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

Mon, 21 Feb

• Domestic coffee prices reach new high in Brazil. In early February, arabica prices on the CEPEA index hit BRL 1,555.19 (US 297.93 cents) per bag – the highest on record since 1999. Since the price increase, arabica prices have remained stable at around US 290 cents/bag.

• Coffee brands drive Nestlé’s 2021 sales growth. Full-year sales reached CHF 87.1 billion (US $94 billion) thanks to strong sales of Nespresso and Starbucks-branded coffee products. Launches of RTD coffee beverages in southeast Asia, Oceania, and Latin America also helped to drive 2021 sales growth.

• HostMilano to return in October 2023. The HoReCa and coffee event will be held from 13 to 17 October in Milan, Italy. HostMilano 2021 attracted around 150,000 visitors, as well as hosting the 2021 World Coffee Championships.

• Coffee Retail Summit 2022 begins. The virtual, free-to-attend event will be held on 21, 23, and 25 February. Each day will explore a different international coffee retail market.

• Scooter’s Coffee to open new US distribution centre. The drive-thru chain plans to open the facility in Georgia to support store expansion across the country. The 40,000 sq ft location will also provide educational programmes for franchisees.

• World AeroPress Championships hiring for new manager role. The Championship Manager will work closely with the CEO and Creative Director to organise global AeroPress Championship events.

Tue, 22 Feb

• First-ever coffee grinder competition to be held in Italy. The Master Grinder Championship will be held in Massa on 6 March, 2022. Competitors will be provided with a flavour profile and will have to calibrate the coffee accordingly using only grind settings.

• SIGEP 2022 to be held in mid-March. From 12 to 16 March, the 43rd SIGEP event will be held in Rimini, Italy. The expo focuses on multiple food and beverage industries, including coffee.

• US instant coffee company Waka Coffee & Tea raises over US $725,000. Money raised through the pre-seed funding round will be used for investment and to expand sales channels.

• Coffee cup packaging company Huhtamäki reports 8% increase in 2021 sales. However, the company also claims rising costs of materials and supply chain disruptions could negatively affect future profitability.

• Origin Trip Experience details confirmed for PRF Colombia. The Origin Trip Experience will be held from 26 to 29 June, including access to the two-day PRF Colombia event in Medellín. Roasters and coffee buyers will stay with producers in some of Colombia’s coffee-growing regions. On-farm activities will include cuppings and roundtable discussions.

• Mayorga Coffee releases new flavoured coffee beans. The new coffees include Dulce de Leche, Rum Cake, and Spicy Chocolate flavours. The coffees are available as 2lb bags (900g) for US $22.99.

• Global fully automatic coffee machine market predicted to reach US $5.2 billion by 2026. The Chinese market is expected to hit over US $343 million by the end of the analysis period. Key players in the market include Gruppo Cimbali.

Wed, 23 Feb

• Speaker applications open for PRF Colombia. All coffee professionals are eligible to apply to speak at the two-day event in Medellín from 30 June to 1 July. Successful applicants will be provided with accommodation, meals, and transport for the duration of the event in Colombia. Topics to be discussed at the event include emerging markets and origins, consumer trends, and gender equity in coffee.

• Uganda agrees to two-year suspension from International Coffee Agreement. Uganda Coffee Development Authority’s Managing Director Emmanuel Iyamulemye says the two-year suspension from the ICA will allow the authority to focus on increasing the country’s annual coffee production.

• Slow Food Coffee Coalition holds tasting session for nine origins. The SFCC seeks to promote quality and sustainable coffee production. The initial tasting session included coffees from Cuba, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Honduras, India, Malawi, Mexico, Peru, and Tanzania. The main aims of the tasting were to consolidate the tasters panel and calibrate evaluation criteria.

• Two new on-demand courses available on PDG Education. Quality Control: Building Relationships through Cupping and Communication is led by Director of Education at Royal Coffee Chris Kornman. Brewing Your Perfect Coffee With your AeroPress is hosted by 2019 World AeroPress Champion and coffee trainer Wendelien van Bunnik.

• Community of Specialty Coffees project aims to double Peru exports by 2026. The project is organised by Central Café & Cacao del Perú and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The project will work with ten co-operatives nationwide and support some 3,200 coffee farmers. USAID anticipates that the project will triple annual income for participating Peruvian coffee farmers.

• Breedcafs publishes results of F1 hybrid coffee varieties project. Researchers carried out assessments on over 100 farms in Central America, Vietnam, and Cameroon for a four-year period. The results found some F1 hybrids and certain wild Ethiopian coffees were highly adaptable to growing in the shade, while still maintaining high levels of productivity. The research team concluded that the F1 hybrid they called “Starmaya” could be scaled affordably for smallholder farmers.

• JDE Peet’s reports €7 billion (US $8 billion) in 2021 sales. Out-of-home sales increased by 15.4% on 2020 figures, reaching €723 million (US $984 million). However, the firm highlights that rising costs related to the pandemic may negatively affect 2022 sales targets.

