Coffee News Recap, 19 Apr: New study reveals coffee’s prehistoric Ethiopian roots, robusta futures fall after reaching record 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 research.

Mon, 15 Apr

UK’s Crosstown seeks fresh investment to fuel international expansion. The London-based craft doughnut and specialty coffee chain has partnered with Interpath Advisory to seek new investors. Crosstown operates 16 UK stores, and plans to open locations in the Middle East.

Mahlkönig celebrates 100th anniversary. Established in Hamburg, Germany in 1924 as Stawert Mühlenbau GmbH & Co. KG, Mahlkönig has become one of the most iconic and recognisable grinder brands in the coffee industry.

Fellow announces presale of Aiden, the brand’s first home brewer. The new machine will include several intuitive features – such as an adjustable shower head, interchangeable flat bottom and conical-shaped brew baskets, and a precise temperature control system. The Aiden will be available for US $365.

Specialty Coffee Expo Chicago sees record number of over 17,000 attendees. Visitors came from over 85 countries, with more than 600 companies exhibiting – making it North America’s largest coffee event. The 2025 Expo will take place in Houston, Texas from 25 to 27 April.

The 2024 WBrC & WCTC and US Roasting, Latte Art & CIGS Championships winners announced. Austria’s Martin Wölfl won the 2024 World Brewers Cup, while Dionatan Almeida placed first at the 2024 World Cup Tasters Championship. Mayorga Coffee’s Eduardo Choza won the US 2024 Coffee Roasting Championship, and Artly Coffee’s Joe Yang is the 2024 US Latte Art Champion. The 2024 US Coffee in Good Spirits Championship took place from 11 to 14 April 2024, with Olympia Coffee’s Reynalyn Callejo placing first.

Coffee Coalition for Racial Equity presents inaugural ‘First Sip’ awards. Winners included co-founder of Ghost Town Oats Michelle R Johnson, who received the Rose Nicaud award. The Coffee Coalition for Racial Equity strives to improve diversity and representation in the global coffee industry.

Nestlé develops new database to identify climate-resilient coffee varieties and species. In partnership with Nanyang Technological University, the multinational used AI and data science to breed more resilient coffee plants, aiming to develop new varieties that can withstand challenges posed by climate change and support long-term sustainable coffee farming.

Tue, 16 Apr

New study reveals coffee’s prehistoric Ethiopian roots. Researchers at the University at Buffalo in New York sequenced the genomes of 39 arabica varieties and traced its origins to a natural breeding between two other coffee species an estimated 610,000 to one million years ago in Ethiopia. This would make coffee older than Homo sapiens.

Cup of Excellence Ethiopia to return in 2024. According to CoE, as a result of: “numerous issues within Ethiopia to properly conduct all of our rigorous activities which are required for our programme”, CoE Ethiopia was suspended in 2023. The competition and auction will return in mid-July this year, and will be held in Addis Ababa.

JDE Peet’s invests €5 million (US $5.4 million) to bolster operations at Bulgarian coffee facility. The company aims to boost production at its Kostinbrod coffee plant (a vital hub in its supply chain) by 25% – supplying 85 coffee products to 18 European markets.

Coffee shipment delays at Port Santos in Brazil peaked at 80% in March 2024. This reportedly affected 90 cargo ships, with the longest delay lasting 39 days. Cecafé’s technical director Eduardo Heron says these challenges burden Brazilian exporters.

Origin Coffee names Jax Jackson as new Head of Wholesale. The UK roaster appointed Jackson as Head of Wholesale to spearhead its growth strategy, drawing on his extensive experience from roles at The Barn and Brooklyn Coffee. His expertise will support the company’s expansion plans under CEO Tom Sobey’s leadership.

Research firm Circana finds surge in global coffee consumption across key markets. Based on the company’s data, global coffee servings grew by 5% year-over-year – with China leading consumption growth.

Wed, 17 Apr

New scientific review offers first recommendations on how to accurately assess carbon footprint of coffee production. Research organisations CIRAD and ISIC partnered on the Life Cycle Assessment review to improve methods for measuring green coffee’s carbon footprint. A total of 34 studies were reviewed, covering more than 230 global coffee systems.

National Coffee Association calls on California l e gislators to reject European decaf processing ban. The association says it opposes “misleading” warning labels on decaf coffee products in California, and also urged against federal regulation – adding there is evidence to support the health and safety of the European decaf method.

