2024 Was a Warning
The past year of climate shocks and surging coffee prices has felt portentous. Without significant investment and industry cooperation, coffee’s future seems increasingly uncertain.
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How Do You Solve a Problem Like Disposable Coffee Cups?
Single-use coffee cups are choking the planet. From discounts to levies to bans, solutions are out there—but changing consumer behaviour is the bigger challenge.
Meme Accounts Are the Coffee Industry's Conscience
While it can often seem immune from criticism, there is one place where the coffee industry is held to account: Instagram meme pages.
Could a Private-Equity-Backed 'Collective' Offer a Template for Specialty Coffee’s Future?
FairWave Specialty Coffee Collective is acquiring coffee brands across the Midwest, promising a localised approach to growth. Is this a model for the industry—or just another consolidation strategy?
Coffee's Tech Dystopia
Technology is deeply embedded in the coffee industry, from loyalty apps to blockchain traceability platforms. But is that a good thing?
‘Actually Pretty Simple’: The Wild World of DIY Coffee Roasters
Coffee roasters are expensive and slightly intimidating, but they are also fundamentally simple machines. As startup costs increase, no wonder people are building their own.
Ballad of the Indian Coffee House
Despite evolving tastes and increased competition, India’s oldest and largest coffee chain—a communist-founded, worker-owned cooperative—is still going after 70 years.
The Cost of Competing
For many, elite coffee competitions represent the pinnacle of the industry. But the huge costs to compete prevent those without financial support from participating—and harm the industry as a whole.
Private Equity vs. the Coffee Workers
Big money pours into specialty coffee with one goal: wealth extraction. But as soon as things go wrong, workers are the first to suffer.
The Moral Complexities of Civet Coffee
Coffee collected from the droppings of civets is sought after by the rich and deplored by animal welfare advocates. Caught in the middle are the farmers who produce it.
Clooney's Coffeewashing
Nespresso leans heavily on its sophisticated spokesperson, but George Clooney’s multi-million-dollar role does more than just sell frothy coffees.
Coffee At Sea
The war in Gaza has spilled over into the Red Sea. The coffee industry's concern is with shipping delays.
Connecting the Dots: Inside the 2023 Coffee Barometer
A conversation with the landmark report's lead author Sjoerd Panhuysen.