The rise of specialty coffee shops that offer a wide range of cold coffee options has also contributed to making these options accessible and appealing to consumers. We want to bring the out-of-home trends to in-home as we see that consumers expect the same level of quality, simplicity and customisation – whenever, wherever.”

Howat says younger generations are experiencing their first cup of coffee cold and that some consumers will now only ever drink chilled coffee.

“In 2023, 32 per cent of the coffee consumed out of home was cold – the equivalent of one in every three cups.”

Don Howat

VICE-PRESIDENT GLOBAL CATEGORY LEAD, NESCAFÉ

“This is a significant change from a couple of years ago. We now say cold is the new hot, and we’ve recently launched a number of chilled coffee products, including a new Nescafé Espresso Concentrate designed to capture the out-of-home cold coffee experience and bring it in-home,” he says.

“Coffee drinkers can simply add a small shot of Espresso Concentrate to milk to

have a creamy iced latte, to water for a robust americano, or even mix it with lemonade or juice for a refreshing twist.”

Like the team at Peet’s Coffee, Nescafé’s product developers ensured the ability to tailor drinks and add custom flavours was at the heart of their new product.

“Customisation is very important, especially for young coffee drinkers. They like to hack their coffee, be creative, and experiment with new forms of preparing coffee and new ingredients to go with it,” Howat says.

“We have received very positive feedback in consumer research, particularly among younger consumers.”

Café cool

It’s not just the retail and home markets that are embracing chilled coffee. Cafés and hospitality venues around the world are adapting their menus to include iced lattes, cold brew, and other chilled coffee refreshments.

Chilled coffee is a strategic priority for Nescafé in 2025.

Image: Nescafé.

GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

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FEATURE C OL D C OM FORT

In the US, Peace Coffee has designed a product for hospitality venues that want to serve specialty coffee but don’t want to invest in expensive equipment. Image: Peace Coffee.

In October 2024, Peace Coffee, an organic and Fair Trade roaster based in Minneapolis, US, launched a Premium Coffee Concentrate exclusively for its wholesale partners. Marc Hubble, Vice President Business Development, says the new product was developed in response to rising consumer demand for cold coffee beverages.

“The popularity of chilled coffee has definitely increased. When consumers go into a venue now, they expect cold brew and iced beverage options,” he says.

He believes big coffee shop chains such as Starbucks have influenced consumer interest in the US and around the world.

As well as catering to the demand of customers, he says Peace Coffee’s new shelfstable, ready-to-use product was developed to help foodservice operators and their busy staff to easily execute cold or iced beverages at an affordable price and without buying 48 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

additional coffee brewing equipment.

“When I joined Peace Coffee in 2023, one of my tasks was to reconfigure our product portfolio to be a better fit for foodservice.

One area I felt we were lacking in was convenience products that produce highquality drinks,” he says.

“Our Premium Coffee Concentrate was developed to give our customers the opportunity to produce high-quality cold brew and hot coffee, while making their operations a little easier.

“Our product can create an iced coffee in less than five minutes, versus the 12 to 18 hours of steeping required if prepared traditionally.”

The new concentrate is also designed for hospitality venues that want to serve specialty coffee but don’t want to invest in tens of thousands of pounds of equipment.

“It gives restaurants and venues that might offer brunch a couple mornings a week the

opportunity to expand their coffee menus without spending $20,000 on an espresso machine,” Hubble says.

“The product has been well received by both our existing customers and some new ones. We’re able to go out to a lot of customers that we couldn’t previously work with as they didn’t fit the comprehensive coffee program in which we supply all equipment, training, and marketing alongside the coffee. It gives us the opportunity to offer a no-touch option.”

Hubble, Howat, and Lang believe the chilled coffee trends shows no sign of slowing, and Peace Coffee, Nescafé, and Peet’s Coffee all have plans for more cold products in the future.