Thu, 24 Feb

• National Coffee Association names Seeds for Progress Foundation as 2022 Origin Charity of the Year. The Seeds for Progress Foundation works to improve access to education and health services in coffee-growing communities. The award will be presented at the NCA’s annual virtual convention on 8 March.

• Founder and CEO of April Coffee Patrik Rolf launches new book on Kickstarter. From Nerd to Professional documents Rolf’s personal journey in establishing his coffee business. The first editions of the book purchased by Kickstarter supporters will include exclusively-designed covers. The book is made from recycled takeaway cups.

• Hybrid World Tea & Coffee Expo 2022 takes place in Thailand. The event consists of a two-day symposium and a four-day exhibition, ending on 27 February.

• US cold brew company Bizzy Coffee secures US $7.1 million in funding round. Money raised will be used to expand supermarket distribution channels (including Target, Publix, and Kroger) and to invest in manufacturing headquarters in Minnesota.

• New series of Barista Guild’s Livelihoods in Coffee to run until March. The theme of this series is accessibility in the coffee industry. From 24 February until the end of March, the Barista Guild will host a weekly Instagram Live session.

• Cuban-focused Grand Havana coffee company appoints new President. Hugo Gutiérrez has been appointed as President, COO, and member of the Board. Gutiérrez has previously held executive roles at US restaurant chains Wendy’s and Denny’s.

• Post offices in China to now serve coffee. The state-run China Post opened the first Post Coffee location in the Xiamen International Trade Building. China Post operates some 54,000 outlets across the country. Coffee and tea beverages are priced between CNY 28 and CNY 33 (US $4.43 to $5.22).

Fri, 25 Feb

• Caffè Nero reports 211% increase on 2020 sales. Between June and November 2021, sales increased to over £135 million (US $184 million) – operating to around 90% of pre-Covid levels.

• Scottish roaster Matthew Algie to support reforestation projects. In partnership with The John Muir Trust, the new Peak & Wild coffee line will help to restore over 1,000ha of Scottish rainforests over the next three years. The Peak & Wild coffees include the Bracken and Bramble blends, as well as a Brazil single origin – all of which are carbon-negative.

• The Pathfinder releases new non-alcoholic spirits for coffee cocktails. The Pathfinder Hemp & Root is made using fermented and distilled hemp, while the Pathfinder Cannabis Spirit will be sold through licensed cannabis dealers in Portland and Washington states.

• Over US $20,000 donated to El Salvador Barista Champion’s GoFundMe campaign. Victor Flores Menendez was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2021. Menendez reports that his two-year chemotherapy treatment is working effectively.

• Caravela forms partnership with Centre for Coffee Research and Education at Texas A&M. The green coffee trader donated US $200,000 to the centre to advance educational resources and programmes for US roasters and global producers.

• Alliance for Coffee Excellence to host Tanzanian Specialty Coffee Auction in March. In partnership with Portland Global Initiatives and the Ngorongoro Coffee Group, the auction will include 20 lots – including eight varieties and four processing methods. The highest scoring coffee is a carbonic N39 Bourbon from Finagro Plantantions. The auction will take place on 22 March.

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

• Mon, 14 Feb – Sucafina provides school kits for students in Colombia. In collaboration with Impact Partners and the Cooperativa of Occidente de Antioquia, Sucafina distributed school supplies to 72 children in rural communities in Dabeiba, Antioquia. Coffee production is critical for the social and economic development of local families.

• Wed, 16 Feb – Starbucks ends partnership with Fairtrade UK. Starbucks will no longer source Fairtrade coffee in the UK, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Starbucks replaced the Fairtrade certification with its own Coffee and Farmer Equity Practices programme, which was developed in partnership with Conservation International.

• Wed, 16 Feb – Peet’s Coffee launches Jubilant Blend for Black History Month. The medium roast blend contains coffee from Burundi and Brazil, both sourced from Black-owned coffee businesses.

• Thu, 17 Feb – Re:co Symposium 2022 announces first speaker line-up. People presenting at the event include Global Head of Sustainability at Neumann Kaffee Gruppe Catalina Eikenberg, coffee content creator Morgan Eckroth, and CEO of World Coffee Research Vern Long. Re:co Symposium will be held on 6 and 7 March.

• Thu, 17 Feb – International Women’s Coffee Alliance announces keynote speaker for annual IWCA Breakfast. Sahra Nguyen, founder and CEO of Nguyen Coffee Supply, will open the event. The IWCA Breakfast will be held at the Specialty Expo in Boston on 9 April.

• Fri, 18 Feb – US considers rejoining International Coffee Organisation. Newly appointed Executive Director Vanusia Nogueira has been in talks with President Biden’s administration. The US left the ICO in 2018 under the Trump administration.

• Fri, 18 Feb – ICO and Central American Bank for Economic Integration to support rebuilding programmes in Honduras and Nicaragua. Both of the Central American countries were hit by hurricanes in November 2020. The ICO and CABEI will carry out assessments on how to develop, finance, and implement sustainable and inclusive rebuilding schemes in the countries’ coffee supply chains.

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Photo credits: Julio Guevara