Quick News Links (ICYMI)

18 December 2024

  • Coffee Prices Hit Record High After Challenging Growing Season | The Hill
  • TreeHouse Foods to Acquire Private Label Tea Manufacturer for $205M | Food Manufacturing
  • Dutch Trader Sucden Coffee Surrenders $670K+ After ICE Allegations | Daily Coffee News
  • Typhoo Tea Bought Out of Administration for £10m | The Guardian
  • Scientists Figured Out the Optimal Cup of Coffee | Popular Science

04 December 2024

  • Keurig Pushes Back Windsor Plant Shutdown to 2025 | Just Drinks
  • Typhoo Tea Teeters on the Brink of Administration | BBC
  • Coffee Prices Surge to Highest Since 1997 on Supply Fears | Bloomberg
  • Cachar Plans Subsidy to Help Small-Scale Tea Growers | Times of India
  • London Named One of the Best UK Cities for Coffee Lovers | London World

20 November 2024

  • How Will PPWR Affect the Capsules Industry? | AMI
  • Tea Recall Issued Nationwide As FDA Sets Risk Level | Newsweek
  • Nestlé Launches New Soluble Coffee Range | Global Coffee Report
  • UK Tetley Tea Pay Dispute Resolved | Just Drinks
  • Boston Tea Party Calls for Ban on Single-Use Coffee Cups | MCA

07 November 2024

16 October 2024

  • New Hawaii Coffee Law Incites Controversy | SF Gate
  • Tetley Tea Manufacturing UK Strikes Continue | Just Drinks
  • Caffeine Reduction Is a Notable Coffee Market Trend | Gourmet Pro
  • Japan's Green Tea Leader Ito En to Make Foray into India in 2025 | Nikkei Asia

02 October 2024

  • Coffee Consumption Outside the Home Is Back to Pre-Pandemic Levels | Sprudge
  • Slim Pickings for Tea Plantation Workers in Sri Lanka Election | EcoBusiness
  • Coffee Linked to a Lower Risk of Heart Disease | NBC News

18 September 2024

  • Food Empire to Invest $80 Million in New Vietnam Freeze-Dried Soluble Coffee Manufacturing Facility | Market Screener
  • Brits Rank Asda as Best Tea Bags Over PG Tips and Tetley | The Guardian
  • Starbucks CEO Outlines Strategy to Reverse Slump | WhatNews?
  • Taiwanese Tea Wins Major Honor at U.K. Food Award | FocusTaiwan

4 September 2024

  • The World’s Coffee Mostly Comes From Two Countries: That’s a Problem | Bloomberg
  • The Reasons Behind the Brazilian Tea Sector's Steady Growth | World Tea News
  • 2023/2024 Packaging Innovation Awards | PIA

21 August 2024

  • Starbucks CEO Replaced by Brian Niccol | AP News
  • Secretive Dynasty Missed Out on Billions While Advisors Got Rich | Bloomberg

07 August 2024

  • Wayanad Landslides: Death Toll Reaches 369 | On Manorama
  • Keurig Dr Pepper Stock Hits 52-week High at $35.02 | Investing.com
  • The New Green Giant: How Matcha Took Over the World | The Guardian
  • Is Shanghai the New Coffee Capital of the World? | BBC News

16 July 2024

  • Listeria Contamination Forces Danone Canada to Recall 15 Silk SKUs | Dairy Reporter
  • India's Tea Prices Soar as Extreme Weather Slashes Output | Reuters
  • Nestlé Unveils New Climate Resilient, Lower Carbon Footprint Coffee Variety | ESG Today
  • How the World Came to Run on Coffee | BBC

3 July 2024

  • G7 Leaders Acknowledge Coffee's Importance As a Key Strategic Sector | G7Italia
  • Gene Discovery to Boost Mechanical Tea Harvesting | Phys.org
  • Marcus Young Leads Coffee Business Class At Monarch Farm in Hawaii | Monarch Coffee
  • UN and EU Agencies Launch New Project to Address Child Labor in the Coffee Industry | FAO.org

19 June 2024

  • European Roasters Call for Delay in EU Deforestation Rules (EUDR) | Daily Coffee News
  • Brazil Coffee Report: Upward Prediction for Production, Exports and Revenue | Daily Coffee News
  • Combating Counterfeit Ceylon Tea | AFD 
  • Coffee Maker Market Will Hit $5.1 Billion with a CAGR of 6.3% | WhaTech

5 June 2024

  • Europe's Premier Specialty Coffee Trade Show is Going to Geneva, Switzerland | SCA
  • Decoding the Biochemical Dance of Black Tea's Fragrance | Phys.org
  • Improved Supply Conditions Lowers World Beverage Prices for Coffee | World Bank
  • Governor Erick Mutai Faces Contention Over James Finlay Kenya Ltd Deal | The Standard
  • Global Specialty Coffee Shops Market Size Expected to Grow by $57 Billion | Yahoo Finance