“While we can’t share specifics just yet,” says Lang, “we’re always looking for innovative ways to meet our customers’ cravings, especially as the demand for refreshing, cold options continues to grow.” GCR

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FEATURE N E W BR E W, N E W RU L E S

The original Brewing Control Chart features objective sensory attributes. Image: cavan/stock.adobe.com.

New brew, new rules The Coffee Brewing Control Chart has long been the go-to guide for those looking to perfect drip coffee, yet it hadn’t been updated since the 1950s – until now.

T

HE COFFEE INDUSTRY is constantly

evolving, with innovations such as super-automatic espresso machines revolutionising brewing efficiency and consistency. From new technologies to sustainability efforts, coffee professionals are breaking new ground in every aspect of the industry.

Yet despite these advancements, one corner of the industry has remained untouched since 1957.

In the realm of drip coffee, professionals have used the Coffee Brewing Control Chart (BCC), developed by Ernest E. Lockhart of the Coffee Brewing Institute almost 70 years ago, to perfect their craft.

The chart illustrates how adjusting brewing variables – such as brew strength, extraction yield, and brew ratio – can alter the flavour profile of a coffee. While it has guided the sector in producing drip coffee aligned with consumer preferences, the evolving needs of the industry calls for a chart better aligned with the modern consumer’s discerning palate.

In 2023, Professor Jean-Xavier Guinard of the University of California, Davis alongside a research team brewed something fresh.

According to Prof Guinard, who is also a member of the Institute of Food Technologists, an updated chart was

50 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

necessary because sensory and consumer science has evolved into a full-fledged scientific discipline since the creation of the BCC. He believes the specialty coffee industry is eager to embrace science and technology to innovate and continuously improve the quality of its coffees.

“That has meant the development of many methods which, combined with statistics,

Prof Jean-Xavier Guinard, UC Davis.

Image: IFT.

have afforded us the ability to profile the sensory attributes of a food or beverage and to understand how they may drive liking by consumers,” he says.

The original BCC features objective sensory attributes of coffee such as bitterness, acidity, sweetness, roasted flavour, and astringency. However, Prof Guinard and the research team understood that the BCC was limiting, and consumer preferences were much more complex than the chart allowed.

The new BCC has not only expanded these sensory attributes to include a broader range of characteristics such as citrus, berry, and dark greens, but it has also been combined with consumer preferences to offer a more complete picture of how brewing variables influence both sensory profiles and consumer liking.

In the sensory and consumer science area, Prof Guinard and his team first developed the Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel as a tool for the characterisation and quantification of coffee flavour by descriptive analysis.

They then partnered with their engineering colleagues to link the process of brewing coffee to its sensory profile and consumer acceptance in the new BCC. The result was two charts: the objective Sensory BCC, which maps sensory attributes such as bitterness, sweetness, and

acidity based on brewing variables, and the Consumer BCC, which identifies consumer preferences and how they relate to these sensory attributes.

These were combined to form the new BCC, effectively merging objective sensory data with consumer preferences to provide a more comprehensive understanding of coffee liking.

The new Sensory BCC includes sensory attributes such as bitter, acid/sour, citrus, roasted, viscous/thick, astringent, ‘sweet’, burnt/ash, black tea, dark greens, berry, and dried fruit, with each attribute’s position and font size on the chart reflecting its intensity and maximum expression.

“Those attributes included in the Sensory BCC are key coffee attributes and are positive or negative drivers of consumer liking. This was confirmed through extensive research linking TDS (total dissolved solids), extraction, and brew ratio to sensory profile and consumer acceptance,” says Prof Guinard.

Meanwhile, the Consumer BCC maps consumer preferences and shows how different sensory attributes influence overall liking, based on consumer responses.

“Within a population of California black coffee drinkers, we basically found two groups of consumers with different likes and dislikes,” he says.

“One group would probably be found anywhere in the world where people drink coffee.”

This group included consumers who like some ‘sweetness’ in their coffee and do not prefer bitter – and possibly astringent – coffee.

“For this group, liking increased as we moved towards the bottom centre of the Sensory BCC, at low TDS and medium extraction,” says Prof Guinard.

