Every Friday, Perfect Daily Grind rounds up the top coffee industry news from the previous week. Here are this week’s stories.

• Mon, 15 Nov – Hemro Group opens new facility in Milan. Hemro, the parent company of grinder brands Mahlkönig, Ditting, Anfim, and HeyCafé, will open a new location in the Italian city exclusively for Anfim production. Hemro Group has also expanded its manufacturing capacity in Changzhou, China for its HeyCafé brand.

• Mon, 15 Nov – Franke Coffee Systems opens new flagship showroom in Switzerland. The showroom opened in the company’s Aarburg headquarters. Visitors can interact with several of Franke’s fully-automatic coffee machines.

• Mon, 15 Nov – Tim Hortons partners with Justin Bieber on new menu items and co-branded merchandise. The Canadian coffee chain will launch its first collaboration with the Canadian musician on 29 November. New menu items and merchandise will be available in US and Canadian stores.

• Mon, 15 Nov – Sucafina Rwanda (RWACOF) announces updates on biofertiliser programme. Through partnerships with The Bug Picture and COPE, the project treats organic waste (including coffee pulp) with black soldier fly larvae to produce nutrient-dense natural fertiliser. Sucafina expects to produce 11 tonnes of fertiliser per month for local farming communities.

• Mon, 15 Nov – Oatly supply chain issues cause Q3 2021 revenue loss. The brand said production issues at its Utah facility resulted in a loss of US $3 million, while Covid-19 lockdowns in Asia cost the company a further US $3 million. The UK’s shortage of transport workers also led to a loss of US $1 million. Oatly has revised its full-year revenue estimates down from US $690 million to US $635 million.

• Mon, 15 Nov – Arabica coffee futures at near 10-year high. ICE arabica contracts for December hit US $232.60 cents/lb – the highest monthly recorded levels since January 2012. Robusta prices continue to remain at a 10-year high of US $2,313/tonne. Price increases are attributed to global freight issues and July’s severe frost in Brazil.

• Mon, 15 Nov – Nominations open for 2022 SCA Sustainability Awards. The three categories open for nominations are Business Model, Individual, and Project. The application deadline is 7 January 2022.

• Mon, 15 Nov – UN COP26 ends as global leaders announce Glasgow climate pact. The convention took place from 31 October to 12 November:
  
  • Over 100 countries committed to implementing reforestation projects by 2030.
  • The EU outlined laws banning imports of any products linked to deforestation, including coffee.
  • The agreement includes other actions to limit the rise of average global temperatures to 1.5°C (2.7°F) – deemed essential to avoid the climate-induced displacement of millions of people in the global south (including coffee farmers)

• Tue, 16 Nov – Starbucks collaborates with Taylor Swift on exclusive signature drink promotion. To celebrate the re-recording of the US artist’s album, Starbucks is now including an option for the “Grande Caramel Non-Fat Latte (Taylor’s Version)” on its US app.

• Tue, 16 Nov – Research finds coffee consumption increases levels of physical activity. The University of California found that when participants consumed more coffee, their average daily step count increased by 1,000. Each extra cup of coffee supposedly increased step count by 600. However, when participants consumed coffee, their average night’s sleep also fell by 36 minutes.

• Tue, 16 Nov – Olam International secures US $1.25 billion credit facility. The agreement also includes a three-year term loan facility of US $225 million. Proceeds will be used to refinance existing loans for Olam and its subsidiaries.

• Tue, 16 Nov – Kuwait COFE App partners with Saudi Arabia media group. COFE App states the partnership with MBC Group will improve brand visibility across the Middle East and North Africa. COFE App will launch in Egypt and the UK in 2022.

• Tue, 16 Nov – Ethiopia’s coffee exports reach record levels. The Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority says coffee production from October onwards is currently at 86,000 tonnes – 77% higher than previous estimates.

