Point of View
When we published our editorial calendar months ago, we had no inkling of the havoc that the COVID-19 pandemic would bring to bear on the coffee and tea industries. This issue of STiR was to highlight specialty coffee — that segment of the industry that gathers each April for the Specialty Coffee Association Expo in the US and each June for World of Coffee in Europe, along with concomitant competitions to name champions in five categories: Barista, Brewer’s Cup, Coffee in Good Spirits, Cup Tasters, and Roaster. These events, and countless others, have been necessarily canceled or postponed (visit www.stir-tea-coffee.com for ongoing regular updates).
And because we call it like it is, this issue’s editorial content paints a not-so-rosy picture of the current state of the global coffee and tea industries, which are, frankly, in crisis. We provide a sobering list of important event cancellations and postponements thus far, 22 in all (p. 30); contributor Aravinda Anantharaman analyzes the struggles of tea growers in India (p.36); and Dan Bolton digs into the nuanced challenges of coffee growers in China (p.32), which will, no doubt, be further complicated by the coronavirus.
But all is not lost. Coffee monolith Starbucks just announced a Global Partner Emergency Relief Fund, committing $10 million in direct-relief grants to employees worldwide who are facing extreme hardship as a result of the pandemic. This initiative marks the first time both company-operated and international-licensed partners have had access to such grants.
Last month, Lavazza donated $11 million to support Italian efforts to fight COVID-19, which has ravaged the country. The money will be used to support schools and health care, purchase critically needed equipment and supplies, and help local citizens needing assistance. There’s also good news out of Colombia and Mexico. Growers in Colombia are celebrating the 2019 harvest, the best in the country’s history in terms of production, and a new commitment from the federal government to finance a price stabilization fund to compensate growers for price deficiencies in the context of a depressed C-market. Read contributor Bethany Haye’s report (p. 12), as well as her update on Mexico (p. 46), which, after a dismal five years is now the world’s number eight producer of coffee and is rapidly developing its specialty and certified sectors, both of which will help the country diversify its offerings.
We also take a look at the work of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA) in promoting gender equity across the globe (p. 42). And we talk with Migel Meza, highly regarded green coffee buyer, renowned cupper, and award-winning roaster about the future of coffee (p. 18). Hint: It’s not necessarily all about arabica.
And you need look no further than Instagram for examples of the creativity among businesses selling and serving coffee and tea to consumers. Online tasting events that drive revenue, free shipping, deep discounts on products, and owners diverting profits to keep employees on staff are just a few of the goodwill gestures we’ve seen that will hopefully keep many companies in business through this time, along with the industry side behind the scenes that supports them. Smaller retail players have it the hardest, and we see communities rallying to support their local coffee and tea shops.
One roaster in Floyd, Virginia — Red Rooster Coffee Roaster — came up with a way to pay it forward and stay afloat. The company is accepting donations to make meals for its local food bank. A $10 donation buys a meal, employees stay on payroll, and customers have contributed to the good of the larger community. It may well be these grassroots efforts that keep us all afloat, financially and psychologically, during these troubled times.