Coffee News Recap, 15 Sep: Thousands attend PRF Colombia in Medellín, SCA launches four Skills Diplomas & other stories

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

Here are this week’s coffee news stories.

Mon, 11 Sep

The 2023 Vienna Coffee Festival welcomed almost 9,000 visitors. Over 100 exhibitors were present at the event, which also hosted the 2023 Austrian Coffee Roasting Championship – with Lukas Stoelner of DeLuks Kaffee placing first.

ASIC Conference on Coffee Science 2023 takes place in Hanoi, Vietnam. The 29th edition of the conference hosted coffee experts from around the world, and included discussions about agronomy, chemistry, technology, and the physiological effects of coffee.

Colombia’s coffee sector faces challenges related to droughts and declining consumption. According to El País, decreasing coffee consumption and El Niño-induced droughts puts the future of Colombian coffee production at risk.

Australian town builds road using coffee cups and glass bottles. Penrith City Council worked with an environmental agency and a local asphalt supplier to turn 136,000 coffee cups and 1.2 million glass bottles into 750m of road.

Conflict in Ukraine causes drop in coffee quality in Japan. The Asahi Shimbun reports that the quality of coffee beans exported to Japan has declined, largely as a result of Colombian producers paying higher prices for Russian fertiliser.

Vietnamese coffee exports fall by 5.4%. According to Reuters, during the first eight months of 2023, the country’s coffee exports totalled 1.2 million tonnes – representing a 5.4% decrease on last year.

Luckin Coffee is now China’s largest coffee chain. The company opened its 10,000th store in China in June, and thereby has surpassed Starbucks as the country’s largest coffee chain.

New study finds people who drink two to three cups of coffee daily are at lower risk of depression and anxiety. The analysis revealed consistent results regardless of whether consumers added milk or sugar. However, researchers found that the risks of developing depression or anxiety increased for people who drank less than this amount.

Tue, 12 Sep

Specialty Coffee Association launches four practical SCA Skills Diplomas. The SCA says its new Café, Coffee Trade, Roastery, and Sustainable Coffee Diplomas provide participants with in-depth knowledge and practical experience in their respective fields that can be applied to different industry job roles. Diplomas require a combination of advanced level learning and foundational coursework from all three of the SCA Certificate Programs.

Kenya’s Deputy President says the country is making progress with coffee reforms. Speaking ahead of his attendance at PRF Colombia this week, Rigathi Gachagua said that Kenya’s coffee reforms are “steadily on track” as the government aims to revive the Coffee Board of Kenya and Coffee Research Institute.

This year’s Brighton Coffee Festival hailed as biggest and best to date. The event, which took place at the All Saints venue, featured local and national specialty coffee roasters, coffee shops, and brands. The festival also hosted a latte art competition, as well as several lectures and panels.

Study outlines the antibacterial properties of coffee mucilage. Researchers say chemical compounds present in coffee mucilage are able to halt growth of several bacteria associated with food spoilage and human illness.

Coffee Coalition for Racial Equity appoints Kim Dreux-Kelly as first Executive Director. The coalition aims to address long standing racial inequity in the US coffee industry and beyond. As the new ED, Dreux-Kelly will oversee strategic planning, partnership development, and collaboration with stakeholders across the industry.

Registration opens for SCA Educator Summit to take place on 7 & 8 November 2023 in Belforte del Chienti, Italy. The event is designed to equip coffee trainers with the latest research on emerging coffee knowledge and training techniques. Sessions will include All About the New SCA Coffee Value Assessment and Developing Training Strategies for Evolving Skills.

Biggby Coffee’s Farm-Direct programme to showcase Zambia’s Living Hope Coffee. Each year, the company highlights an individual from one of its three Farm-Direct partners. This month producer Wana Chipoya will be celebrated at Biggby stores across the US.