The other group was more likely specific to the consumer population that was studied.

“In a complex and convoluted way, the group equally liked coffees on the left and right sides of the BCC, with very different sensory profiles, but this could be explained from familiarity and liking for both specialty coffee and dark roast espresso,” he says.

Prof Guinard says the references of a group like this would vary around the coffee drinking world based on the specific local coffee landscape as exposure drives liking for flavour – particularly the way it smells.

The integration of the Sensory and Consumer BCC allows for a deeper

The updated Brewing Control Chart is an integration of the Sensory and Consumer BCC. Image: Journal of Food Science.

understanding of these variations.

“The beauty of the Sensory and Consumer BCC is that it combines both the sensory and the consumer information on the same chart so that one can move around the chart through the use of specific brewing practices and alter the sensory profile in the desired way and tailor to the preferences of this or that group of consumers,” he says.

The research was essential in helping understand consumer preference clusters, so products can be tailored and targeted to its markets.

“Baristas know how to use brewing variables to manipulate the TDS, extraction, and yield of the coffee. Now they can do so to best express their desired sensory profile and understand how it may or may not appeal to different consumers,” says Prof Guinard.

“We no longer look at the average liking for a product and go with the highest because, as consumers, we often like and dislike different things.”

It is critical to uncover that preference segmentation first, then figure out which sensory attributes drive liking for each preference segment, so that baristas can create the right coffee for them.

“It’s also important to understand the consumers, in terms of their demographics,

psychographics, and usage characteristics, so that we may market that coffee more effectively to them,” he says.

In the future, Prof Guinard hopes to see research exploring and mapping consumer preferences for espresso. The variables involved have the potential to unlock new insights into taste profiles, allowing for more personalised brewing methods and a deeper understanding of what shapes consumer satisfaction in espresso to help drive the specialty coffee market.

“I would love to do for espresso what we have done for drip coffee: design a brewing control chart that would relate sensory properties and consumer acceptance of espresso to espresso brewing variables, which are notably different from those that are most relevant to drip coffee,” he says.

The updated BCC is anticipated to influence the coffee industry, not just in terms of product innovation but also consumer satisfaction.

“Judging from the interest in our research, the new Sensory and Consumer BCC is fast becoming a critical tool for baristas across the world,” he says, “not so much because it is such a breakthrough – that was the feat of the original BCC – but because it brings the latest science to the art of making a great cup of coffee.” GCR GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

51

FEATURE

Images: ICO.

C OM MON GROU N D S

Common grounds

Members of the Coffee Public-Private Task Force recently met in Mexico to discuss the project.

Miguel Zamora of the International Coffee Organization reports on the Coffee Public-Private Task Force and its goal to establish a global partnership between the coffee industry and governments.

I

N 2018, when the last coffee price crisis began hitting farmers with the lowest prices seen in a decade, the International Coffee Organization (ICO) started a structured sector-wide dialogue with the international private sector and relevant coffee stakeholders to address profitability and overall sustainability of the coffee sector, especially for farming communities.

From this dialogue, the Coffee PublicPrivate Task Force was established to build common ground for a global partnership between the coffee industry and governments, with the idea to create a more sustainable and prosperous sector for farming communities around the world. Task Force members include government representatives from producing and consuming countries, as well as representatives from large coffee roasters and traders.

The Task Force is arguably one of the most important spaces for dialogue and action in coffee because it brings together the largest public and private actors. Members meet quarterly, and every year before the International Coffee Council’s session where representatives from the 75 member countries of the ICO gather for their annual

52 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

in-person meeting. The Task Force hosts the CEO & Global Leaders Forum.

During the Forum, the Task Force welcomes leaders of companies, governments, and civil society organisations to discuss the most pressing sustainability issues affecting coffee and how companies and governments can work together to tackle these issues.

