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

Mon, 22 Aug

• Nine coffees receive more than 89 points at 2022 National Yemen Coffee Auction competition. The highest-scoring coffee was an anaerobic Udaini variety from Durar Specialty Coffee, which received 91.5 points. The auction will take place on 31 August 2022.

• Coffee packaging market could exceed US $991.6 million by 2027. Transparency Market Research says demand for newer packaging technologies will drive market value over the next five years, including more sustainable packaging options.

• Sintercafé International Coffee Week 2022 to take place from 9 to 12 November 2022. The event, which promotes Costa Rican coffee, will include exhibitions, seminars, panel discussions, and workshops. Speakers will include President of the National Coffee Association, Bill Murray, and Head of Agri Commodities Market Research, Carlos Mera.

• Specialty Coffee Association appoints Second Vice President and Treasurer. Founder and CEO of Mokha 1450, Garfield Kerr, has been elected as the new Second Vice President, while co-founder of Nomad Coffee Consulting, Cosimo Libardo, is the new Treasurer.

• Uganda’s July 2022 coffee exports drop more than 17% as a result of drought. The Ugandan Coffee Development Authority stated a total of 576,468 60kg bags were exported last month – compared to 700,035 bags in July 2021. Despite this, Uganda’s 2022 coffee export earnings amount to US $876 million so far – a year-on-year increase of around US $297 million.

• Minnesota roaster Fiddlehead Coffee raises more than US $60,000 for humanitarian aid efforts in Ukraine. The company launched a fundraising campaign in March in response to the invasion of Ukraine. All donations have gone to iCare Ukraine.

• Arabica prices rise following dry weather in Brazil. Monday’s arabica prices closed at US 221.20 cents/lb after concerns over prolonged drought in the country.

Tue, 23 Aug

• Steeped Coffee partners with actress Ayesha Curry for seasonal Sweet July Subscription Box. The boxes contain lifestyle products, and include Steeped Coffee’s limited-edition Sweet July House Blend single-serve coffee bags.

• Sorting equipment manufacturer QualySense partners with coffee multinationals in US $1 million deal. The Swiss company says its QSorter machine can analyse and sort up to 30 green coffee beans per second. QualySense claims the deal with brands such as Starbucks, Nespresso, and Neumann Kaffee Gruppe will help to further develop AI-powered green coffee sorting technology.

• Cup of Excellence Ethiopia 2022 auction takes place. The highest-scoring lot (a natural Sidamo which achieved 90.69 points) received the highest bid of US $400.50/lb – totalling more than US $211,904 for 529.10 lbs.

• J.M. Smucker reports 10% increase in 2022 second quarter retail packaged coffee revenue. Sales of the company’s Café Bustelo, Folgers, and Dunkin’ brands totalled US $598 million.

• Vienna Coffee Festival 2022 to take place from 8 to 11 September. The festival will be held at Marx Hall and will include workshops and competitions. Tickets are available now.

• Peet’s Coffee launches autumnal menu items. The Iced Caramel Apple Latte, Pumpkin Latte, and Pumpkin Cold Brew Oat Latte with Jelly are available in the US. The coffee chain has also released Pumpkin Spice K-Cup pods.

Wed, 24 Aug

• Australia’s Coles Group claims its AU $1 (US 0.69 cents) coffee products have “never been more popular”. The country’s second-largest supermarket brand made the claim upon releasing its 2021 full-year earnings.

• Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister appoints first-ever Minister for Coffee. MP Joe Kuli will support smallholder farmers to bolster coffee production. Coffee currently accounts for around 27% of all the country’s agricultural exports.

• Olam Agri secures US $2.9 billion loan to bolster decarbonisation projects. The credit facility will be used to fund initiatives that will measure and reduce carbon emissions in the company’s shipping supply chains – including for coffee.

• Bloomberg reports Vietnam’s robusta stockpiles will halve year-on-year by the end of September 2022. Bloomberg’s survey of coffee traders found carryover stockpiles are estimated to be at 200,000 tonnes, compared with around 400,000 tonnes in the same month in 2021. Industry experts claim this could cause coffee prices to increase further.

• European consumers could see higher coffee prices in coffee shops. The article published in German news outlet DW says coffee shops are more affected than roasters, who have been able to absorb more costs. Reasons for potential price increases are largely attributed to extreme weather conditions in Brazil.

• Vietnamese and Ugandan delegates discuss mutual cooperation to improve coffee value chains. Uganda’s Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa, met with Vietnam’s Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Nguyen Nam Tien, to discuss ways to improve Ugandan coffee production.

• World Coffee Research partners with Ethiopian coffee authorities to improve varieties. In 2021, WCR signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) and the Jimma Agricultural Research Center (JARC). WCR will provide guidance and support to the two organisations on how to improve operations and research.

Thu, 25 Aug

• BruTrek launches collapsible pour over brewer. The stainless steel brewer, which can fold flat, is designed to be used outdoors, and includes two reusable cloth filters.