• Tue, 16 Nov – Peet’s Coffee rereleases San Francisco 49ers Faithful Blend. The limited release medium roast is available online and in San Francisco locations until December. Peet’s Coffee is the exclusive coffee partner for the San Francisco 49ers.

• Tue, 16 Nov – Alianza CAFE to host Connecting ideas to generate changes webinar series. Alianza Coffee Alliance for Excellence supports Peruvian coffee producers to grow specialty coffee. The first webinar, entitled Importance of digital communication in the Peruvian coffee sector, will be held on 23 November.

• Tue, 16 Nov – Study by Tianjin Medical University finds coffee consumption can decrease risk of stroke and dementia. Research found that participants who consumed 2 to 3 cups of coffee (or a combination of 4 to 6 cups of coffee and tea) per day reduced their risk of both dementia and stroke by up to 32%. Over 360,000 people aged between 50 and 74 took part in the study.

• Wed, 17 Nov – Kofra Coffee to host first-ever Oatly Café Cup. The café task competition will be held at the Upper St. Giles location in Norwich on 26 November from 18:00 GMT. The winning team will receive a Sage Barista Pro espresso machine.

• Wed, 17 Nov – German Coffee Association to host 4th annual coffee capsule event. The International Virtual Congress on Coffee Capsules will be held on 24 November from 9:30 to 17:30 CET. The event will include an extensive conference programme and a virtual exhibition platform.

• Wed, 17 Nov – Cold brew company Riff raises US $2.5 million in seed funding round. Notable investors include former Anheuser-Busch president Dave Peacock and former NFL player Vernon Davis. Riff says funding will be used to expand operations, marketing, and sales, and invest in a new canning line.

• Wed, 17 Nov – Glasgow start-up Two Birds Drinks launches on UK trainline menu. The company’s beverages – including its Vitamin Enriched Cold Blend Coffee – will be available on Avanti West Coast’s first class menu. Two Birds sources coffee from Dear Green Coffee Roasters in Glasgow.

• Wed, 17 Nov – IWCA Australia elects new board members. The 2022 board members include President Veronica Ponce and Vice President Melissa Garcia.

• Wed, 17 Nov – SCA hosts specialty coffee living wage webinar. Thrive While Paying a Living Wage – Specialty Coffee Industry was held in partnership with the Living Wage For US programme. The webinar discussed how implementing a living wage can reduce staff turnover and improve customer service.

• Wed, 17 Nov – WCR co-publishes new white paper on arabica production in South Sudan. Validating South Sudan as a Centre of Origin for Coffea arabica: Implications for Conservation and Coffee Crop Improvement is based on a 2012 study led by IWCA Executive Director Sarada Krishnan, WCR founder Tim Schilling, and Royal Botanic Gardens researcher Aaron Davis. The group found wild arabica plants growing in the Boma Plateau, which is in eastern South Sudan. Researchers said there is potential for breeding programmes to improve production.

• Thu, 18 Nov – Loans for Brazilian farmers affected by frost to have 7% interest rates. Funcafé’s R$1.3 billion (US $238 million) loans will come with an annual 7% interest rate, but credit limits and repayment conditions for each recipient will vary based on the severity of the frost damage.

• Thu, 18 Nov – The Partnership for Gender Equity hosts gender equity in supply chain webinar. Invest in Supply Chain Resilience: The Gender Equity Learning Journey was held in English and Spanish. The webinar included farmer organisation representatives who have implemented gender equity programmes, including PGE founder and CEO Kimberly Easson.

• Thu, 18 Nov – Cropster co-hosts second episode of joint webinar series. In partnership with green coffee trader Algrano, the second webinar explored the importance of storytelling in the coffee industry from the producer perspective.

• Thu, 18 Nov – International Coffee and Tea (ICT) Industry Expo 2021 begins in Singapore. The three-day event is running alongside Café Asia 2021, an annual exhibition for coffee shop equipment and accessories. In partnership with UCC, Hong Kong’s 2015 Syphon Champion Elaine Wong will host a series of coffee brewing demonstrations.

