Coffee News Recap, 12 Apr: Specialty Coffee Expo hosts 2024 WBrC & WCTC, arabica prices rise to 18-month high & other stories

Every Friday, Perfect Daily Grind rounds up the top coffee industry news from the previous week.

Here are this week’s stories – the word of the week is competitions.

Mon, 8 Apr

The Barista League to return to Mexico City on 18 April. This will be the third edition of the event in Mexico’s capital, and will be held at Supremo on Calle Dr. Carmona y Valle 147. Judges will include 2023 World Brewers Cup Champion Carlos Medina.

Arabica prices hit 18-month high as hedge funds switch from cocoa to coffee. Following rising demand after robusta supply shortages in Vietnam, arabica futures reached the highest levels since 2022 early this week. Additionally, soaring cocoa prices are encouraging investors to switch hedge funds from cocoa to coffee.

Pact Coffee releases limited-edition Finca Los Nogales series. The new release contains five coffees from acclaimed Colombian producer Óscar Hernandez, and includes a booklet detailing each coffee and the innovative processing methods behind them.

Duni Group acquires reusable coffee cup company Huskee. As part of Duni Group, Huskee now joins BioPak Group. The acquisition aims to boost Duni Group’s food packaging business and drive growth in the Asia-Pacific region.

La Marzocco launches new Swan grinder. The uniquely designed grinder includes patented anti-static technology, advanced motor control and monitoring system, and dosing by RPM feature.

Tue, 9 Apr

California establishes a new minimum wage of US $20/hour for cafés and restaurants. The new wage increase applies to national fast food café and restaurant chains. Coffee prices in the state are expected to increase for consumers as a result of the minimum wage increase.

pulyCAFF announced as Exclusive Cleaning Products Sponsor of 2024 World Coffee Championships. The company will provide its coffee equipment cleaning products to the World Coffee Championships taking place at Specialty Coffee Expo Chicago from 12 to 14 April, World of Coffee Busan from 1 to 4 May, and World of Coffee Copenhagen from 27 to 29 June.

German Coffee Association will introduce new tool to facilitate compliance with the EUDR in online event. The association and Global Risk Assessment Services will offer tailored services for compliance with EUDR, which aims to eliminate deforestation in European coffee supply chains. The event will take place on 25 April 2024.

Brazil’s coffee exports hit record 4.3 million 60kg bags in March. Cecafé reports that this is a 37.8% increase on last year’s export volumes. Green coffee exports surged to over 3.9 million 60kg bags, with arabica exports up by 15.1% and robusta exports skyrocketing by 689.4%.

Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung extends sustainable assistance to coffee farmers in Ethiopia. The Coffee Alliances for Ethiopia (CAFE) project aims to provide more holistic support to smallholder coffee farmers in Ethiopia. The second phase of the initiative will target 2,500 farmers in the Amhara region to improve their socioeconomic livelihoods.

Wed, 10 Apr

Costa Rica’s Aquiares Estate ships first EUDR-compliant coffee. Aquiares Estate – Costa Rica’s largest Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee farm – worked with Enveritas to use satellite imagery to conclude that no deforestation had taken place on the 820 ha estate. The shipment was received by Nomad Coffee in Barcelona, Spain.

Miko Group’s out-of-home coffee sales soar in Belgium, but retail segment struggles. Belgium’s Miko Group achieved a record EBITDA of €30 million and 476% net profit growth in 2023, despite European economic instability. Sales also rose by 8% to €298.8 million, driven by strong domestic and international performance, but thinner margins persist due to economic challenges, especially in the private label retail sector.

Assembly Coffee and Volcano Coffee Works announce Myles Shapcott as Chief Commercial Officer. Shapcott has decade-long industry expertise, and will support both companies to further expand in the UK market.

Luckin Coffee launches co-branded Kweichow Moutai store in Shenzhen. Celebrating the success of its baijiu liquor latte, China’s largest coffee chain has opened a Kweichow Moutai-themed store in Shenzhen.

Thu, 11 Apr

The 2024 London Coffee Festival begins at the Truman Brewery. Alongside a trade show, this year’s festival includes Coffee Masters, Latte Art Live, Lavazza’s The Lab, and Brew School. LCF will run until 14 April.

