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.
Workers at Blue Bottle Coffee, acquired by Nestlé in 2017, have unionised. Now, they’re building international solidarity with the conglomerate’s union in Colombia.
The world’s biggest coffee brands are buying more coffee that meets sustainability baseline standards than ever before, according to the latest report from Global Coffee Platform.
The German Coffee Association is helping its members meet the country’s corporate sustainability laws by launching a platform to gather anonymous reports of labor and environmental abuses within the coffee supply chain.
Luckin Coffee is hopping aboard the alcoholic coffee train with a new latte featuring China’s national liquor, baijiu—a drink with more than 50% alcohol by volume that has been variously described as “throat-scorching” and “fiery”. It has so far proven very popular.
If you missed it, my latest piece looks at the trend of coffee companies launching “sustainable” products using recycled coffee, many of which are just marketing:
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
