Every Friday, Perfect Daily Grind rounds up the top coffee industry news from the previous week. Here are this week’s stories.

• Mon, 1 Nov – HOTELEX Tianjin 2022 to take place from 16 to 18 September. The HoReCa event is set to attract over 35,000 attendees and will showcase innovation in the food and beverage sector – including for coffee.

• Mon, 1 Nov – UN COP26 held in Glasgow until 12 November. The global conference presents sustainable solutions for governments and companies to help mitigate the effects of climate change. Attendees include Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade International, and carbon-neutral Glasgow roaster Matthew Algie – who all signed a pledge prior to COP26 to demand more protection for coffee farmers’ livelihoods.

• Mon, 1 Nov – Sucafina launches education platform The Centre. The education platform was developed in partnership with ZHAW. Courses can be taken online and in-person, with classes covering all aspects of the coffee supply chain. The Centre will also guide the Coffee Equity Design Challenge at the Coffee Equity Lab in The Wond’ry. Texas A&M University will also partner with The Centre to expand programmes for its Centre for Coffee Research and Education.

• Mon, 1 Nov – Japanese specialty chain % Arabica to open two locations in Canada. The two stores will open in Toronto in late 2021 and early 2022. The chain operates 105 stores in 17 countries.

• Mon, 1 Nov – CoE Peru 2021 winners announced. The top scoring coffee was a washed Gesha from the Nueva Alianza farm in Cusco – receiving 90.20 points. Three coffees scored over 90 points and all 30 lots scored over 87 points. The auction will take place on 2 December.

• Mon, 1 Nov – New research published on effects of brewing temperature on health benefits and flavour perception. Influence of coffee brewing methods on the chromatographic and spectroscopic profiles, antioxidant and sensory properties was carried out in part by Hard Beans Coffee Roasters. Lower temperatures were found to best facilitate the extraction of compounds such as chlorogenic acids and caffeine. A new Hardtank cold maceration technique was found to produce cold beverages that taste similar to hot coffee drinks.

• Mon, 1 Nov – All WCC rankings announced. Some 100 competitors took part in three championships at HostMilano from 22 to 26 October. Scores and rankings have been released for each round of the three competitions.
  
  • Diego Campos is the third competitor from a producing country to win the WBC.
  • Martin Shabaya became the first-ever competitor to represent Africa in the WBC finals.
  • Rare coffee species eugenioides was used by six WCC competitors for the first time.
  • Other coffees used for the first time included Malaysian liberica, Philippine Barako, Mandela Caribe, and Indonesian Catimor.
  • Seven WCC competitors used coffee from Café Granja La Esperanza in Colombia.

• Tue, 2 Nov – Starbucks US exceeds pre-pandemic revenue to make full recovery. The coffee chain announced full-year revenue growth of 23.6% to US $29.1 billion – up 9.8% on 2019. However, Starbucks China store sales decreased by 7% as local Covid-19 restrictions were implemented.

• Tue, 2 Nov – Gather & Gather opens Brew Bar at University College London. The Brew Bar will exclusively offer pour over methods and will source coffee from London roasters. Staff will be trained by SCA-certified Well Grounded, with proceeds from every coffee sold going back to the non-profit.

• Tue, 2 Nov – Applications open for Glitter Cat’s “DiGi2TiON”. The three-round competition will take place over 3 months, with 24 application spaces open for marginalised members of the US coffee industry. Applicants have until 5 November to enter. The winner will receive a trip to La Palma y El Tucan coffee farm in Colombia once Covid-19 restrictions ease.

• Tue, 2 Nov – Costa Coffee drives Coca Cola’s 2021 sales growth. Net revenue in Coca Cola’s coffee category increased by 47% during the third quarter, while volumes grew by 19%. Coca Cola claims the revenue growth was mainly attributed to Costa Coffee stores reopening this year.

• Tue, 2 Nov – Sustainable green buying platform Greensquare to launch in September 2022. The platform aims to streamline communications between producers, traders, and roasters to facilitate direct trade. Greensquare can also be used to track green coffee inventory and store contracts information.

• Tue, 2 Nov – World Intellectual Property Association to host first-ever Asia-Pacific coffee production webinar. The two-day virtual event will discuss the dynamics of the coffee market and how producers can leverage intellectual property to increase their incomes. The webinars will begin at 8:00 ICT on 10 November and 14:00 ICT on 11 November. Registration is free.

