Coffee News Recap, 14 Mar: Reports of green coffee theft in the US rise as prices stay high, Dune Coffee Roasters’ Kay Cheon is the 2025 US Barista Champion & other stories

Every Friday, Perfect Daily Grind rounds up the top coffee industry news from the week. 

Editor’s note

Green coffee thefts at origin are an unfortunate reality, especially in prominent producing countries like Brazil and Vietnam, but a rare occurrence in majority-consuming markets. As the C price hovers around US $4/lb near record levels, however, reports of organised gangs stealing truckloads of green coffee in the US are rising.

A freight broker recently told Reuters that dozens of thefts had been reported over the last 12 months. Gangs posing as transportation companies are allegedly vying for small contracts from importers by offering better prices or immediate availability for shipment pick-up.

The reports state that these gangs then sell stolen coffee to smaller roasters, many of which are grappling with tight margins and strained cash flow. The problem has become so notable that it was addressed at the recent National Coffee Association convention, which took place in Houston, Texas, from 6 to 8 March.

While coffee prices remain near historic highs, reports of these alleged crimes could well increase, including in majority-consuming markets outside of the US, resulting in unprecedented challenges for roasters and traders who are already under immense financial pressure.

With US President Trump’s trade tariffs steadily coming into effect, including on major producing countries like Mexico, the problem could only get worse. Trump’s decisions to impose taxes on imported goods are becoming increasingly erratic and unpredictable. As the president’s stance on deporting undocumented migrants remains firm, he may choose to target Latin American-producing countries with punitive tariffs more harshly, as seen with Colombia in late January 2025.

Top stories of the week

• Mon, 10 Mar – Reports of organised gangs stealing truckloads of green coffee in the US rise as prices remain high. Criminal organisations posing as transport firms are allegedly stealing truckloads of green coffee, each valued at US $180,000, to sell to small roasters. (New York City, New York, US)

• Tue, 11 Mar – Brazil’s per capita coffee consumption declines amid high prices. Consumption levels fell 2.22% last year despite a 1% rise in total demand, driven by population growth. Brazilians consumed an average of 5.01kg of roast & ground coffee from Nov 2023 to Oct 2024, down from 5.12kg, with high prices posing further risks to consumption. (São Paulo, Brazil)

• Wed, 12 Mar – Germany’s coffee consumption returns to pre-pandemic levels. Per capita consumption reached 163 litres in 2024, driven by rising demand for instant and whole bean coffee and sustainably certified products. Out-of-home sales increased by 1% in the same period. (Hamburg, Germany)

• Thu, 13 Mar – Kay Cheon of California’s Dune Coffee Roasters is the 2025 US Barista Champion. This was Cheon’s sixth year competing and fourth appearance at the USBC finals. In his Lego-themed routine, he used a Colombian Ombligon and Panamaian Gesha. Isaiah Sheese placed second, followed by Jason Yeo in third. (Raleigh, North Carolina, US)

• Thu, 13 Mar – The 21st African Fine Coffees Conference & Exhibition concludes, announcing winners of the 2025 African Barista Championship and the Regional Taste of Harvest competition. A total of 22 baristas from 12 countries competed, with South Africa’s Stevo Kühn placing first. Coffees from Ethiopia, Uganda, and Tanzania won in categories at the Regional Taste of Harvest competition. Through the EU-East African Community Market Access Upgrade Programme, East African coffee SMEs connected with global buyers, improving their market access. (Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania)

• Fri, 14 Mar – New UN report says it will take almost a year for consumers to feel the effects of coffee price spikes. According to the FAO report, up to 80% of price rises will trickle down to EU consumers over 11 months, while 80% of the rises will feed through to US consumers over 8 months. The report also found that the residual impacts of price rises will last for four years. (London, UK)

• Fri, 14 Mar – Breville to host Melbourne Coffee Festival at MICE2025. The new event feature will offer coffee enthusiasts and professionals opportunities to connect with and learn from industry experts through the Beanz Stage Masterclasses. Breville, along with Lelit and Barazta, will also host demos at their respective booths, where attendees will have the chance to win prizes. The Melbourne Coffee Festival, taking place from 20 to 22 March, will also include daily Latte Art Smackdowns. (Melbourne, Australia)