Wed, 13 Sep

SCA Coffee Retail Summit 2023 takes place in Busan, South Korea. The in-person edition of the event took place at Momos Coffee Yeongdo Roastery & Coffee Bar in Busan. Guest speakers included CEO of Payhere Park Jun-ki and MD of Curly Choi Yoon-seo.

This year’s DC Coffee Festival to take place on 30 September in Washington, DC. The event, which will be held at Dock 5 at Union Market, will feature several exhibitors – including the city’s most well-known roasters.

World Coffee Research releases downloadable arabica and robusta coffee varieties poster. The poster displays the lineage and relation of different coffee varieties included in WCR’s Coffee Varieties Catalog, which profiles over 100 coffee varieties. The poster is free to download.

Eversys to unveil Driving Performance concept at 2023 HOSTMilano. The coffee machine manufacturer will showcase its latest products at the event from 13 to 17 October, including its e’Levelling, flexible milk systems, and Extraction Time Control technologies.

Howard Schultz steps down from Starbucks’ board of directors. The former CEO has held several roles at the company for over 40 years. Former Alibaba senior advisor Wei Zhang has been elected to the board.

SCA’s fourth Coffee Retail Summit to take place online on 26 October. Following events held in Chicago, Copenhagen, and Busan, the 2023 virtual Coffee Retail Summit will include recordings of presentations delivered at the three in-person sessions – discussing topics such as marketing, business development, emerging technologies, and human resources & personnel management.

Thu, 14 Sep

Over 5,000 people attend PRF Colombia 2023 in Medellín. The event included an exhibition, an extensive line-up of speakers and panellists – including the No Filter Panel series – workshops, and cuppings. It also hosted four competitions: the Toddy Cold Brew Championship, Global Coffee Roasting Contest, Olla Championship, and Fibtex Championship. PRF Guatemala will take place on 7 & 8 March 2024, with more details to be announced soon.

Exhibitor pre-registration opens for 2024 Melbourne International Coffee Expo. Next year’s MICE event will take place from 12 to 14 May. Official registration will open on 25 September 2023.

This year’s Istanbul Coffee Festival begins. The annual coffee event will take place until 17 September at the Istanbul Shipyard. The festival will feature coffee tastings, workshops, seminars, live concerts, and numerous exhibitions.

Saudi Coffee Company partners with Siemens on new smart factory in Jazan. The company says the facility will help to revolutionise coffee farming in the region by leveraging Siemens’ expertise and knowledge.

New study finds most coffee firms aren’t prepared to comply with new EU anti-deforestation laws. The 2023 Coffee Barometer report says that as a result, companies may shift sourcing to more developed producing countries like Brazil. The report warns this will leave low-income smallholder farmers without sufficient income, and may threaten the longevity of coffee supplies.

Cecafé reports record Brazilian coffee exports in August 2023. The Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council says Brazil exported 3.67 million 60kg bags of green coffee in August – representing a 29% increase year-on-year and a new record for the month.

Doha International Coffee Exhibition 2023 takes place in Qatar. The country’s first premier international coffee trade show is hosting the 2023 Qatar Coffee Championships, and also features a Roasters Village, Cupping Corner, and several awards ceremonies.

Kenyan coffee farmers benefit from low-cost revolving Cherry Fund. Around 1,000 farmers in Makueni County are beneficiaries of the fund, which aims to improve farmer liquidity – and thereby gives them easier access to agricultural inputs between harvests.

Fri, 15 Sep

This year’s Barcelona Coffee Awards to take place from 29 September to 1 October. The second edition of the event will be held at Nau Bostik, and will include live roasting sessions and the 2023 Spanish Latte Art Championship.

The 2023 Philippine AeroPress Championship to take place on 16 September in Manila. Yardstick Coffee will host the national competition in Makati. The winner will go on to represent the Philippines at the World AeroPress Championship in Melbourne, Australia from 1 to 3 December 2023.