Ambitious goals for the sector

The Task Force works to create farmer prosperity, support market transparency, and build resilience and value at origin. More practically, it supports producing countries to understand and close the living income gap in coffee regions, promotes enabling policies for the sustainable growth of the sector, and supports countries to adapt to climate change.

The Task Force has a roadmap with ambitious goals for the coffee sector. For example, by 2030, half of the producing country members of the ICO would be implementing initiatives to close the living income gap and working towards farmer prosperity. This means at least 21 producing countries would have a national coffee plan that includes a living and prosperous

income strategy; a strategic process built with the local government, national coffee industry, farmer organisations, and civil society.

A goal this ambitious requires the whole sector to mobilise to ensure farmers and their families have access to an income that allows them to afford a decent standard of living, including access to a nutritious diet, potable water, decent housing, education, health care, and other essential needs including provision for unexpected events.

Moreover, a living income should be only a first step towards prosperity, since farmers, like everybody else participating in the coffee value chain, deserve the opportunity to thrive from coffee.

To achieve this, the Task Force has implemented years-long processes in different countries to build a robust and proven methodology that can be adapted and replicated in other countries. Living income benchmark and cost of production studies with robust methodologies have been conducted by researchers of local coffee institutes in producing countries, with input and feedback from producer organisations, companies, and other stakeholders. These processes have built awareness about living and prosperous

income and have created the space to discuss solutions that work in each country, according to its own reality. From Mexico to Rwanda, this work has helped local governments to understand the living income gaps in coffee regions and build national strategies to close them.

Beyond living and prosperous income, the recent rise of regulations in consuming countries presents new challenges to producing countries. The Task Force presents an important opportunity for many producing countries to find answers for technical questions related to regulations such as the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), discuss technical approaches to support farmers to get ready for regulations, and bring producing countries’ concerns and opportunities together to inform the ICO on how to better support the sector as it navigates the rise of new regulations.

In the past year, the Task Force workstream on policies in consuming countries has met monthly to discuss updates related to the EUDR and deliver presentations from technical assistance providers trying to support companies, farmer organisations, and local governments as they navigate the implementation of the EUDR, as well as trying to educate relevant competent authorities in charge of overseeing the EUDR implementation about the global coffee value chain.

A unique approach

The Task Force, as the ICO, relies on consensus. The underrated and timeconsuming approach that depends on discussion to bring diverse perspectives into a shared agreement ends up being stronger and more powerful than any individual idea or proposal. This consensus approach is stronger because it is the result of finding common ground between the most important coffee companies and producing countries.

What makes the Task Force unique is the dialogue and agreement between companies and governments of producing and consuming countries. As Task Force members report, only with a true and effective partnership between companies and governments can the sector tackle the major challenges that farming communities face. Although working on supply chain specific projects is still important, in order to have a chance to address the effect of climate change on farming communities or support farmers towards prosperity,

The Task Force has a roadmap with ambitious goals for the coffee sector.

initiatives that include the local government with support from coffee companies need to be in place. Only when the public and private sectors work together is there a real chance to tackle these challenges.

The road ahead

The goals set in the Task Force are goals for the entire coffee sector. Achieving these aims require the participation of many stakeholders, globally and locally. That’s why in each country the government builds partnerships with local companies and stakeholders to create strategies that work for the reality of each country.

For example, in Mexico, the Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development has led the process to bring farmer organisations, companies, and civil society organisations together to create a plan to significantly reduce the living income gap in coffee regions. This process was built based on the evidence from the studies supported by the Task Force and will continue with the support from the Task Force for future implementation of the plans.

In 2025, the Task Force will focus on supporting the building and implementation of the national coffee plans, which include strategies to close the living income and help farmers work towards prosperity, similar to the case of Mexico.

These processes will be documented and

further tools and training materials will be developed to support other member states in their own processes.