16 May 2024

  • RTD Tea Market is Anticipated to be Worth $40 billion by 2032 | Open PR
  • Tea Auction Prices Fall to 12-year Low Despite Record Production in 2023 | English
  • Juan Valdez Signs North America Retail Coffee Deal with Green Coffee Company | World Coffee Portal 

01 May 2024

  • Announcing the winners of the 2024 US Coffee Championships | Sprudge
  • Chinese Bubble Tea Proves Hong Kong Stock Exchange is in Trouble  | BBC News
  • Chicago SCA Expo Breaks Records | SCA
  • Sucafina Opens Largest Wet Mill for Green Coffee Processing in Yunan, China | Daily Coffee News

18 April 2024

  • Spiking coffee prices are causing global tension in the market | Newsweek
  • Green tea market expected to increase to $7.72 billion from 2024-2028 | Technavio
  • Decaf Typica wins 2024 US Brewers Cup: Specialty coffee is changing its opinion | Perfect Daily Grind
  • Pukka Herbs loses B Corp accreditation after Lipton Teas & Infusions integration | The Grocer
  • Adapting to the EU Deforestation Law: Vietnam's tactical way to win the European market | Kompas

03 April 2024

  • Starbucks has now certified 6,091 Greener Stores as part of its commitment to reducing carbon emissions, landfill waste, and water usage.  | Starbucks News

21 March 2024

  • Bellwether’s new smaller and leaner electric shop roaster appeals to smaller businesses. (Daily Coffee News)

07 March 2024

14 February 2024

1 February 2024

  • Luckin Coffee Partners with Australian Open (Global Coffee Report).

18 January 2024

  • JDE Peet's recognised as sustainability leader by 2023 Dow Jones Sustainability Europe Index, only coffee company featured on list.
  • China has now surpassed the US as the biggest branded coffee shop market in the world with 18,330 net new stores having opened in the last year with a total that now exceeds 49,690 outlets.
  • Australian Tea Masters is partnering with Questex, the parent company of World Tea Expo and World Tea News to expand the World Tea Academy (WTA) education center.

20 December 2023

  • Mercon Bankrupt: Netherlands-based coffee trader owes Rabobank $200 million but could be sold.
  • World Coffee Portal: US coffee shops total 40,062, now worth 104% of pre-pandemic market value.

4 December 2023

  • Assam tea heritage: Community urges conservation of historic railway station that drove tea trade.

15 November 2023

01 November 2023

  • Coffee cartel: Korean economist urges producer nations to band together.
  • Vietnam’s coffee exports: High prices will push value to a record high of $4.2 billion in 2023, with volume at 1.7 million tons.
  • Tea fights covid: Japanese study finds that tea compounds deactivate Omicron subvariants of virus.

17 October 2023

04 October 2023

20 September 2023

  • Coffee traceability: ICE commodities market plans new technology for compliance with EU Deforestation Regulation.
  • Coffee brainwake: Study by biomedical engineers shows that drinking coffee improves memory and concentration.

6 September 2023

  • Spiked latte: China’s Luckin Coffee cafe chain sees huge sales of new coffee drink laced with 53 ABV Kweichow Moutai.

23 August 2023

  • Caffeine and diabetes: Medical study finds caffeine could reduce risk of high blood sugar and overweight.

02 August 2023

  • Investment in IMA Group: Merchant bank BTD & MSD acquires stake in Italian maker of processing and packaging machinery.
  • Fungi eat plastic: Scientists discover that some types of fungus break down polyethylene.

19 July 2023

  • Fine robusta subscription: U.S. online shop Paradise Coffee Roasters pioneers subscription service for premium canephora from various origins.

05 July 2023

  • GCP boosts smallholder plan: Eight members of Global Coffee Platform contribute $1.5 million toward next sustainability push supporting small growers.
  • Uganda tea plan: The government has finalized a National Tea Policy to upgrade the sector.

21 June 2023

7 June 2023

  • Lavender citrus RTD tea: Los Angeles-based Marquis beverages expands low-sugar RTD line deriving caffeine from tea, coffee, and yerba mate.

16 May 2023

  • Tim Hortons in Korea: Canadian coffee cafes are set to enter South Korea under new franchise agreement.
  • Global tea market: Forecast estimates sector at $93 billion by 2031, based on 6.7% CAGR.
  • Cascara energy drink: U.S. franchiser Bad Ass Coffee launches beverage based on cascara and botanicals.

3 May 2023

19 April 2023

  • Illycaffe rising: Italy coffee brand reports double-digit growth in sales and profits.

