Coffee News Recap, 20 Dec: EU greenlights deforestation regulation delay, rules announced for 2025 World Coffee Championships & other stories

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

Editor’s note

On 17 December, the EU gave its final approval to delay its anti-deforestation law by 12 months, meaning the postponement will now pass into law. The sign-off cements a December 2025 start date for the landmark policy, which had been initially scheduled to begin this month.

While some consider the delay a blow to the EU’s green agenda, it undoubtedly offers relief to companies and trading partners concerned about compliance. For many in the coffee industry, the final approval could not have come at a more pertinent time as arabica and robusta futures continue to climb – exacerbating market conditions and tightening already slim margins. The discourse around passing additional costs onto the consumer is also continuing, with mainstream news outlets reporting on how coffee drinkers “must prepare” for rising prices.

As 2024 comes to an end, it remains an uncertain time for roasters and traders. Consumers are undoubtedly concerned about how much more they will need to start paying for a cup of coffee or a bag of beans, so roasters need to address these worries head-on. Explaining the complexities of the C price and market fluctuations in layman’s terms is by no means simple, but with increased transparency comes better consumer trust and loyalty – both of which have never been more important for roasters.

A man takes photos with latte art at competition.

Industry news

Mon, 16 Dec – Starbucks China hires first-ever Growth Officer as it faces increasing competition. Tony Yang, who previously served as head of user development at EV joint venture Jiyue Auto, will assume the role. Yang will focus on building new partnerships with entertainment brands and pop culture figures to boost sales. (Beijing, China)

Tue, 17 Dec – Cimbali Group appoints Frédéric Thil as new general manager. Thil previously served as the CEO of Ferrero and has extensive experience in the consumer goods market. He will help drive Cimbali’s international expansion plans. (Milan, Italy)

Wed, 18 Dec – Oatly closes Singapore facility to cut costs. The Swedish oat milk brand says the decision was made to accelerate its “asset-light” supply chain strategy and reduce operating costs in Asia. Oatly’s retail and foodservice contracts in the Asia Pacific region will now be supported by existing production facilities in Europe. (Malmö, Sweden)

Thu, 19 Dec – Romania’s 5 To Go enters strategic partnership with two major investors to accelerate regional expansion. Private equity fund INVENIO Partners and growth capital provider Accession Capital Partners have acquired over 60% of the chain, which it says will allow it to expand into southeast European markets and countries with large Romanian communities. (Bucharest, Romania)

Thu, 19 Dec – Tata Starbucks to reign in outlet growth in 2025 as Indian consumers cut back on spending. The joint venture between Tata Consumer Products and Starbucks set out an ambitious goal to reach 1,000 stores by 2028, but recently stated that it needs to reassess its growth plans as out-of-home consumption dipped in India. (Mumbai, India)

Fri, 20 Dec – Carmem Lucia Chaves de Brito reelected as president of Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association. Chaves de Brito, also known as Ucha, will hold the position until December 2025. BSCA members also reelected for the board of directors and supervisory board for 2025/26. (Varginha, Minas Gerais, Brazil)

Fri, 20 Dec – Nominations open for 2025 SCA Sustainability Awards. The awards programme recognises for-profit and non-profit companies that advance sustainability in the coffee industry. Nominations are open until 31 January 2025 and the winners will be recognised and celebrated at the 2025 Specialty Coffee Expo in Houston, Texas. (Irvine, California, US)

Roasters take part in a national Cup Tasters Championship.