Additionally, as the EUDR has become a priority for European companies and most coffee producing countries, the Task Force will continue to support the sector in finding answers for the remaining challenges and technical questions the coffee industry face, as well as continuing to support member states to prepare for any future regulations. Meetings and presentations are open to coffee stakeholders interested in learning the latest developments related to policies and regulations such as the EUDR. All the studies and reports created by the Task Force are available to the sector in ICO’s Global Knowledge Hub, an online space created to support Member States and coffee stakeholders when tackling key sustainability topics.

The ICO Coffee Public-Private Task Force represents one of the best opportunities to address the most important challenges affecting the coffee sector at large.

Companies are welcome to join these efforts to build a truly sustainable coffee sector. GCR Miguel Zamora is the Coffee Public-Private Task Force Coordinator at ICO. For more information on the Task Force, visit ico.org GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

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PRODUCT M A R K E T PL AC E

PRODUCT marketplace

Image: Franke.

Franke Mytico Vario Mytico Vario by Franke Coffee Systems combines Italian design with Swiss precision to set new standards in professional coffee preparation. Its IndividualMilk Technology enables operators to cater to specific customer requirements while expanding the beverage menu. The Barista Module optimises the preparation of milk-based beverages, giving users the choice between fully automatic milk foaming or the traditional method of steam foaming in a pitcher. For added convenience, optional PrecisionFoam technology automatically delivers milk foam with perfect consistency, temperature, and quantity.

For more information, visit mytico.franke.coffee

With its new Vertical Bagger for ground coffee and whole beans, Syntegon offers manufacturers product protection and highquality packaging in the PMX series with a significantly smaller footprint. The new PMX 4001 processes both conventional and recyclable packing materials while maintaining aroma protection and quality.

Its gentle product handling and integrated valve application, as well as gas flushing to minimise residual oxygen, means the PMX 4001 is tailored to the packaging of coffee.

For more information, visit syntegon.com

Image: Syntegon.

Syntegon Vertical Coffee Bagger PMX 4001

Unic’s flagship multi-boiler machine features an intuitive user interface and provides precise control over the entire extraction process, including pre-infusion, infusion, and post-infusion cycles. Powered by Thermalink technology, the Stella Epic is ideal for high-volume cafés. Its Easylock brew group simplifies portafilter locking, reduces wrist strain, and extends the lifespan of group gaskets. The Steamglide mechanism enables easy lever action for milk steaming, while the Cool Touch steam wand enhances operator safety.

With customisable flat side panels and an assertive design, the Stella Epic has been selected as the official espresso machine for the Korea National Barista Championship 2025-2026.

For more information, visit unic-espresso.com

54 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

Image: Unic.

Unic Stella Epic

Egro MoDe

Image: Rancilio.

The Egro MoDe combines compact design, advanced features, and customisation to deliver exceptional coffee solutions for HoReCa and OCS environments. Two milk systems and the optional iSteam Pro wand handle all milk types with precision.

Freshly ground coffee prevents waste while enhancing quality, and programmable on/off settings save energy. Multi-drink software offers easy customisation and a fresh water bypass for iced recipes ensures consistency. Modular components and telemetry simplify maintenance, helping businesses optimise service while staying sustainable.

For more information, visit egrocoffee.com

Brambati BR6000 roaster

Image: Brambati.

Brambati S.p.A celebrates innovation and development with its fully automated next-generation BR6000 roaster. The roaster has been designed for higher productivity, lower energy consumption, fewer emissions, and to be more reliable, easier to use, and require less maintenance.

The roaster gives users complete control over the roasting process, with the ability to adapt the roast profile to alter specific characteristics and flavour highlights. Parameters can be fine-tuned in real-time during or after the roasting process thanks to artificial intelligence and self-learning capabilities.

For more information, visit brambati.it GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

55

DIARY dashboard

Global coffee 1

SIGEP WORLD

7

RIMINI, ITALY

18 – 22 January 2025

5

SIGEP WORLD is an event for the global foodservice industry covering products, ingredients, services, equipment, furnishings, packaging solutions, and technologies. It also highlights every aspect of the coffee industry, from green beans to roasting, blending, and tasting.

