Coffee News Recap, 20 Sep: Arabica prices hit 13-year high, 2024 WAC takes place in Lisbon & other stories

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

Editor’s note

On Thursday 19 September, one of specialty coffee’s most eminent competitions – the World AeroPress Championship – kicked off in Portugal. All eyes will be on Lisbon this weekend to see who takes home the coveted golden AeroPress.

Aside from key industry events taking place this week, Starbucks’ North American CEO announced his retirement after just six months holding the position. His announcement also comes days after Brian Niccol started his tenure as the company’s new CEO and chairman, vowing to revitalise the brand’s coffeehouse culture. Whether the two events are related is up for debate, but Starbucks is set to undergo further major leadership changes regardless.

Shortly after the announcement that robusta futures hit a record high, the C price also hit a 13-year high of its own on 16 September. At a time when traders are struggling more than ever, this poses even more challenges for the market. Roasters and coffee shops are also sure to feel the squeeze – and as the trend of pivoting to blends and more affordable origins prevails, it seems there’ll be no signs of it slowing any time soon.

Industry news

Mon, 16 Sep – Green Coffee Company announces multi-year partnership with US baseball team Chicago Cubs. The agreement, showcased during the team’s Hispanic and Latino Heritage Celebration, means iconic Colombian brand Juan Valdez is now the Official Coffee of the Cubs and Wrigley Field. (Medellín, Colombia)

Mon, 16 Sep –Ugandan farmers report coffee thefts following record-high robusta prices. Bloombergreports that some producers have hired armed guards to protect their crops, as robusta prices reach their highest levels since the 1970s. (Kampala, Uganda)

Tue, 17 Sep – Zamp plans 1,000-store expansion for Starbucks in Brazil. Backed by Mubadala Capital, expansion plans will focus on major cities and airports like Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. The strategy includes exploring various store sizes to meet anticipated demand. (São Paulo, Brazil)

Wed, 18 Sep – UK’s Knoops seeks £5 million investment after reporting strong full-year revenues. The company will open its first international outlet in Dubai in October 2024. A £1 million Crowdcube campaign will support expansion and boost production to meet growing demand from partners like Harrods and Whole Foods. (London, UK)

Wed, 18 Sep – Compañía del Trópico strengthens bakery-café portfolio by acquiring Julieta Coffee. Founded by Carlos and Eva Pérez in 2013, Julieta Coffee operates five outlets in Malaga and one in Madrid, and also sells pastries under the Juanito Baker brand. The recent acquisition aims to accelerate growth and expansion plans. (Madrid, Spain)

Onyx Coffee packaging next to two glass mugs and an Origami brewer.

New launch

Mon, 16 Sep – Nespresso Professional launches Nespresso Momento. The modular coffee solution is designed for offices and includes several sustainable features. (Vevey, Switzerland)

Wed, 18 Sep – SOWN launches oat cold-foaming cream. The vanilla-flavored oat cream can be added to cold brew and iced lattes, and produces stable cold foam in under 30 seconds. (Minneapolis, Minnesota, US)

Wed, 18 Sep – Cometeer to release high-scoring Stellar Series. The company has partnered with Cup of Excellence-winning farms and prestigious roasters – including Guatemala’s El Socorro and George Howell Coffee – to launch six flash-frozen premium capsules. (Gloucester, Massachusetts, US)

Wed, 18 Sep – Onyx Coffee Lab unveils new packaging to spotlight producers. The roaster’s new packaging includes interactive cards for its single origin coffees, which include information about the farmer, region, and processing method. Each card comes with scannable codes offering access to videos, interviews, and more. (Rogers, Arkansas, US)

Thu, 19 Sep – The April Hybrid Brewer to launch this fall. Soft launched at World of Coffee Copenhagen, the manual brewer features an open-close valve to switch between percolation and immersion brewing. (Copenhagen, Denmark)

Fri, 20 Sep – Equator Coffees launches Cold Brew Blend as Steeped Brew Bags. The bags can be steeped for between 12 and 24 hours, and will soon be available on Amazon US. (San Francisco, California, US)

Fri, 20 Sep – Atomic Coffee Roasters collaborates with local 13-year-old artist for new blend. The new Halloween Witch City blend includes packaging designed by Salem artist Georgia Wrenn under her brand “Georgia Made This”. The blend includes coffee from Colombia and Costa Rica. (Peabody, Massachusetts, US)

Milestone

Mon, 16 Sep – Matthew Algie celebrates 160th anniversary with new automated packing line. The Scottish roaster has invested in a multi-million-pound upgrade to its factory, including a pallet-packing robot, to support its commitment to achieve carbon net zero by 2040. (Glasgow, Scotland)

Mon, 16 Sep – illy’s Università del Caffè celebrates 25 years. Since its launch, Università del Caffè has trained over 350,000 people, including producers, baristas, and coffee enthusiasts. Led by 50 certified instructors, courses are available in countries around the world. (Trieste, Italy)

Tue, 17 Sep – Pret A Manger sales top £1 billion (US $1.3 billion) following international expansion. The food-to-go and coffee chain said £1 in every £4 spent in-store is now outside the UK, thanks to expansion into key markets like the US, India, and Italy. (London, UK)

Wed, 18 Sep – Liverpool’s Mother Espresso named the most creative coffee shop in the UK. Brita’s Grounds for Innovation Awards announced the Wood Street coffee shop as the winner of this year’s competition. The awards scheme recognises the creativity of a coffee shop’s design and the innovation of its operations. (Liverpool, UK)

Thu, 19 Sep – Nguyen Coffee Supply secures distribution partnership with major US grocer. The US roaster will launch its Vietnamese coffee products in over 400 Albertsons stores, marking its largest retail expansion to date. (New York City, New York, US)

