Quick News Links

16 May 2023

• Kenya’s president meets Lipton: William Ruto urges tea company to help nation’s farmers earn more.

• 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

• Lipton Hard Tea: Leading brand launches alcoholic RTD.

• Tata Consumer Products: Livemint interviews CEO.

• Pests damage India’s tea: Researchers report 147 million kg annual loss.

• Kuwait coffee startup: Saudi VC invests.

19 April 2023

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

• Millennial consumers: Teetotalers take to tea.

• Tea mosquito: Destructive pest spreads in India.

• Aeropress upgrade: Coffee device gets filter control cap for enhanced brewing.

05 April 2023

• Rwanda coffee: Eight Rwandan brands joined Amsterdam Coffee Festival.

• Dilmah in Oz: Tea brand might quit Australian supermarkets.

• China tea conference: Zhejiang’s Songyang County held 16th tea industry event.

• Iced tea retail chain: HTeaO franchise expands to 5 U.S. states.

• Robusta endures: Vietnam’s climate-hardy coffee gains fans.

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.

• Caffeine Tourism: A New Zealand newspaper hailed coffee tours in Colombia.

08 March 2023

• Instant coffees rated: The New York Times tasted and ranked 10 instant coffees sold in the U.S.

• 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.

• App for India’s tea growers: India’s Tea Board is developing a mobile application to inform smallholders on prices.

23 February 2023

• Frozen coffee pod maker Cometeer is in hot water, according to Forbes.

• A crowdfunding project seeks support to make all-weather boots from upcycled coffee grounds.

• 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

• Packaging maker ePac will donate 2% of coffee product sales to Project Waterfall, which benefits coffee-growing communities around the world.

• Green coffee trader Sucafina acquired Sustainable Harvest, an Oregon-based specialty coffee importer.

• A Glasgow-based startup is working on a process to convert coffee grounds into a palm-oil alternative.

• Sri Lanka's George Steuart Teas has opened a new processing plant.

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.

• Indian tea exports rise: Shipments of tea from India are on the rise.

15 December 2022

• Southeast Asia’s coffee sector will cooperate with the International Coffee Organization to promote sustainable growth of the region’s industry.

• 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.

• The green coffee market will grow by 4% annually in volume terms through 2026 according to a new report.

01 December 2022

• Brazil’s 2023 coffee crop appears unlikely to top this year’s harvest, according to a Reuters report.

• Tea planters in India’s West Bengal state complain about slow dispersal of central government subsidies, according to the Telegraph India newspaper.

• 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

• India’s tea sector outlook was discussed in a special feature on CNBV-TV18.

• 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.

• The African Fine Coffees Conference and Exhibition (AFCC&E) will take place in Kigali on February 15–17, 2023.

02 November 2022

• A robotic barista has been developed by China’s Elephant Robotics.

• Africa’s coffee and tea industries will gather for the World Coffee and Tea Expo 2022, held in Ikeja, Nigeria from December 5–9.

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

• Kenya wants to ban exports of raw tea, as reported by the Standard newspaper.

• Starbucks faces more rivals in China as reported in the South China Morning Post.

17 October 2022

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

• Swiss coffee merchant Volcafe hires consultancy DSS+ to measure its carbon footprint.

• Germany’s Inspire Food Company opens a U.S. webshop for its bubble tea products.

• Malaysia’s BOH Tea company goes solar at its facilities in Selangor and Cameron Highlands.

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 Specialty Coffee Association will hold its 2nd Green Coffee Summit online on October 18 and 20, 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.

• Numi Tea’s foundation has organized a project to provide clean water to the millions of Ukrainians displaced by Russia’s military invastion.

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.

• Going to Guam? STiR magazine’s here to hook you up. When in Guam, visit Coffee Slut or the best “coffee, entertainment, and art.” And get a Coffee Slut t-shirt to wear proudly and proclaim who you are.

• In collaboration with the Specialty Coffee Association, Zurich University of Applied Sciences  is taking applications (until August 22) for its Certificate of Advanced Studies in Coffee Excellence which begins October 3.