The 46th edition takes place in January and is expected to welcome up to 180,000 attendees from 160 countries over the five-day event.

3

sigep.it

2

3

4

Melbourne International Coffee Expo

PRF: Farm Summit Honduras

Café Show Vietnam

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

SAN PEDRO SULA, HONDURAS

20 – 22 March 2025

27 – 28 March 2025

17 – 19 April 2025

Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) is the largest dedicated coffee event in the Asia-Pacific. It connects café owners, roasters, equipment manufacturers, service suppliers, and more to facilitate real business opportunities.

The 2024 event saw 10,897 visitors attend.

MICE2025 will make its permanent return to March and host the Global Coffee Report Leaders Symposium. It welcomes international coffee players to explore the Australian market and maximise growth opportunities.

Producer Roaster Forum’s 10th Farm Summit will take place in Honduras in March 2025, marking the second time the event has been held in the country. The Summit series was created in response to industry demands and has an academic focus for producers and roasters following regenerative agricultural practices.

The immersive event is designed to revolutionise the coffee industry by protecting its future and advocating for practical solutions. Up to 1000 coffee professionals are expected to attend.

internationalcoffeeexpo.com

producerroasterforum.com

56 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM Taking place at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center in Ho Chi Minh City, the ninth edition of Café Show Vietnam showcases businesses from around the world. The 2024 event welcomed 450 exhibitors from 15 countries and recorded more than 30,000 visitors from 45 countries.

Alongside features such as the Coffee Alley and Cherry’s Choice expos, talks, and workshops, the event will host the 2025 Vietnamese Barista, Latte Art, and Brewers Cup Championships, and the Asia Latte Art Battle.

cafeshow.com.vn

18

events around the world 8

HostMilano 18

MILAN, ITALY

17 – 21 October 2025 The professional hospitality exhibition returns to Milan in October 2025 for its 44th edition. The biannual event is aimed at the HoReCa industry and provides a global platform for professionals in the sector to come together.

HostMilano attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the industry’s supply chains, consumer trends, and more as the event offers in-depth analysis on technologies and new innovations to help equip hospitality and catering businesses with the tools to succeed.

14 6

2

host.fieramilano.it

7

5

6

Specialty Coffee Expo

World of Coffee

World of Coffee

TEXAS, UNITED STATES

JAKARTA, INDONESIA

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

25 – 27 April 2025

15 – 17 May 2025

26 – 28 June 2025

The Specialty Coffee Expo will make its way to Texas in 2025. The Expo is designed to be the coffee professional’s one-stop shop for everything they need to succeed in the industry. Attendees can learn about cutting-edge coffee products, consider how to integrate specialty coffee into existing business plans, and participate in lectures. There are also hands-on learning opportunities for visitors, with the chance to expand careers and networks.

Key features include the Roaster Village, Cupping Exchange, Coffee Design Awards, and Best New Production competition.

World of Coffee Jakarta, produced and delivered by partner Exporum and host partner Specialty Coffee Association of Indonesia, will take place at Jakarta Convention Center in May 2025.

The event is the first World of Coffee expo in Indonesia and will focus on the connection to the coffee-producing country.

This second edition of World of Coffee Asia will run in addition to the Specialty Coffee Association’s annual World of Coffee trade shows in the Middle East and Europe.

More than 80 competitors from around the world will gather at the World Coffee Championships, which take place at World of Coffee Geneva in June. The series includes the 2025 World Latte Art, World Coffee in Good Spirits, World Coffee Roasting, and Cezve/Ibrik Championships.

Alongside the competitions, the event will host learning opportunities including Roaster Villages, SCA lecture series, and workshops. There will also be an expanded exhibition space, the Best New Product and Coffee Design Awards, an extensive calendar of community and social events, the SCA Community Lounge, and more.

coffeeexpo.org

asia.worldofcoffee.org

worldofcoffee.org

GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

57

LAST WORD

Coffee price stress A European research team has found a link between coffee price volatility and psychological distress among farmers.