Trade & production

Mon, 16 Sep – Ghana to expand coffee production and consumption through new programmes and initiatives. The International Trade Centre is supporting coffee growers in the West African country, known for its cocoa production, to boost local coffee production and consumption. (Accra, Ghana)

Tue, 17 Sep – This year’s Best of Rwanda auction earns more than US $160,000. Nineteen coffees were sold, averaging US $11.42/lb and totalling more than US $165,544. The top lot, from Nova Coffee washing station, sold for US $32.60/lb. (Kigali, Rwanda)

Wed, 18 Sep – Brazil to sign US $2.5 billion supply contract with Luckin Coffee. In June 2024, the Chinese coffee chain agreed to buy US $500 million worth of coffee from Brazil. At a recent event with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President of Apex-Brasil Jorge Viana hinted at another upcoming announcement from Luckin Coffee, expected to be made during the G20 summit in November. (São Paulo, Brazil)

Thu, 19 Sep – Coffee producers look to postpone EU deforestation requirement. According to Reuters, the world’s “top coffee organisation” plans to ask the European Union to delay the legislation, which is set to roll out in December 2024. (Tegucigalpa, Honduras)

Research

Fri, 20 Sep – Out-of-home consumption in US reaches pre-pandemic levels. The National Coffee Association’s latest report finds that while home remains the most popular place for coffee consumption in the US, 36% of past-day coffee drinkers reported having coffee out-of-home – the highest level since January 2020. (New York City, New York, US)

Attendees at The Barista League Denver 2024 event.

Events

Mon, 16 Sep – Fairtrade hosts Golden Cup final in Honduras. The competition aims to highlight coffee quality and climate practices. Miguel Ángel Rivera placed first in the best blended coffee category for his coffee forest nursery. Winning samples will be showcased at international trade shows in 2025. (Tegucigalpa, Honduras)

Mon, 16 Sep – The 2024 Best of Yemen auction to take place on 8 October. The sixth edition of the private auction will focus on regenerative agriculture and indigenous farming knowledge. A total of 36 lots are available to purchase, with the top-scoring coffee receiving 90.30 points. (Sanaa, Yemen)

Mon, 16 Sep – Equal Origins to host webinar series to advance gender equity in the coffee chain. The non-profit will run three virtual sessions designed to help coffee brands advance gender equity in their programmes and projects. The first webinar – Collaborative Session: Designing Your Action Plan to Advance Gender Equity – will take place on Tuesday 24 September at 11:00 EST. (Washington, DC, US)

Wed, 18 Sep – Austin Coffee Festival to return on 28 & 29 September. The third edition will be held at the Palmer Events Center, with highlights including a latte art competition. Tickets are still available to purchase. (Austin, Texas, US)

Fri, 20 Sep – The 2024 World Coffee Innovation Summit London to take place on 16 & 17 October.The solutions-driven event – to be held at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in the UK’s House of Lords – will discuss the latest industry innovation and investment opportunities needed to tackle pressing challenges in the coffee sector. Registration is open now. (London, UK)

Fri, 20 Sep – Caffè Culture announces full 2024 speaker line up. As part of the Caffè Insights and the Roasters Forum programmes organised by Sucafina, the 2024 event will host a series of talks and panels featuring industry leaders and experts, including Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood, Jessica Worden, and Dr. Aaron Davis. Caffè Culture will take place in London on 1 & 2 October. (London, UK)

Fri, 20 Sep – The 2024 Ljubljana Coffee Festival to be held on 21 & 22 September. This year’s event is set to bring together more than 4,000 industry professionals and coffee enthusiasts, and will include a Roasters Village, Slovenian Roasters Place, Barista Battle Challenge, and panel forum. (Ljubljana, Slovenia)

Competitions

Mon, 16 Sep – The Barista League to return to Barcelona on 28 September. The barista competition will take place at Hidden Coffee Roasters. Guest judges will include Andre Barretto (Coffee XP), Dani Sánchez (MAE Coffee Liaison), Eira Scheper (Eira’s Coffee), and Elizaveta Vagabova (Unity Coffee). (Barcelona, Spain)

Wed, 18 Sep – Belo Horizonte to host the 2025 Brazilian Coffee Championships during International Coffee Week. The 2025 Brazilian Barista Championship will be held from 20 to 22 November, and the winner will represent Brazil at the 2025 World Barista Championship in Milan, Italy. (Belo Horizonte, Brazil)

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

Tue, 10 Sep – South Korea’s SPC Group upgrades Dunkin’ with new premium café concept. Dunkin’ Wonders, a new flagship café, includes handmade doughnuts and a premium coffee offering. (Seoul, South Korea)

Fri, 13 Sep – Wine production increases in some of Brazil’s prominent coffee-growing regions. Inspired by Coffee and Wine by Morten Scholer, the Brazilian Rural Society hosted an event to highlight the synergy between coffee and wine production. Speakers discussed innovative processing techniques, dual production, and the potential for Geographical Indication for local wines, showcasing the growing trend of combining coffee, wine, and tourism. (Espírito Santo do Pinhal, Brazil)

Fri, 13 Sep – Löfbergs joins The Coffee Sustainability Program to reaffirm commitment to sustainable practices.Löfbergs’ Anna Nordström and Kajsa-Lisa Ljudén completed the SCA-accredited programme to improve the company’s ESG practices. (Karlstad, Sweden)

Fri, 13 Sep – Reliance Retail launches Armani/Caffè in India. Reliance Retail partnered with Italian designer fashion brand Giorgio Armani in 2022 to launch the Michelin-starred café in the country. Located next to the Armani boutique store at Jio World Plaza, the new location serves Italian cuisine, premium coffee, and wine. (Mumbai, India)

Photo credits: Mavick Media, Onyx Coffee Lab, The Barista League