• World Coffee Producers Forum announces registration is open for its delayed 3^rd 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. 

• Turkish coffee promoter Gizem Salcigil White presents a documentary “Introduction: Tales of Anatoli’s Turkish Coffee”. The movie to be screened in the US tells the story of Turkey’s 500-year history of Turkish coffee. 

• Green coffee from Saudi Arabia? The country’s sovereign investment fund will invest $320 million over the next 10 year to develop the national coffee business and boost production to 2,500 tonnes annually.

• Yihong Zhao, China's pioneer of "bagged tea" wins outstanding entrepreneur of the year award at the 12th China-US Business Summit.

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.

• Coffee roaster award: Extract Coffee Roasters receives title of Best All-Round Specialty Roaster at the UK Coffee Award held at the London Coffee Festival. See full awards list 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.

• The US dollar goes up and coffee prices go down. How come? See this link for an explanation of how that works from barchart.com

• 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

• Illy introduced two new machines for compostable paper pod formats. The X1 Anniversary ESE pod & pround  and the ESE Pod coffee machine both  use compostable ESE pods. More info here.

• 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.

• A Typhoo tea sponsored survey shows some Britons drink up to nine cups of tea per day. See the video here which some details on various regions, number of cups, and other demographics.

• Livelihood for thousands of Congolese woman (only) provided by growing increasingly renowned arabica coffee grown on an island in the middle of a large lake in the Southern Democratic Republic of the Congo. See the video/story here.

15 April 2022

• The World Tea Expo names its “Best of” award winners during its 20^th 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

• A new coffee-table book “Strong Women Behind A Strong Coffee” by photographer/author Denise Uwera tells the experiences of 25 women who play important roles in the Rwandan coffee industry. Contact German publisher for more information.

• 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

• Probat announces event calendar with in-person “Connecting Markets” event in September while continuing its digital live-streaming HEAT and POP UP series.  For more information, see this link.

• 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.

• Coffee Enterprises celebrates its 30^th anniversary as the “industry’s first independent testing laboratory for coffee and tea, see more info.

• Woman-owned Cured Leaves Tea  Company launches crowd funding campaign for fine African tea. Paula Shaw, founder and certified yoga instructor, claims tea is for all. See video at Cured Leaves Tea Company.

15 February 2022

• Producer & Roaster Forum (PRF) announced for Medellin, Colombia.  This is the first in-person PRF event since 2019. The 2-day conference is followed by a 4-day origin “experience trip”. For more information, see https://producerroasterforum.com.
• Coffee prices stabilize  above the 200 US/cents/lb mark in January 2022; world coffee exports up 8,9% in December; total production estimates for 2020/21 revised downward slightly to 168.88 million bags. It’s all in International Coffee Organization’s (ICO) January 2022 report. Also visit www.ico.org.
• ICO appoints Vanusia Maria Carneiro Nogueria as its new executive director, succeeding Jose Sette whose five-year term is up.  Nogueria is the first woman elected to hold this  office. Click here for the full press release.

December 1, 2021

• Major coffee company Julius Meinl outlines the steps its taking toward sustainability in its “Together: Sustainability Report”.
• Timeout magazine reports Starbucks introduces returnable tumblers for takeaway coffee in Tokyo.
• Several stories this week proclaim that “inflation is coming for your coffee too”. Here’s one link from Nasdaq.

November 15, 2021

• SCA shocks industry announcing World of Coffee Dubai exhibition with less than 2 months to showtime! Hurry up and make your plans.
• Hurry. Supplies Limited: Tchibo America giving away a million bags of coffee to celebrate its’ first anniversary in the US.
• Coffee and crypto – what’s not to like? New York café opens art/coffee shop with original NFT’s for sale.
• The Coffee Guide, the fourth and most downloaded edition of this resource from ITC International Trade Commission is available to download here for free.

November 02, 2021

• Study claims, you can improve your mood with coffee
• Canada’s Tim Horton franchisee in China opens 300th shop.
• Researchers in race for fungicides to counter growing threat of global coffee rust.
• More Starbucks stores to hold union elections; Starbucks opposes.