Industry news

• Mon, 10 Mar – Starbucks and Alshaya Group are in talks for a flagship store at Diriyah giga-project. Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol met with Alshaya Group and Diriyah Company to discuss a flagship store at the US $62.2 billion Diriyah project in Saudi Arabia. The initiative supports Vision 2030 and aims to expand Starbucks’ presence in the MENA region. (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)

• Mon, 10 Mar – Juan Valdez signs joint venture to accelerate growth in Spain. The partnership with Grupo Trinity will invest €40 million to open 140 new stores by 2032, including both company-operated and franchised outlets, and expand packaging distribution to Horeca businesses, building on Juan Valdez’s existing presence in Madrid. (Bogotá, Colombia)

• Tue, 11 Mar – Löfbergs expands partnership with Scandic across Nordic markets. The Swedish roastery renewed its collaboration with Scandic until 2027, covering hotels in Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. (Karlstad, Sweden)

• Wed, 12 Mar – Yum China appoints new general manager for Lavazza joint venture. Yum China named Maggie Chen the director general of its Lavazza joint venture, replacing Adrian Ding. Lavazza aims to expand in China but has opened only 112 stores since 2020, far from its 1,000-store goal. The partnership will now target 1,000 outlets by 2028 while boosting retail and wholesale sales. (Shanghai, China)

• Wed, 12 Mar – Vietnam’s Trung Nguyen Legend builds the largest net-zero coffee facility in Southeast Asia. Construction of the new 50,000m² plant at Tan An 2 Complex will be in two phases using advanced Italian and German technology. Designed for energy efficiency and net-zero compliance, it supports sustainable growth and boosts Buon Ma Thuot’s robusta value. (Hanoi, Vietnam)

• Thu, 13 Mar – North American coffee industry faces uncertainty amid trade war. Roasters, traders, and coffee shops are assessing the impact of President Trump’s escalating trade war on their operations, with tariffs on Mexico and potentially other producing countries causing the most concern. (New York City, New York, US)

• Fri, 14 Mar – CEE appoints Jeff Juneau as managing director of Americas. Juneau, former Starbucks VP, will lead CEE expansion in the Americas. With 25 years in food and beverage supply chains, Juneau will drive strategic growth and accelerate fossil-free industrial solutions, supporting CEE’s goal of net-zero coffee production. (Hamme, Belgium)

New launch

• Mon, 10 Mar – Grind will open its first store outside London in Manchester. Grind, established in 2011 with 11 London outlets, is set to join a £400 million redevelopment led by Gary Neville in Manchester city centre. The new venue will boost expansion and strengthen the brand’s presence in the broader UK market. (London, UK)

• Tue, 11 Mar – Panther Coffee debuts specialty instant coffee. The roaster’s new launch uses beans from Fazenda Santa Lucia in Brazil. A blind-tasting event will take place on 29 March at the Miami Wynwood district café. (Miami, Florida, US)

• Wed, 12 Mar – Nespresso opens first boutique in India and plans B2B expansion. The first store at Citywalk Mall in New Delhi is part of the company’s plans to expand its presence across the country, partnering with Thakral Innovations for B2B sales. Nespresso will also increase its volumes of coffee sourced from India, with one in five pods already containing Indian coffee. (New Delhi, India)

• Thu, 13 Mar – New ACID espresso app launches to improve grinder consistency. Developed by Philipp Barth and Rafaela Kalbermatten, the mobile and desktop app lets users save and share grinder settings and scan bean labels with AI insights. (Zürich, Switzerland)

• Fri, 14 Mar – Farmer Bros launches Sum>One specialty coffee division. Following a soft launch in late 2024, Farmer Bros will integrate the new lineup, including eight blends, into its B2B network and expand to e-commerce channels in late 2025.(Fort Worth, Texas, US)

Milestone

• Thu, 13 Mar – Man Met Bril Koffie opens the world’s first coffee hotel in Rotterdam. Located at Linker Rottekade 12B, the venue features a Kees van der Westen Frank espresso machine, a roastery, training and event areas, a podcast studio, and 15 guest rooms with coffee service, serving as hub for coffee exchange and community. (Rotterdam, the Netherlands)