05 April 2023

  • Rwanda coffee: Eight Rwandan brands joined Amsterdam Coffee Festival.
  • Dilmah in Oz: Tea brand might quit Australian supermarkets.

22 March 2023

  • Kenya’s Tea Employment: A special task force recommended maintaining a ratio of at least 40% manual labor in the tea sector.
  • Centuries-Old Tea: The Yame area in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture is celebrating the 600-year anniversary of local cultivation of tea.
  • Evolution of Starbucks: An analysis discusses how the U.S. cafe chain has succeeded by continually adapting its model over the decades.

08 March 2023

  • Re:Co unveils speakers: The SCA’s Re:Co Symposium, taking place before the Specialty Coffee Expo in April, has announced its list of speakers.
  • India’s tea exports on track: India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry says that exports of tea are set to achieve 95% of the government’s $883 million target in 2023.

23 February 2023

  • Frozen coffee pod maker Cometeer is in hot water, according to Forbes.
  • The ICO launches living income studies in four coffee growing countries: Rwanda, Honduras, Togo, and Angola.
  • Vietnam’s Thai Nguyen Province is stepping up production of tea certified under its One Commune One Product program, helping lift prices.

08 February 2023

11 January 2023

  • Electrolytic coffee:  A new U.S. company called Electrobrew has introduced what it calls the first electrolyte-infused ground coffee.
  • Ofi unit rebrands: Olam Specialty Coffee, a green coffee supplier based in the U.S. and U.K., has changed its name to “Covoya.”
  • Hunan dark tea: Chinese customs agents worked with growers to support the first shipment of Hunan dark tea to the United States.

15 December 2022

  • RTD matcha is available in four new premium beverages from U.S. maker MatchaKo.
  • Reborn Coffee, a California-based specialty coffee retailer, has acquired a coffee shop and roasting R&D facility in Korea.

01 December 2022

  • The SCA is trialing the next iteration of its cupping protocols.
  • Nespresso announced a new range of paper-based home compostable capsules.

16 November 2022

  • A Papua New Guinea farm association leader urged coffee growers to sell their crop soon before prices fall further.
  • Cafe Bustelo donated $1.25 to Florida International University.

02 November 2022

  • “Coffee-free coffee” is being offered by a Dutch company called Northern Wonder, which says their alternative beverage has a smaller environmental footprint.

17 October 2022

  • Pod Pack, a U.S. maker of single-serve coffee and tea solutions, merges with specialty coffee roaster Joe’s Garage.

05 October 2022

  • Entrepreneur magazine listed the founders of Diaspara Co. tea and Kahawa 1893 coffee among its 2022 roster of “Women of Influence.”
  • Nestlé has launched its Nescafé Plan 2030 to help drive regenerative agriculture, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve farmers' livelihoods.
  • A Ghanian official called on the EU to avoid letting sustainability requirements become a burden on coffee and cocoa producers in Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia, as reported by Ghanian media.
  • Saudi Arabia aims to develop its coffee industry, as highlighted by an Arab News report on the recent Saudi Coffee Sustainability Forum.

20 September 2022

  • Brazil’s Cup of Excellence contest has begun pre-selection and will announce final results at the end of October.
  • A 7-pound (3.2-kilogram) lot of geisha coffee sold for some $42,000 in a recent auction by Panama’s Lamastus Family Estates.
  • Bangladesh’s Ministry of Labor will honor four tea gardens among 30 businesses to be given green factory awards this year.
  • A TV period drama about the tea industry in the 1950s, “Gold Leaf," (茶金) won the most nominations for Taiwan’s best series in 2022.

07 September 2022

  • The world’s top 8 coffee companies increased their purchases of sustainable coffee to 55% of their sourcing in 2021, according to the Global Coffee Platform.

17 August 2022

  • Revenue growth of more than 1,100% over three years landed single-serve specialist Steeped Coffee on Inc. magazine’s list of fastest-growing companies.
  • The government of India’s Assam state will begin disbursing a $22.6 million fund to support development of smallholder tea farms, according to The Sentinel newspaper.
  • Shares of California-based specialty roaster Reborn Coffee soared as high as 80% after its IPO, according to Seeking Alpha.

03 August 2022

  • Spain's Azkoyen Group purchased Barcelona-based Ascaso, a maker of espresso machines.
  • Beanvoyage, the social enterprise that promotes women in coffee farming, will hold a two-day conference in San Juan, Costa Rica from August 11–12.
  • The operator of Tim Hortons in China will develop co-branded RTD coffees for the nation's largest convenience store chain, Easy Joy.

