Coffee News Recap, 26 Jul: Fairtrade issues statement on rising coffee prices, Luckin reaches 20,000-store milestone & 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 launch.

Mon, 22 Jul

British Airways to serve Grind coffee on all European flights. Grind developed three exclusive blends – flat white, long black, and decaf black – for British Airways’ High Life Café service. Grind’s RTD Iced Caramel Latte will also be available in-flight. (London, UK)

Fairtrade issues statement on rising coffee prices. In a recent statement, the Fairtrade Foundation said recent green coffee price hikes are likely to destabilise the supply chain and add pressure to farmers and co-ops, despite belief that higher prices are always beneficial. (Bonn, Germany)

Brazil’s coffee harvests continue despite heavy rainfall in Paraná and São Paulo. Cepea reports that 60% of the 2024-25 coffee harvest is complete, with an increase in yields but a drop in quality. Robusta harvests in Espírito Santo are almost complete. (São Paulo, Brazil)

Panera Brands considers Caribou Coffee sale. Backed by JAB Holding, Panera Brands is also exploring the sale of its bagel chains, including Einstein Bros – projected to be over US $1.5 billion in total. Bank of America will manage the transaction, with interest growing from restaurant operators and private equity firms. (New York City, New York, US)

Applications open for 2024-25 Certificate of Advanced Studies in Coffee Excellence. The CAS in Coffee Excellence, launched by ZHAW’s Coffee Excellence Center in 2021, is a 15-month online programme covering topics rom coffee production to sensory evaluation. (Zurich, Switzerland)

STōK Cold Brew launches limited-edition Wrexham AFC-branded bottles. The co-branded packaging for Wrexham AFC – which is the world’s third-oldest professional football team – was unveiled at the LA Wrex Coast Tour kick-off party. The limited-edition bottles are available in grocery stores across in the US in Unsweet and Not Too Sweet flavours. (Broomfield, Colorado, US)

ACDI/VOCA launches sustainable agribusiness project in partnership with Honduran Coffee Institute. The aim of the project is to establish an international marketing plan for the Honduran coffee sector and reduce systemic poverty in the country. (Washington DC, US)

Driftaway Coffee releases new Rising Tide Collection. The new line features unique coffees, including a natural Aji from Luz Helena Salazar and an anaerobic Chiroso from Nestor Lasso. Buyers also have the chance to virtually meet the producers. (New York City, New York, US)

Indonesia’s Expat. Roasters open first airport location. The new store in Terminal 1A of Juanda International Airport marks a significant milestone in the company’s national expansion. (Surabaya, Indonesia)

Tue, 23 Jul

This year’s International Coffee Convention to be held on 17 & 18 October. International Coffee Organisation Executive Director Vanusia Nogueira will inaugurate the convention, with this year’s theme of “coffee in transition”. Key sessions will address the commercial viability of different coffee species, land use and deforestation policies, sustainable use of coffee by-products, and coffee’s nutritional impact and health claims. (Mannheim, Germany)

El Salavdor’s President launches Bean of Fire coffee brand. Bukele said the company is a “passion project” to showcase the country’s coffee heritage and high-quality varieties. Available to buy in the US, Bean of Fire has pledged to donate 200lbs of coffee and sugar daily to Salvadoran businesses, which Bukele says is an effort to support local entrepreneurs and encourage expatriates to also give back. (San Salvador, El Salvador)

Brazil’s Safras & Mercado reduces its 2024-25 coffee production estimate to over 66 million 60kg bags. The new prediction has been reduced by over 4 million 60kg bags, but is still projected to be above last year’s total of 65.58 million bags. The arabica crop is forecast at 45 million bags, while the robusta harvest is estimated at 20.7 million bags. (São Paulo, Brazil)

5 To Go opens its first airport location at Bucharest’s Henri Coandă International. The coffee chain has opened new stores in both the arrivals and departures terminals of Romania’s busiest airport, which saw 14.6 million visitors in 2023. This move aims to boost the brand’s presence in high-traffic locations. (Bucharest, Romania)