Cimbali Group to launch rebrand in the UK. The coffee equipment manufacturer will unveil its new branding at the London Coffee Festival, showcasing its LaCimbali, Faema, Slayer, and Casadio brands. The company’s rebrand aims to meet evolving client needs with a more integrated strategy.

Sucafina announces the launch of Sucafina Guatemala. The new division of the specialty coffee importer will be led by Managing Director Carlos Ordoñez, who has more than 25 years of experience in his native country of Guatemala.

US chain Bluestone Lane to offer beanless Atomo Coffee as espresso option. The beanless “coffee” will sold in all 58 Bluestone US locations, as the company says it wants to offer a more “sustainable alternative” to coffee.

La Colombe launches “world’s frothiest draft latte” under new Chobani partnership. The new 11 fl oz RTD Draft Latte cans are available in Double Shot, Triple Shot, Mocha, Vanilla, and Caramel flavours. Plant-based versions are also available in Vanilla Oat, Double Oat, and Cold Brew flavours.

Coffee industry mourns the passing of Salvadoran Barista Champion Victor Flores. The renowned barista had sadly been battling cancer for several years. Victor was passionate about coffee, having been the head barista at The Biscuit Factory in San Salvador.

Coffee consumption hits 20-year high in the US. The National Coffee Association’s spring 2024 National Coffee Data Trends report shows a surge in past-day coffee consumption among American adults, stating past-day coffee consumption among this demographic has reached 67%. Specialty coffee consumption is also up by 7.5% year-on-year, with espresso-based drinks leading the trend.

Fri, 12 Apr

This year’s Specialty Coffee Expo to begin in Chicago and hosts two WCC and two US Coffee Championships. Expo will host the 2024 World Brewers Cup and World Cup Tasters Championship, in addition to the 2024 US Coffee Roasting and Latte Art Championships. The event will also include this year’s Best New Product and Coffee Design Awards, lectures, workshops, cuppings, and an extensive trade show.

Hardtank and Guatemalan Coffees to unveil collaboration at Expo in Chicago. Guatemalan Coffee will serve a range of signature coffee drinks in the lobby of the McCormick Place convention centre – including the Caffeine Fizz which contains Gesha cascara syrup and Hardtank cold brew.

Brazilian Coffee Industry Association to introduce its new protocol to assess roasted coffee quality at Specialty Coffee Expo Chicago. Brazilian sensory scientist and ABIC consultant Camila Arcanjo will host a lecture at the event about how consumers can form a better understanding of coffee quality. The lecture will also include updates about the association’s certification programme to align with changing industry demands and consumer needs.

Yara to unveil new Champer platform at Expo in Chicago. The aim of the platform is to empower producers to become more autonomous with reducing carbon emissions on their farms and to increase transparency and data sharing in the supply chain.

Brazilian co-operative to launch award-winning coffee at Specialty Coffee Expo. Expocacer will debut Natália Naimeg’s 90-point Catucai 2SL variety at booth 1856, and will also host cupping sessions.

Avercasso to debut AI coffee bean sorter CS One at the 2024 Specialty Coffee Expo. The CS One is the first AI-powered green coffee sorter, with the company claiming the machine ensures 99% accuracy in bean selection – helping to minimise manual sorting errors.

Robusta futures reach all-new high on London stock market.Following harvest concerns in both Brazil and Vietnam, robusta futures on the London market soared to new all-time highs, while the New York market reached the highest levels since October 2022.

Attendees at the Specialty Coffee Expo in Portland, Oregon.

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

Thu, 4 Apr – First seedlings from World Coffee Research’s Innovea network transplanted for field evaluation. International coffee research institutions will plant 5,000 seedlings sourced from the Innovea Global Coffee Breeding Network. By 2024, seven of the total nine national partners will begin field trials to evaluate progress.

Fri, 5 Apr – Luckin Coffee launches Black Cup Gesha series. The Single Origin Espresso Black Cup Gesha series includes coffee sourced from Ethiopia’s Bench Maji region.

Photo credits: Specialty Coffee Association