New launch

Mon, 16 Dec – Jimmy Butler’s BigFace Coffee opens first café in Miami. The NBA player’s first brick-and-mortar store opened in Miami’s Design District. The futuristic 2,500 sq ft outlet was designed in collaboration with agency DE-YAN and includes a Modbar espresso machine and Mahlkönig grinders. (Miami, Florida, US)

Wed, 18 Dec – Huskee expands Renew range with new HuskeeRenew Clear cup. Available exclusively for wholesale purchase, the HuskeeRenew Clear is made with Tritan Renew 50, a high-performance material that is certified 50% recycled post-consumer plastic and has a glass-like appearance. (Sydney, Australia)

Wed, 18 Dec – Trading Post Coffee opens tenth location in Horsham. To celebrate the opening, the roaster offered complimentary coffee and hot drinks. (Horsham, UK)

Fri, 20 Dec – Excelsa Coffee Company to open its first store in the US. The company, which sources the excelsa species exclusively, will launch the brick-and-mortar store in San Diego, California in February or March 2025. (San Diego, California, US)

Milestone

Tue, 17 Dec – Coffi Lab secures £1.7 million (US $2.15 million) in funding to support UK expansion plans. The Cardiff company currently operates nine locations in Wales and the southwest of England, with plans to open a new store in Bristol in January 2025. (Cardiff, Wales)

Thu, 19 Dec – Eureka opens Mignon Factory and launches three new grinders. Located next to a showroom opened in June 2023, the Mignon Factory represents another milestone in the company’s ambitious growth plan. The coffee equipment manufacturer aims to double the size of its historic Sesto Fiorentino plant and establish a new Tuscan facility outside of Florence. New grinders include the Mignon Libra 65 All Purpose, the Mignon Zero 65 All Purpose, and the Mignon Single Dose Pro. (Florence, Italy)

Trade & production

Mon, 16 Dec –Fairtrade reinforces that high coffee prices aren’t directly benefitting farmers. The Fairtrade Foundation expressed concerns that recent coffee price hikes, while appearing beneficial, often fail to support farmers, with less than 10% of the global coffee industry’s US $200 billion wealth remaining in producing countries. Volatility from extreme weather in Brazil and Vietnam creates instability, hindering long-term farmer resilience. (London, UK)

Mon, 16 Dec – USDA launches new US $2 billion marketing assistance programme for US specialty crop producers. Farmers who grow specialty crops, including coffee producers in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and California, will have access to the grant, which will help recipients expand markets and manage higher operating costs. (Washington DC, US)

Wed, 18 Dec – Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development officially launches EUDR system. The platform, designed in collaboration with JDE Peet’s and IDH, marks a critical milestone for Vietnam’s coffee sector as it ramps up efforts to comply with the upcoming EUDR. (Hanoi, Vietnam)

Fri, 20 Dec – GrowGround supports more than 5,800 Kenyan coffee farmers to plant over 1 million trees. The Danish agrotech start-up helped producers convert more than 3,500 ha of aged farmland to biodiverse, carbon-sequestering agroforestry systems. With the support of GrowGrounds’ expertise in coffee, agroforestry, and carbon sequestration, Kenyan farmers will adopt syntropic farming practices to bolster their long-term resilience. (Copenhagen, Denmark)

Research

Mon, 16 Dec – Researchers in Bangladesh and Japan use AI to detect defects in green coffee beans. The scientists compared multiple versions of a deep-learning algorithm to detect defects in real-time. Researchers say the modelling could be beneficial to producers, traders, and roasters who typically rely on manual sorting and quality control methods.

Thu, 19 Dec – Coffee now automatically included in the US’ Food and Drug Administration’s definition of “healthy”. The new “healthy” definition applies to coffee with fewer than five calories per 12oz and per serving. According to data in the US Department of Agriculture Nutrient Database, the calorie content of 12 oz of brewed coffee is 3.55 calories. Bill Murray, the National Coffee Association’s president and CEO, applauded the decision. (Washington DC, US)

The winning team at The Barista League Dubai event.

Events

Tue, 17 Dec – Brazil’s 2024 Cup of Excellence auction fetches top price of US $105.10/lb. Over 198lbs of the 93.14-point Arara variety was purchased by Japan’s Wataru & Co. for more than US $20,851. Other Japanese buyer Glitch Coffee & Roaster by Marukai placed a US $104.10/lb bid on the same coffee, purchasing the same amount for over US $20,653.