W

HEN IT COMES to future-proofing

coffee, discussions often focus on strengthening the supply chain to ensure farmers, buyers, roasters, and consumers can continue to enjoy the commodity without concerns about scarcity. Yet, very few discussions have addressed the impact of market volatility on the mental health of those within the supply chain who depend on it for their livelihoods.

Dr Saurabh Singhal from Lancaster University in the United Kingdom and Co-Author Professor Finn Tarp from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark have published a study exploring the link between commodity price volatility and the psychological wellbeing of coffee farmers in Vietnam.

Coffee production in Vietnam has grown rapidly over the past three decades, from growing just 1.2 per cent of the world’s coffee in 1989 to today being the secondlargest producer globally behind Brazil.

“It’s the top producer of Robusta coffee, and so the coffee sector is central to the country’s economy and dominates much of its labour market,” says Dr Singhal. “The supply chain is estimated to employ more than 34 per cent of working-age adults in coffee producing regions.”

Dr Singhal, with Prof Tarp and in collaboration with local partners in Vietnam, conducted the Vietnam Access to Resources Household Surveys (VARHS), a survey of rural households every two years from 2006 to 2020. It gathered in-depth data on rural life including land ownership, crop types, inputs, yields, wage employment, and household businesses.

It was through his involvement with the VARHS and interactions with Vietnamese coffee farmers that sparked Dr Singhal’s 58 GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT

interest in the mental health challenges they face. He says understanding this is key to developing effective support systems and sustaining agricultural productivity.

As part of the study, Dr Singhal and Prof Tarp collected data on the mental health of the household head or spouse from the 2016 to 2020 period, using the Center for the Epidemiological Studies of Depression (CES-D) scale, which is widely used for screening depressive symptoms with questions on experiences of sadness, hopelessness, concentration issues, and sleep disturbances.

To measure income uncertainty, the duo quantified fluctuations of monthly international Robusta prices in the period leading up to each survey.

“Since coffee farmers cannot easily adjust their production in response to price changes as coffee trees take years to mature and are costly to replace, price instability directly translates to income uncertainty,” says Dr Singhal.

From this, Dr Singhal and Prof Tarp found strong evidence that rising volatility in international coffee prices leads to increased psychological distress, poorer overall health, and lower happiness levels among coffee farmers.

“When coffee price volatility rises by roughly 11 per cent of a typical farmer’s household income – the prevalence of depressive symptoms increases by 15 per cent,” he says.

“This uncertainty makes it hard to plan and budget, which leads to constant worry.

This ongoing mental strain can exhaust mental resources, impairing memory, focus, and overall cognitive function.”

Additionally, decreased cognitive function and the stress of economic uncertainty often lead to individuals withdrawing from

social gatherings, creating a flow-on effect.

Dr Singhal says this may be because they want to save money or simply do not want to socialise during challenging times.

To mitigate the effects of commodity price volatility and economic uncertainty, he says providing social safety nets is crucial to protect small farmers from unpredictable price changes.

“Market tools such as futures, forward contracts, and price or revenue insurance could help farmers manage these risks, but they are often not accessible in developing countries,” he says.

“Governments should explore ways to make these financial instruments available and offer training programs to help farmers use them effectively, thereby stabilising their incomes.”

He adds that supporting initiatives such as Fairtrade certification can also play a significant role.

“By guaranteeing a minimum price that covers the cost of sustainable production, Fairtrade reduces income uncertainty and offers farmers a financial safety net,” he says.

With climate change a major source of income uncertainty for agricultural communities, Dr Singhal believes more research needs to be done to explore its potential impact on farmers’ mental health.

“Evaluating the psychological impact of tools like crop insurance, forward contracts, and community-based support programs would provide valuable insights into what works best to support farmers’ mental wellbeing,” he says.

“Research should also consider the role of digital financial services and innovations that could help farmers better manage risks.” GCR

Image: Ion/stock.adobe.com.

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25.03.2024 15:08:01