Julius Meinl launches the Meinl Barista Cup competition. The Austrian roaster invites baristas to showcase their skills in national competitions across 12 countries, culminating in a grand finale in Vienna – with competitors set to serve espressos, cappuccinos, and signature drinks.

Brazil’s consumption of instant coffee rises by 5.3% to 5,235 tonnes. Accordings to ABICS, there has been consistent growth in the market since 2016.

Award-winning Methodical Coffee unveils fourth location. The South Carolina roaster’s latest café is located in Columbia’s BullStreet district, and will officially open in November 2024.

Fairtrade International now includes Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence in its trading standards. As of 1 January 2025, Fairtrade-certified organisations will need to address these issues across their operations to meet requirements.

New Ground predicts UK and Europe cold coffee consumption could spike this summer. The Australasian RTD coffee innovation hub predicts that the UK’s and Western Europe’s relatively slow uptake of cold coffee products could change in the coming months – presenting new market opportunities for roasters and retailers.

Thu, 18 Apr

New study highlights mental pressure on Vietnamese farmers due to fluctuating coffee prices. Published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, the study emphasises the impact of income uncertainty on Vietnamese producers’ mental health following record-high robusta prices.

The Barista League returns to Mexico City. Held for the third time in Mexico’s capital, the event included ten competing teams and several guest judges – featuring 2023 World Brewers Cup Champion Carlos Medina.

Sightglass Coffee names former Starbucks executive Sharon Healy as new CEO. Healy, with a proven track record in expanding market share, brings her expertise to lead the company’s next growth phase. Sightglass operates locations in San Francisco and Los Angeles, with plans for further expansion.

JDE Peet’s partners with Honduras, Peru, and Rwanda to end deforestation in its coffee supply chains. In ongoing partnership with Enveritas, the strategy will use satellite imagery and AI to monitor and mitigate deforestation risks. In a recent Reuters article, JDE Peet’s expressed its concerns over the timing of the EUDR implementation – stating producers aren’t receiving enough support to comply.

Australia’s Single O opens another location Japan. The company launched Ryogoku Roastworks, which features a roastery, café, and an expanded production facility. A Shibuya coffee bar concept will follow in July, marking the brand’s third Tokyo location.

London Coffee Festival makes triumphant return to iconic Truman Brewery. Highlights of the even included the London Coffee Masters 2024 competition – with Ryohji Hope placing first. Next year’s festival will take place from 15 to 18 May.

Fri, 19 Apr

Purity Coffee sources all beans from sustainable “cool” coffee farms. After joining the Cool Farm Alliance in late 2023, the company has established a network of “cool farms” that focus specifically on regenerative organic farming, agroforestry, soil and water conservation, and carbon sequestration.

Robusta futures drop from record-high following concerns about shortages in Vietnam. Earlier in the week on the London market, robusta futures hit an all-time high of US $4,292/tonne, but have since dropped slightly. Producers in Vietnam have been holding onto stock despite record prices. The July contract arabica price also settled at US 231.10 cents/lb this week – the highest since February 2022.

Group SEB receives prestigious EcoVadis Platinum rating for WMF, Schaerer, and Curtis brands. The rating – which is the highest available – is based on environmentally sustainable and socially responsible business practices.

The 2024 Valencia is Coffee festival to take place from 31 May to 2 June. The event – which is the first of its kind in the historic Spanish city – will be held at the Tapinería Market, and will include talks, presentations, demonstrations, and tastings.

Sea Island Coffee releases exclusive lot from Pacific Ocean island Pitcairn. The island (which is one of the remaining British overseas territories) has only produced 9kg of arabica in its first year of production. The coffee will be available to buy from midday on 24 April.

Hardtank and Fetco officially launch Baby Hardtank cold brew systems in US market. The two companies partnered in 2023 to manufacture and internationally distribute the Baby Hardtank – a cold brew system designed for coffee shops, bars, restaurants, and consumers.

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

Thu, 11 Apr – Rarebird Inc. acquires patent for Px coffee. Rarebird is the first and only company to have a patent for decaf alternative Px coffee. The company plans to launch globally later this year.

Fri, 12 Apr – Diedrich launches electric DR3-E roaster at Specialty Coffee Expo. The company says its new 3kg-capacity machine addresses growing market demand for electric roasters, eliminating the need for natural gas.

Photo credits: Specialty Coffee Association