Australian RTD coffee brand Hunt and Brew to debut in the UK through Tesco supermarket partnership. The company will launch three single-origin RTD coffee products (Brazil, Ethiopia, and Colombia) in Tesco Express stores starting 28 July 2024, and will expand to all 3,700 UK Tesco locations by September. (Perth, Australia)

FiXX Coffee celebrates 20th anniversary. FiXX Coffee is Ireland’s first and only woman-owned coffee business and has now sold more than 1 million kg of roasted coffee. To celebrate this milestone and two decades of operating, the roaster is offering 20% off its Selection Box. (Dublin, Ireland)

Blue Bottle Coffee expands best-selling NOLA line with new instant coffee. The NOLA Craft Instant Coffee Blend – which includes chicory – was developed in homage to New Orleans-style iced coffee. (Oakland, California, US)

Wed, 24 Jul

Pachamama Coffee among winners at 2024 Sustainable Food Award. The global co-operative – which is owned by farmers in Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico, and Ethiopia – won the Sustainability Pioneer category at this year’s awards programme for its producer-owned business model. (Sacramento, California, US)

Melitta and Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung complete “Back to the Roots” project in Brazil. The project promoted a circular economy model in coffee production, and created a practical starting point for more comprehensive waste management and reuse of organic waste at scale in the future. (Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil)

Philips launches bean-to-cup Baristina machine in the US. The compact machine can prepare a range of drinks, and also comes with a separate milk frother. (Boston, Massachusetts, US)

Decent Espresso opens new showroom in Hong Kong. Attached to its factory, the new 800 sq ft showroom also includes a coffee bar. (Hong Kong)

Luckin Coffee hits 20,000-store milestone with new Beijing outlet. The coffee chain opened its 10,000th store just over a year ago. Since 31 March 2024, Luckin launched 1,442 new stores, and opened 2,340 locations in the previous quarter. (Beijing, China)

Fellow appoints Crocs CMO Heidi Cooley to its Board of Directors. Cooley has extensive global marketing experience at Abercrombie & Fitch, Sport Authority, and Crocs, which Fellow says will help the brand to launch new products. (San Francisco, California, US)

Onyx Coffee Lab collaborates with New Belgium to create coffee sour beer. The foeder-aged dark sour ale includes Onyx’s yellow honey processed beans from Las Lajas in Costa Rica, with tasting notes of peach, raw sugar, molasses, and fresh figs. (Ft. Collins, Colorado, US)

Volcafe appoints Raphaelle Peinado as new Sustainability Director. Peinado will spearhead Volcafe’s global sustainability initiatives and partnerships, and collaborate with parent company ED&F Man Commodities on group strategies. She previously led Sucden’s Cocoa department sustainability strategy and has a background in international sustainability projects. (Winterthur, Switzerland)

Rancilio celebrates ten years of The Barista League sponsorship. The premium Italian coffee equipment manufacturer has supported The Barista League for almost a decade to create inclusive and accessible industry events. (Parabiago, Italy)

CoE El Salvador auction sees highest bid of US $122/lb for natural processed Gesha. Over 198lbs of the coffee – which received 91.80 points – was purchased by Angelino’s in Los Angeles for a total of US $24,206. Five international roasters also purchased more than 661lbs of the highest-scoring coffee – a honey processed Pacamara – for over US $20,899.

Thu, 25 Jul

Mare Terra Coffee to host 2024 Open Tasting Competition on 25 & 26 October. The green coffee importer will run its annual competition at the Gran Hotel Rey Don Jaime in Barcelona, Spain. A total of 48 competitor spots are available, with four cash prizes up for grabs – including €10,000 for the highest-scoring competitor. (Barcelona, Spain)

Coffee Banhada launches first exclusively robot barista drive-thru store in South Korea. Customers can choose from 206 beverage and bakery items via an app at the 24/7 store. (Seoul, South Korea)

Nestlé, Ferrero, Mars Wrigley, and Tony’s Chocolonely show support for EUDR. Despite numerous calls to delay regulations, the four multinationals have expressed their backing, and have urged the EU to assist businesses to meet the compliance deadline. (Brussels, Belgium)

Nestlé reports coffee sales as largest driver of organic growth in 2024 half-year financial report. Sales of Nescafé, Nespresso, and Starbucks products experienced mid-single digit growth during the first half of the year, while the company’s overall sales fell by 2.7%. (Vevey, Switzerland)

CoE Costa Rica auction receives highest bid of US $84/lb for washed Gesha. Kaldi Coffee Farm bought over 330lbs of the coffee (which scored 92.04 points) for a total of more than US $27,447. Al Qahwa Al Arabiah also purchased over 628 lbs of a 91.19-point honey processed Gesha for more than US $48,569.