• Tue, 2 Nov – First-ever Mozambique coffee association, Amocafé, launches. The mission of the association is to strengthen Mozambique’s coffee production, promote its global trade, and increase national coffee consumption and knowledge. The current 11 association members will work to improve the Mozambican coffee brand and sell to international markets. Arabica can be grown in numerous regions of the country, as can robusta.

• Tue, 2 Nov – State of Emergency declared in Ethiopia due to Tigray region civil war. Although conflict zones are not located in coffee-growing regions, there have been reports of road blockades which could delay shipments. Rebel group TPLF is also stating it may enter the country’s capital of Addis Ababa, which could cause further coffee supply chain disruptions.

• Tue, 2 Nov – Black Rifle Coffee Co. to go public through merger. The military-themed US roaster is valued at around US $1.7 billion. Black Rifle aims to open 78 locations by 2023.

• Tue, 2 Nov – Cropster releases new Location feature. Cropster account holders are now able to track real-time locations of green coffee. The Location feature also allows green buyers to estimate when stocks will run low.

• Wed, 3 Nov – ACE and BSCA partner through direct trade platform M-Cultivo for 2021 CoE Brazil micro-lots. Thirty Brazilian micro lots, which all scored over 86 points in the CoE national jury, will be available to purchase in the US, Canada, and the UK. The launch of the platform will serve as a trial for other international e-commerce direct trade models.

• Wed, 3 Nov – Sanremo announces single-group YOU espresso machine. The new model debuted at HostMilano and includes 12 programmable extraction recipes. Users can extract espresso via an app or touch screen.

• Wed, 3 Nov – Plant-based functional RTD beverage company Taika releases two new flavours. The macadamia-based Matcha Latte and Pumpkin Spice Latte flavours also contain ingredients such as MCT oil, pea protein, and lion’s mane, reishi, and cordyceps mushroom extracts.

• Wed, 3 Nov – IWCA announces Colombian chapter. IWCA Executive Director Dr. Sarada Krishnan signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish Colombia as an official chapter at the Specialty Expo in New Orleans. IWCA now oversees 28 global chapters.

• Wed, 3 Nov – Caravela Coffee to participate in One Carbon World COP26 webinar. Climate Heroes: Agriculture and Horticulture will include Caravela CEO and co-founder Alejandro Cadena speaking on achieving carbon neutrality in the coffee supply chain. The webinar will take place on 8 November at 15:00 GMT.

• Wed, 3 Nov – Baco Coffee and Santuario Project to host three-day cupping session in Barcelona. Coffees from Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, and Gesha Village in Ethiopia will be included in the sessions. The in-person cupping events will be held at La Foodieteca in Barcelona and will be limited to 15 participants per day. Sessions will take place at 10:00 CET on 22 November, 10:00 CET on 24 November, and 17:00 CET on 26 November.

• Wed, 3 Nov – Carimali launches super-automatic SilverAce machine. The machine debuted at HostMilano. It includes 4 grinder hoppers and a touch screen for beverage selection. The SilverAce is designed for HoReCa businesses.

• Wed, 3 Nov – CBI to host producer-focused European coffee market webinar. Tips for doing business with European coffee buyers will cover how producers can approach European coffee buyers to sustain long-term relationships. The webinar will take place on 11 November at 16:00 CET.

• Thu, 4 Nov – SCA to host 2022 World of Coffee Dubai. WOC Dubai will be the first time the SCA has expanded its flagship trade show in the Middle East. The trade show will run in addition to the WOC Poland event in June 2022. WOC Dubai will take place from 12 to 14 January 2022.

• Thu, 4 Nov – Global Coffee Platform publishes newly revised Sustainability Reference Code. The code presents a shared language on sustainability for coffee farmers, producer organisations, donors, NGOs, and governments. The code also defines five sustainable aims for the coffee industry, including eliminating child labour and deforestation.

• Thu, 4 Nov – NBA player Jae’Sean Tate launches coffee worker scholarship. The Jae’Sean Tate BUILT scholarship is open to marginalised and minority coffee and hospitality workers in the US. The scholarship has raised over US $8,000 so far, and the winner will be announced on 8 May 2022.

• Fri, 5 Nov – Research from University of Surrey finds method of recycling coffee wastewater. Scientists treated wastewater with electrogenic microbes, which helped to reduce contaminants by 30%, as well as producing electricity. Through a partnership with University of Antioquia in Colombia, lab trials concluded that clay-based materials are more affordable alternatives to using microbes.

• Fri, 5 Nov – British Coffee Association to host coffee and climate change webinar. As part of the In Conversation With series, Coffee and Climate Change – the Future will include Dr. Aaron Davis and Dr. Caspar Chater from Royal Botanic Gardens discussing climate-resilient coffee varietals. The webinar will be held on 15 November at 15:00 GMT.