• Fri, 14 Mar – ROR Coffee Solutions secures US $8.2 million for expansion. The Dubai company raised funds to expand in the Middle East and Europe, starting with Saudi Arabia, with new operational hubs, barista training, and infrastructure upgrades while introducing corporate coffee solutions and event-based experiences to strengthen its market presence. (Dubai, UAE)

Trade & production

• Mon, 10 Mar – Global coffee trade slows amid extreme price pressures. At the NCA Convention, traders discussed how the 70% surge in arabica futures is resulting in cautious buying practices. Low rainfall has left stocks near record lows while retailers resist price hikes, fueling concerns of industry consolidation. (Houston, Texas, US)

• Tue, 11 Mar – Amazonian smallholders boost robusta yields with new varieties. Adoption of Embrapa-recommended technologies and clonal robusta varieties has increased productivity in Acre, Rondônia, Amazonas, and Roraima, with yields rising from 20-30 to 120 bags per hectare. These high-yield, early-maturing plants improve harvesting efficiency and rural incomes. (Porto Velho, Brazil)

• Tue, 11 Mar – Cecafé reports that Brazil’s coffee exports fell for third consecutive month. Collectively, export volumes in all forms fell by 10.4% compared to the same month in 2024. Despite the lower volume, earnings grew by 55.5% to US $1.2 billion. (São Paulo, Brazil)

• Thu, 13 Mar – Coffee futures decline as supply outlook improves. Coffee futures fell as Marex projected a 1.2 million 60kg bag surplus in 2025/26, with global production rising to 172 million bags, driven by Vietnam’s recovery. Brazilian output is expected to drop by 1.5 million bags. (New York City, New York, US)

Research

• Wed, 12 Mar – Coffee Science Foundation and UC Davis partner to quantify green coffee defects. The research project at the UC Davis Coffee Center will establish detection thresholds for physical defects in green coffee from Brazil and Guatemala, aiming to provide a scientific basis for grading standards. (Davis, California, US)

Events & competitions

• Tue, 11 Mar – Internorga highlights pioneering trends in the global hospitality industry. Taking place from 14 to 18 March, the event will highlight key hospitality trends in 2025, including emotional engagement, urban food architecture, and health-conscious consumption. (Hamburg, Germany)

• Tue, 11 Mar – The World Coffee Roasting Championship will be held in the US for the first time at Specialty Coffee Expo Houston. More than 25 international roasting champions will compete, using the Official Production Roaster sponsor Stronghold S9X and following the CVA Descriptive Assessment. The 2025 Specialty Coffee Expo will run from 25 to 27 April. (Houston, Texas, US)

• Wed, 12 Mar – IEG announces new dates for SIGEP World 2026. The event will take place at Rimini Expo Centre, Italy, from 16 to 20 January 2026, rescheduled to avoid clashes with other international shows and maximise opportunities for exhibitors across gelato, pastry, bakery, coffee and pizza sectors. (Rimini, Italy)

• Thu, 13 Mar – Barista Attitude showcases Tempesta and Faro at Internorga 2025. Tempesta features an intuitive touchscreen that saves brew settings. Faro grinder comes with a patented AI auto-learning system for precision and accuracy to 0.1g. (Hamburg, Germany)

• Fri, 14 Mar – The Barista League to host first event of 2025 season in Prague on 29 March. The competition will be held at the historical Gabriel Loci venue. The all-new 2025 competition format will bring together top baristas, leading companies, renowned roasters, and special guests from across six continents. Guest judges include Sonja Björk Grant, Vladyslav Demonenko, Daniele Ricci, and Daniel Gerlach. (Prague, Czech Republic)

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

• Sat, 8 Mar – Sri Lanka shifts towards coffee as the tea industry struggles. Facing declining tea yields, labour shortages, and falling prices, Sri Lankan plantations are expanding into coffee cultivation, which requires fewer workers and offers new market opportunities. Companies like Hayleys Plantations plan to convert 1,000 hectares by 2027, balancing tradition with economic shifts. (Colombo, Sri Lanka)

• Sun, 9 Mar – South Sudanese farmers shift to excelsa for improved climate resilience. Excelsa, first discovered in Central Africa in 1903 and reclassified as a liberica variety in 2006, requires less irrigation than arabica coffees – supporting producers in the country struggling with the impact of the climate crisis. (Juba, South Sudan)

Photo credits: African Fine Coffees Association

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