Amidst the U.S. government’s crackdown at the border and a raft of anti-trans legislation in Texas, some coffee professionals are skipping the Specialty Coffee Association’s Expo in Houston.
For paid subscribers: Recent stories show the dangers of building too much of a coffee company’s image around its founder’s personality. When things go wrong, it can blow back on the brand.
For paid subscribers: some thoughts on the loss of USAID funding for coffee research, and the possibly misguided hope that corporations will step up.
If coffee production is under threat from climate change—and we all know it is—what can coffee companies do to help? Aside from massively reducing their own emissions and investing in regenerative agriculture and agroforestry in their supply chains, I mean.
As well as the direct risk from climate change in the form of droughts and floods, coffee faces numerous connected challenges, like increasing instances of pests and diseases, declining numbers of pollinators, and the need to breed more climate-resistant varieties. That’s where coffee research organisations come in, with the most well-known (at least in the Global North) being World Coffee Research (WCR).
These organisations rely on funding from both the public and private sectors. But it looks like public money is becoming more scarce, while the biggest coffee companies seem loath to pull their weight. If coffee is to survive into the next century, who will fund its future?
For paid subscribers: Recent stories show the dangers of building too much of a coffee company’s image around its founder’s personality. When things go wrong, it can blow back on the brand.
The owner of Finca Esperanza and Two Birds Coffee talks about the challenges of growing coffee during the climate crisis, the price surge, and what it all means for the future of coffee in Guatemala.
For paid subscribers: analysis of the latest breakdown in contract negotiations between Starbucks and its union.
A newsletter about coffee—its culture, politics, and how it connects to the wider world.