• Thu, 18 Nov – Colombia’s 2021 imports of Brazilian coffee increase by almost 90%. Colombia imported 814,000 bags of coffee from January to September 2021. National supply shortages and rising consumption levels are believed to be the main reasons for the significant increase.

• Fri, 19 Nov – BSCA attends 4th annual China International Import Expo in Shanghai. In partnership with Apex, BSCA hosted a booth at the expo, serving coffees from Minas Gerais. The event was held from 5 to 11 November.

• Fri, 19 Nov – Paulig to replace almost 90% of delivery fuel with renewable sources. The food and beverage trader will replace its fossil fuel diesel with renewable diesel to reduce carbon emissions by up to 90%. The renewable fuel will be used for deliveries to the Baltic states.

• Fri, 19 Nov – MTPak Coffee invests in new green printing technology. The company claims the new HP Indigo 25K Digital Press machine is 80% more environmentally friendly than traditional printing methods. The new machine’s technology uses water-based inks to print on a range of sustainable packaging materials, including kraft paper and LDPE.

• Fri, 19 Nov – New documentary to focus on women coffee farmers in Costa Rica. Stronger than Coffee (Más que un Café in Spanish) was co-produced by Costa Rican women-focused non-profit Bean Voyage. The documentary focuses on gender inequity in the Costa Rica coffee supply chain and features five female farmers. Stronger than Coffee is set to be released in early 2022.

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

• Mon, 8 Nov – Blue Bottle closes original headquarters. The former roasting facility in Oakland, California shut down after 11 years of operation. Blue Bottle ended its lease in 2019, but was allowed to continue operating on a monthly basis.

• Tue, 9 Nov – We Can Coffee Company joins veteran fundraising campaign. We Can Coffee will donate 10% of all November sales to the Operation Homefront campaign – which provides financial and social support for US veterans.

• Wed, 10 Nov – SCA opens chapter elections in six countries. Voting remains open for Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, the UK, and Ukraine until 17 November. Results will be announced on 24 November.

• Thu, 11 Nov – Nestlé Board of Directors restructures company into five geographic zones. The new marketing strategy includes five zones: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Oceania and Africa, and Greater China. The restructuring is part of the company’s efforts to drive growth, including for Nespresso.

• Thu, 11 Nov – Barista Guild to host new instalment of Livelihoods in Coffee Instagram Live series. Every Monday from 15 November to 13 December, members of the Barista Guild will discuss how to improve accessibility in the specialty coffee industry. The previous Livelihoods in Coffee series focused on securing a living wage in the coffee sector.

• Thu, 11 Nov – Plant-based ecommerce platform PlantX acquires majority interests in two coffee companies. PlantX will now sell Eh Coffee and Portfolio Coffee products on its digital platform and in its physical locations across North America.

• Thu, 11 Nov – Finnish Formula 1 Driver wears coffee-themed helmet for Brazilian Grand Prix. Valtteri Bottas’ helmet design included coffee tree leaves, beans, and the Brazilian flag. The BSCA sent Bottas a specialty coffee hamper on behalf of Brazilian coffee farmers.

• Fri, 12 Nov – Single-serve coffee maker Bruvi launches on market. Limited numbers of the B-Pod capsule system are currently available for pre-orders. In September, the company secured US $7 million in funding.

• Fri, 12 Nov – US rock band Incubus releases Guatemalan coffee blend. The new Morning Brew line includes branded ceramic mugs and stoneware flask. The products are now available for pre-order, with shipping set for 22 November.

• Fri, 12 Nov – Quebec roaster Café William announces investment in zero-emission cargo coffee ship. The wind-powered Ceiba cargo ship will begin operating from South America to Canada in 2023. The carbon-neutral cargo ship is part of Café William’s wider sustainability initiatives to produce carbon-neutral coffee.

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