Matthew Algie partners with Social Bite to open coffee shops on college and university campuses. Social Bite donates 10% of profits to charities that support homeless communities, and locations will serve Matthew Algie’s Elevator blend. (London, UK)

Mayorga Coffee donates 30,000 coffee seedlings to smallholders in Guatemala. Cultivated by certified organic Finca La Hermosa, the seedlings – which are 70% Marsellesa and 30% Catuaí, Caturra, Bourbon, Pacamara, and Gesha varieties – were distributed to local co-op members and non-members. The donation will generate US $2.8 million in income for the local farming community. (Acatenango, Chimaltenango, Guatemala)

IWCA opens Greek chapter. Led by Marilena Kouidou, the latest IWCA chapter signed an MoU with Executive Director Blanca Castro at WoC Copenhagen. The new chapter supports the organisation’s global mission to increase women’s participation in the coffee industry and celebrate historic Greek coffee culture. (Copenhagen, Denmark)

Fri, 26 Jul

Second edition of Expo Cafeto attracts more than 3,000 attendees. The event included 25 national and international exhibitors, as well as a series of lectures and cuppings. Expo Cafeto also hosted two competitions, with Julian Allende announced as the winner of the 2024 Cafeto Latte Art championship and Emanuel Beltran Lamas as the 2024 Cafeto Brew Off champion. (Córdoba, Argentina)

World Coffee Research announces completion of first phase of F1 hybrid trial. The organisation identified four finalist candidates, which were crossbred using high-performing Gesha and Sarchimor varieties. WCR will now begin the initial pre-commercial trial phase to assess opportunities for uptake with key industry partners. (Portland, Oregon, US)

DREO launches smart home BaristaMaker milk foamer. The BaristaMaker is compatible with all types of milk, and will be available on Kickstarter from 13 August. DREO also announced brand ambassador partnerships with 2024 World Barista Champion Mikael Jasin, 2022 World Barista Champion Anthony Douglas, and 2017 World Barista Champion Dale Harris.

Sucafina publishes 2023 sustainability report. In its latest report, the green coffee trader highlights how it supported over 178,770 producers last year, assessed more than 167,000 farms for deforestation risk, and raised over US $6 million through its Kahawatu foundation to support farming communities. (Geneva, Switzerland)

Roasting Plant secures US $10 million investment to drive expansion in the US and UK. The company – which currently operates nine US locations and six UK stores – plans to open new locations in Washington DC, New York, Chicago, and London within the next 18 months. (New York City, New York, US)

Exigí Buen Cafe 2024 to take place on 2 September. The 11th edition will take place at the Hilton Hotel in Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires. Every year, the expo attracts more than 8,000 international attendees. Key event features will include coffee tastings led by Exigí Buen Café Barista School instructors and several competitions, including the 2025 Argentinian Barista, Latte Art, and Coffee in Good Spirits Championships. (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

The 2024 Territorio Café event scheduled for 10 August. The second edition of the event will be held at the Megapolis hotel in Panama City. The expo will include a trade show exhibition, a Producers Village, workshops, tastings, and competitions – including the the 2024 Panamanian AeroPress Championship. (Panama City, Panama)

A man collects green coffee from a raised bed.

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

Fri, 19 Jul – Starbucks operations disrupted by global IT outage. The coffee chain’s mobile ordering system was affected, forcing many workers to write down orders by hand.

Fri, 19 Jul – Coffee Island debuts in East Asia with new Hong Kong store. The Greek coffee chain marked its launch at the K11 Art Mall with a special event, where Managing Director Panagiotis Konstantinopoulos showcased the brand’s specialty coffee range. A spokesperson noted Hong Kong as a key milestone in the company’s 2024 growth strategy, aiming for new partnerships and market expansion. (Athens, Greece)