• Ditta Artigianale set to open first international location in Toronto, Canada. The Italian roaster operates four locations across Italy. Ditta Artigianale says more locations are set to open in Canada, as well as the US, in the coming months.

• Starbucks opens its 500th store in Indonesia. The company first launched in the country around 20 years ago. The new Bali location is also Indonesia’s 55th drive-thru Starbucks store.

• International Women’s Coffee Alliance releases 2021 Annual Report. Findings of the report include that access to markets is the first priority for the organisation’s chapter members in producing countries. In 2021, IWCA received the majority of its funding from sustained partners, including Peet’s Coffee.

• Research from beverage company Kerry finds coffee shop customers are demanding more functional beverages. Kerry says consumers want more flavours associated with health and nutrition, including lemon and mango. The company also states consumers are demanding different sensory experiences, such as bubble tea drinks.

• Thailand Coffee, Tea & Drinks 2022 show takes place in Bangkok. The three-day event is expected to attract more than 14,800 international attendees. This year’s event includes the 2022 Thai Barista Championship and Brewers Cup, as well as an extensive trade show.

• South Korea’s Ediya Coffee to open location in Guam by end of 2022. The new store will open in the Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport in the US territory. Ediya Coffee plans to expand into mainland US over the coming months.

Fri, 26 Aug

• PRF El Salvador to take place from 16 to 17 March 2023. Following PRF Colombia in late June this year, PRF El Salvador will be held at the Salamanca Exhibition Centre in San Salvador. More details are set to be announced soon.

• National Coffee Association to host Ensuring a Coffee Farmer for the Future webinar. The online event, which will be hosted by Agriculture Value Chain Expert at Nestlé Coffee Partners, Riley Linder, will take place on 30 August 2022 at 13:00 EST. The event is exclusively available to NCA members.

• Tim Hortons to launch Nespresso-compatible capsules in Canada. The new capsules will include Classic Lungo, Bold Espresso, Bright Espresso, and Decaf Espresso.

• Specialty Coffee Experience takes place in Johannesburg, South Africa. The three-day event includes exhibitors from across the country, including Father Coffee, Seam Coffee, and Bean There Fair Trade Coffee.

• Best of Yemen 2022 auction fetches record price of US $246.50/lb. The highest-scoring coffee, a natural Yemenia variety from Hifthallah Alhaymi, received the highest bid – with 105.20lbs purchased for a total of over US $25,931. Total bids at the auction were more than US $329,665.

• New York Coffee Festival announces Coffee Masters judges and MCs. Judges include Swedish Barista Champion Anne Lunell, owner of Truth Coffee David Donde, and co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Ghost Town Oats Michelle Johnson. Co-owner of Black & White Coffee Roasters, Lem Butler, and former Coffee Masters winner, Erika Vonie, will be the MCs for the competition.

• Presta Coffee Roasters hosts 2023 US Coffee Championship preliminary rounds. The Tuscon, Arizona roaster is hosting the two-day preliminary competitions for the US Barista Championship, Brewers Cup, and Cup Tasters.

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

• Wed, 10 Aug – Survey finds internet searches for pumpkin spice lattes in US are highest in Washington, California, and Colorado. Bid-On-Equipment said 67% of Americans enjoy pumpkin spice lattes, with 47% of those surveyed saying Starbucks makes the “best” version of the drink.

• Mon, 15 Aug – Registration opens for 2022 Philippine AeroPress Championship. Yardstick Coffee will host the competition on 10 September 2022.

• Tue, 16 Aug – World Coffee Research appoints Liam Cummins as new Finance Director. Cummins has 20 years’ experience in the finance industry, including at Uber and Ernst & Young. He will oversee financial planning and reporting for WCR.

• Wed, 17 Aug – Aldi launches new tequila coffee liqueur. The UK budget supermarket’s El Toro Coffee Liqueur Tequila is available for £15.99 (US $18.85).

• Wed, 17 Aug – Shanghai International Coffee Harbour expected to reach annual trading value of US $1.47 billion by 2025. The Shanghai Hongqiao International Coffee Harbour was certified to trade coffee earlier this month. The Shanghai Coffee Industry Association was also officially launched on the same day.

• Thu, 18 Aug – Starbucks COO to leave company in October. John Culver will step down on 3 October 2022, and the position will also be removed from the company. George Dowdie, Starbucks’ global supply chain manager, will also step down.

• Thu, 18 Aug – Applications open for 2023 Glitter Cat Barista Bootcamps. This year’s in-person bootcamp is open to marginalised coffee championship competitors in the US.

• Thu, 18 Aug – Westrock Coffee reports 2022 second quarter net sales increased by 31%. Growth was largely driven by sales of capsules and single-serve coffee products.

• Fri, 19 Aug – AeroPress announces Brewista as new Small Wares Sponsor for 2022 World AeroPress Championship. The brewing equipment manufacturer will supply kettles, scales, and other accessories for the competition, which will be held from 1 to 3 December 2022 in Vancouver BC, Canada.

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