• Fri, 5 Nov – Robusta prices fall on CEPEA index. Towards the end of October, robusta prices fell to US $136.52 cents/bag – a 6.6% decrease on the end of September 2021. Reports claim decreases are due to increased number of sellers on the Brazilian market.

• Fri, 5 Nov – Anacafé celebrates 61st anniversary. Guatemala’s National Coffee Association supports over 125,000 coffee-producing families in the country. General Manager Luisa Fernanda Correa Mancía recently received an award for working close to 7 years at the organisation.

• Fri, 5 Nov – First shipment of Colombian brand coffee Buencafé Liofilizado de Colombia reaches the Philippines. The Buencafé company produces the equivalent of 24 million cups per day and exports products to dozens of countries. Some 42,000 jars of soluble Sensoria by Buencafé coffee arrived in the Philippines. All proceeds from Buencafé are reinvested into Colombian coffee production, including technical assistance and social projects.

Here are a few news stories from previous weeks that you might find interesting. Take a look.

• Thu, 21 Oct – New white paper published on two east African coffee species. Coffea racemosa and Coffea zanguebariae (also known as Zanzibar coffee) can grow at higher temperatures and in drier climates. The paper concludes that both species have market potential, but further research via breeding programmes is needed.

• Mon, 25 Oct – IWCA Vietnam celebrates 2-year anniversary. Since the chapter was founded in 2019, IWCA Vietnam has expanded its network to 10 partners and members, as well as providing support to thousands of female coffee farmers.

• Tue, 26 Oct – Luckin Coffee reaches US $175 million settlement over fraud claims. The settlement of shareholder class-action claims was approved by a US District Judge. A final approval is scheduled for 31 January 2022.

• Tue, 26 Oct – Tim’s China opens 300th location. The Chinese division of Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons opened its 300th café in Tianjin. Tim’s China has almost doubled its store count since the beginning of 2021.

• Wed, 27 Oct – La Colombe opens first NYC roastery. The Philadelphia roaster already operates nine cafés throughout the city. The new roastery will be located inside a Whole Foods Market, as La Colombe recently announced US expansion plans with the grocery store brand.

• Wed, 27 Oct – Honduran specialty roaster Cafetano opens first location in US. The Pittsburgh café is the brand’s fifth location since opening its first outlet near the capital city of Tegucigalpa in 2015. Cafetano roasts and sells coffee from its family farm in the Honduran central highlands.

• Thu, 28 Oct – E1 Prima selected for ADI Design Index 2021. The index is an awards selection led by the Permanent Observatory of Design. The E1 Prima was nominated for its functional and aesthetical design elements.

• Thu, 28 Oct – Etkin Dripper receives over 50% of Kickstarter funding in 17 hours. The flat bottom brewer can extract up to 1 litre (34oz) at a single time. The Etkin was co-designed by US Barista Championship competitor Michael Butterworth.

• Thu, 28 Oct – NEXE launches compostable capsules. The company claims the plant-based capsules decompose at the same rate as apple cores. The capsules are compatible with Keurig machines.

• Thu, 28 Oct – USDA issues grant for coffee leaf rust research in Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The US $6 million grant will be funded over a 4-year period to support research in addressing and mitigating CLR. Research will be led by the Synergistic Hawaii Agriculture Council and will include field trials of CLR-resistant varieties and identifying protectionary methods to support existing coffee trees. Once complete, research findings will be distributed to global partners.

• Fri, 29 Oct – ISIC survey finds coffee consumption can reduce risk of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Over 5,000 adults were surveyed in the UK, Italy, Finland, Germany, and Poland. Some 28% of respondents claimed they experience symptoms of depression over the winter months. ISIC research found polyphenols in coffee can promote neurogenesis – leading to a decreased risk of affective disorders.

• Fri, 29 Oct – Starbucks unionisation vote to take place at three stores. Three separate stores in Buffalo, NY will hold union elections in November. The National Labour Relations Board rejected Starbucks’ attempt to hold a single vote over 20 stores in the Buffalo area.

• Fri, 29 Oct – illycaffè implements regenerative farming practices in Guatemala and Ethiopia. illy agronomists helped to develop sets of best farming practices for carbon neutral coffee farms. Over 140ha were restored in Jardines de Babilonia, Guatemala, which will help illy to produce carbon neutral coffee by 2023. Some 70,000 coffee plants were provided to local farmers in Kokkere, Ethiopia.

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Photo credits: @paulo.hert