The United States has long been at the centre of the global coffee industry. But as policies shift under the Trump administration, that dominance is under threat.
For paid subscribers: What Starbucks’ CEO Brian Niccol’s meeting with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. says about the company’s embrace of coffee’s wellness trend—and the trend’s darker side.
Over the last year, the commodity cost of arabica coffee rose by 94%. This ever-increasing price has hit demand across the world, even in countries that were previously seeing aggressive consumption growth, such as China, Vietnam, and Brazil.
Whether or not you appreciate the bitterness of coffee might be down to your genes. Researchers in Germany found that variants in a particular gene affected whether participants found the samples they were tasting to be bitter.
Coffee is generally considered to be healthy, but not necessarily for those who produce it. A study in Brazil found that a specific fungicide used to fight coffee leaf rust can have a “potentially significant human health risk” for the farmworkers tasked with applying it.
For more on all these stories, plus why unionized Blue Bottle Coffee workers went on strike for exactly seven minutes and 59 seconds, check out the full Roundup over at Fresh Cup Magazine:
On Friday, paid subscribers will receive exclusive first access to my interview with U.S. barista champion and YouTuber Morgan Eckroth of MorganDrinksCoffee (upgrade to paid here to receive it too!).
Until then, a sad note to end on:
Long-time readers will know Merlin, the ancient neighbourhood cat who frequented this Monday newsletter. Unfortunately, we heard a few days ago that Merlin passed away—she was very old, and mostly blind and deaf by this point, but it was still sad. She lived next door but basically owned the whole neighbourhood: patrolling the streets of our little town, getting fed at every shop, and beating up any dogs that were unlucky enough to cross her path.
She was great, and we'll miss her. So here's a final Merlin goodbye, in one of her favourite positions keeping an eye on things:
I'm the creator and writer of The Pourover. Based in Scotland, I have over a decade of experience in the specialty coffee industry as a barista, roaster, and writer. Ask me about coffeewashing.
Fionn Pooler