Singapore National Coffee Championships to take place at 2023 Speciality Food & Drinks Asia from 26 to 28 September. The event will host the national Barista, Brewers Cup, Latte Art, and Cup Tasters Championships. Winning competitors will represent Singapore at the World Coffee Championships in Taiwan later this year, and Busan and Copenhagen next year.

Equator Coffee launches commercially-compostable specialty espresso capsules. The plant-based capsules are available in Mocha Java, French Roast, Jaguar Espresso, and Decaf Shakeout.

This year’s Hellenic AeroPress Championship to take place at the 2023 Athens Coffee Festival on 25 September. The winner will go represent Greece at the World AeroPress Championship later this year.

The Barista League returns to Melbourne on 22 September. The multi-disciplinary coffee competition will also include the Mystery Mocktail Challenge, with coffee provided by Proud Mary. Guest judges will include Fran Lee of Café Imports and 2022 World Barista Champion Anthony Douglas.

UK chain 92 Degrees seeks US $3.7 million to fund expansion efforts. The company recently raised US $1.2 million in a series A investment round. Additional investors will be welcomed at the end of September.

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

Sun, 29 Aug – Workers at Cincinatti Dunkin’ location file for unionisation. The filing is the first union push the company has faced in 12 years.

Mon, 30 Aug – World Coffee Portal releases its 2023 UK Automation Report. Research from this year’s report found the UK premium self-serve coffee segment grew 11% year-on-year to reach 20,771 units, with 46% of UK branded coffee chains now using super-automatic espresso machines in-store.

Wed, 6 Sep – Atomic Coffee Roasters launches public tours and education classes. The roaster will host sessions at its facility in Peabody, Massachusetts, which will include complimentary tasting sessions and free coffee beans.

Wed, 6 Sep – The Cupping Room awarded Australia’s best flat white. The Canberra café, an ONA Coffee project, was recognised as serving the best flat white in the country by the Uniquely Aussie Awards.

Wed, 6 Sep – Fair Trade USA appoints Sugumar Raman as Chief Programme Officer. Raman, who most recently served as Director of Operations at FLOCERT, will help design, innovate, and implement the organisation’s various programmes.

Thu, 7 Sep – Seattle Coffee Gear launches new Diletta Bello+ espresso machine. The new machine includes PID temperature control, an integrated shot timer, programmable pre-infusion, and a low-power eco mode.

Thu, 7 Sep – Juan Valdez reports 39% year-on-year sales growth in the first half of 2023. The Colombian coffee brand now operates 556 global stores, and generated US $83.4 million in sales during the first six months of the year.

Thu, 7 Sep – New research from Kerry Group finds sustainability continues to be key driver of beverage innovation. The report outlines how sustainable ingredient sourcing, sustainable packaging, and balanced nutrition are some of the biggest consumer demands.

Thu, 7 Sep – MONIN says over half of hospitality leaders feel optimistic about the next 12 months. Around 54% of leaders in the hospitality industry feel optimistic about the success of their businesses over the next 12 months.

Thu, 7 Sep – Starbucks celebrates 25 years in the UK and EMEA regions with landmark store opening. The company’s Oldham location is its 20,000th store outside of North America. Starbucks first entered the EMEA region in 1998 with its Kings Road store in London.

Fri, 8 Sep – Scientists develop 3D printing using coffee grounds. The team developed a 3D printing method using a paste made from spent coffee grounds, water, and several other sustainable ingredients.

Fri, 8 Sep – Dutch Bros commences US $300 million public offering as it seeks to raise funds for expansion. The company has listed the Class A Common Stock in a bid to support increasingly expensive expansion plans.

Sat, 9 Sep – Coffee production uplifts communities in Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park. Farmers living in the park are benefitting from coffee production, with annual revenues tripling in some communities. Funds are being used to build schools, empower young girls, discourage child marriage, and encourage restoration of the park.

Photo credits: Producer Roaster Forum