Wed, 18 Dec – The 2025 International Café and Beverage Show to take place from 24 to 26 April. The event will host the 2025 Malaysian Barista, Brewers Cup, and Latte Art Championships and is expected to welcome over 18,000 attendees from more than 55 countries. Visitor and exhibitor registration is open now. (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

Wed, 18 Dec – The 2024 Long Mile Coffee auction raises over US $18,359 from 260 bids. The auction, which included lots from 12 different growing regions in Burundi, received an average bid of US $9.27/lb and a highest bid of US $20.10/lb. (Kayanza, Burundi)

Thu, 19 Dec – The 2024 Yunnan Coffee Flavour Map brings together over 350 cuppers from ten countries. The fourth edition of the event took place across multiple locations, with attendees tasting more than 400 Yunnan coffee samples. Industry experts from experts from Kenya, Mexico, the US, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and China attended and spoke at the event and over 50 competitors took part in an on-farm brewing competition. (Yunnan, China)

Fri, 20 Dec – SIGEP Asia & Restaurant Asia announce exclusive three-year partnership with Airline Catering Association. The strategic collaboration will help to foster innovation and growth in the high-volume airline catering industry, while SIGEP Asia and Restaurant Asia exhibitors will benefit from access to the airline catering sector. SIGEP Asia will take place from 16 to 18 July 2025. (Sinagpore)

Fri, 20 Dec – The 2025 ASIC Conference to take place from 27 to 31 October. The 30th annual conference will be held in Lisbon, Portugal. The theme of next year’s event will be “towards more sustainable coffee” and will have specific focuses on coffee plant science and farming, processing, quality, and health. (Allenwinden, Switzerland)

Mon, 16 Dec – DMCC to auction rare and exclusive coffees at the 2025 World of Coffee Dubai. As part of a strategic partnership between the DMCC and WoC Dubai, international producers can submit their coffees to the auction. Around 20 spots are available and all coffees must score at least 92 points. The auction will take place from 10 to 12 February at WoC Dubai. (Dubai, UAE)

Competitions

Fri, 20 Dec – The Barista League announces new format and rules for 2025 events. The inclusive competition, which will celebrate its tenth anniversary next year, will host six regional events in 2025. Each event will bring together baristas, leading companies, renowned roasters, and special guests from across different continents. Dates and locations include:
- Europe: Prague, Czech Republic on 29 March
- Latin America: Guadalajara, Mexico on 8 May
- Asia: Tokyo, Japan in June
- North America: Montreal, Canada on 11 September
- Africa: Johannesburg, South Africa on 4 October
- Pacific: Sydney, Australia in November

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

Mon, 9 Dec –Starbucks Australia reports AU $5.8 million loss amid expansion and reduced consumer spending. Despite challenges, the chain expanded by opening 11 new stores, reaching 78 outlets, and plans to continue growth with 40 sites in development, including 12 drive-thru locations in Perth. Starbucks Australia appointed new CEO Braeden Lord to bolster its leadership team. (Melbourne, Australia)

Thu, 12 Dec –Indonesia’s Fore Coffee to open 60 new outlets in 2025. The Jakarta company expanded rapidly in 2024, reaching 230 locations across Indonesia and Singapore. CEO Vico Lomar attributes this growth to a three-tier strategy focusing on major cities and smaller regional markets. The chain plans to open a second site in Singapore in 2025 and appointed WBC champion Mikael Jasin as a brand ambassador to drive innovation. (Jakarta, Indonesia)

Sat, 14 Dec –Ethiopia’s top coffee exporter adopts advanced irrigation and harvesting technology. By embracing advanced irrigation and harvesting technologies, the company has impacted over 1 million farmers. The Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority aims to boost coffee trade revenue to US $2 billion, with the country’s coffee accounting for 17% of the global market. (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)

Photo credits: The Barista League