20 July 2022

  • Japan's yen for canned coffee has helped Coca-Cola's Georgia Coffee become the world's highest-grossing RTD brew, the company says.
  • Russia's orders of Indian tea have driven up prices by as much as 50% in July according to the Economic Times.
  • A mother's drinking of coffee during pregnancy does not increase the risk of miscarriage, according to study by  Australia's University of Queensland published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

04 July 2022

  • Vietnam’s coffee industry commanded much higher export prices for crop shipped to the US during the first five months of 2022, according to a government news report here.
  • Niraj de Mel appointed chairman of Sri Lanka Tea Board for second time. Story is here.
  • Brewing CBD-infused coffee by the pod system significantly reduces CBD levels added to the coffee blends, according to a study by Hocking College in Ohio, US.  Read about it here.
  • US herbal tea brand Alvita recently celebrated 100 years since its beginning as a maker of alfalfa health teas in Florida in 1922. Here’s the announcement.

15 June 2022

  • Visit STiR coffee and tea magazine at the World of Coffee Milan and pick up the June/July edition (other back issues will be available also.  Depending on which email from the organizers we are to believe, we are in booth MS-B08 or MS-B10 at MICO Milan.
  • World Coffee Producers Forum announces registration is open for its delayed 3rd World Coffee Producers Forum which will first be held virtually on July 12, 2022 (Eastern Standard Time) and then in person February 12-13, 2023 in Kigali Rwanda.

01 June 2022

  • Coffee Roaster Bean Box of Seattle partnered with the TV show “Seinfeld” for a range of coffee blends based on characters from the show on their infamous diner – such as Elaine’s Little Kicks, George’s Serenity Now, Kramer’s Giddy up, and Jerry’s Diner Blend. 

15 May 2022

  • Oldest Euro tea plant: Gorreana Tea, in the Azores, Portugal is the oldest operating tea plantation in Europe. Founded in 1883, it is still operating.  See a video about the plantation here.
  • US coffee growing: There are two US states that grow coffee. Do you know which state other than Hawaii grows coffee?  Read the full article in tastingtable.com here.
  • Fairtrade appointment: Fairtrade International announce Sandra Uwera as the new global c.e.o. Uwera brings a wealth of experience, most recently as c.e.o. of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Business Council. See fairtrade.net for more information.
  • JDE Peet’s executes €500 million share buyback. JDE Peets, the so-called world’s leading coffee-tea pure play investment acquires the shares from Mondelez International Holdings of the Netherlands.  See story here.

03 May 2022

  • Italy’s Espresso Academy further extends its China schools, this time with the Italyamo school in Wenzhou, China. See the link here for a full list of Espresso Academy schools around the world.

15 April 2022

  • The World Tea Expo names its “Best of” award winners during its 20th anniversary celebration in Las Vegas, NV, USA in late March.  Winners included: The Republic of Tea, SerendipiTea, Allegro Coffee & Tea, Mosi, Bigelow tea. See here for the full list and links.
  • Kombucha tea market to surpass US$5.2 billion amid growing popularity for functional beverages. The US is expected to dominate the global supply with 24.1$ market share by 2032.  Click here to find out how to obtain the full report.
  • According to a press release  from the Deutscher Kaffeeverband, The German coffee market continued to grow in 2021, despite Covid. Whole beans increased 11.1%, food retail growth greater than out of home decline, and per capita consumption up to 169 liters.

04 April 2022

  • Tata Consumer Products will merge with Tata Coffee. TCP is the home of famous coffee and tea brands (Tata, Tetley, Eight O’Clock)  and Tata Coffee is the producer of instant coffee and supplier of green coffee and tea leaf. For more information.
  • World of Coffee moves from Warsaw, Poland to Milan, Italy due to refugees from Ukrainian war being housed temporarily in the exhibition center. 100% of attendee revenue will go to benefit the Ukrainian coffee community displaced by war. For more information  https://worldofcoffee.org.
  • Howard Schultz, the founder of Starbucks is back at the helm upon the  retirement of Kevin Johnson, president and c.e.o. for 13 years. Press release here.

15 March 2022

  • Westrock Coffee Company, S&D Coffee & Tea announce moving forward under one brand. The two companies will begin providing service under one name, Westrock Coffee, to build and efficiently operate the integrated coffee, tea, and extracts supply chain company. See news here. 
  • Meet the medieval “influencer” who convinced the world to drink tea; not eat it. It seems eating tea by chewing and making soups was way tea was consumed, that is until the Lu Yu, the so-called “Tea God” started the tea-drinking trend which persists today. For the story in Atlas Obscura,

02 March 2022

  • Bellwether Coffee says it launches the “next-gen zero emissions coffee roasting system.  The technology aims to make sustainable coffee roasting more accessible coffee retailers. More info here.

15 February 2022

December 1, 2021

November 15, 2021

November 02, 2021