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Recent Articles

January 21, 2026

Why higher coffee prices don't always mean higher quality

April 7, 2025

Record coffee futures mean producers are price makers – but it's complicated

February 10, 2025

How much of an impact does coffee production really have on biodiversity?

May 21, 2024

How is coffee production changing in Cuba?

May 13, 2024

How coffee roasters can successfully comply with European Union deforestation regulations

February 26, 2026

How can we encourage more producers to grow specialty coffee?

Key takeaways Global specialty coffee demand is rising, pressuring producers to improve quality. Ageing farmer populations threaten the continuity of coffee production worldwide. Long-term buyer relationships enable producers to innovate and invest in farms. Direct trade and blockchain platforms help producers access fairer, wider markets. In its latest report, the USDA predicts that both global coffee production and consumption will reach record highs in 2025/26. Production is estimated at 178.8… read more

Key takeaways Global specialty coffee demand is rising, pressuring producers to improve quality. Ageing farmer populations threaten the continuity of coffee production worldwide. Long-term buyer relationships enable producers to innovate and invest in farms. Direct trade and blockchain platforms help… read more

July 9, 2015

ICO Café – Self-Sustaining Solar-Powered Coffee Cart Pioneers

Over the last several years, we have seen a shift in the coffee industry as it seeks to be more eco-friendly. We’ve seen improvements in...

July 6, 2015

12,000km From Argentina to Mexico Making Coffee for Locals

‘The Coffee in Central and South America Is Awful.’ Crazy, right? Yet when working in Coffee Town, a specialty coffee shop in Buenos Aires, I...

June 29, 2015

How Does Altitude Affect Coffee and Its Taste in the Cup?

Have you ever asked your barista about the coffee they served you? If you have, they probably responded with a complicated answer including a side...

June 19, 2015

Don Adolfo And The Guerrilla Coffee Community Of Northern Nicaragua

Nestled in the lush green hills of northern Nicaragua sits a community unmolested by the modern world. It’s hard to get to. You can only...

June 16, 2015

The Language of Coffee – A Day In The Life Of Coffee Producer

What does a coffee producer’s average day look like? Our coffee contributor Karyan NG talks restoration of an abandoned coffee mill and producing specialty coffee with...

June 14, 2015

3 Factors Which Impact a Decision on Which Coffee Variety to Plant

Last time in Weekly Extraction, we talked about the approximate cost of planting a manzana of coffee (7,000 sq m). This week we’re going to...

June 10, 2015

The History of Brazilian Coffee & the Story Behind ‘Daterra Full Bloom’

I am a Chemex lover. However, some coffees just taste so much better brewed through an AeroPress or espresso. Daterra ‘Full Bloom’ is one of...

June 9, 2015

Is the Philippine Coffee Industry ‘Third Wave’? Insider Observations

For any coffee enthusiast, the third wave movement of the specialty coffee scene in the Philippines isn’t so new. It was 2012 when specialty coffee...

June 8, 2015

“Coffee Isn’t Food” – Tabanoc Farm, an Alternative Approach to Coffee

Located about an hour outside of Armenia, Colombia, it’s fair to say Tabanoc Farms is in the heart of coffee country. Arriving, however, feels more...

June 6, 2015

How Much Does It Cost a Farmer to Plant a Basic Plot?

The coffee harvest is now finished in Guatemala and every coffee farmer’s attention is now focused on the upcoming planting season and preparation for next...

June 4, 2015

Lessons on Coffee Production From a Colombian Producer

His name is Miguel Fajardo, but I call him “Mr Milkshake”. Why? Well, picture yourself on top of a hill in Solento (a popular tourist...

June 3, 2015

A Day in the Life of a Colombian Cherry Picker

It was 1920 in the small town of Jerico, Colombia, when my grandfather, Gilberto Velasquez, made the decision to leave behind his family and made...

May 27, 2015

Communism & Coffee Rationing: A US Roaster’s Sourcing Trip to Cuba (Part II)

I arrived in Havana and got straight to business.  Normally when looking for new sources of coffee, I might go to the known coffee growing...

May 26, 2015

How a Barista, with No Experience, Single-Handedly Grew & Roasted Coffee in Australia

I remember the first time I tried one. It was the sweetest, strangest thing I’d tasted –  like watermelon, hibiscus, lemon, pineapple and sugar. I...

April 20, 2015

Weekly Extraction: Observations from Origin – Introduction

In this Perfect Daily Grind feature titled The Weekly Extraction: Observations from Origin, I will be writing about my experiences as a coffee shop owner...

April 17, 2015

The History of Rwandan Coffee & The Story Behind Epiphanie Muhirwa

Prior to discussing the flavour notes, it’s important to acknowledge the story and sweat that’s been poured into harvesting each little Bourbon bean (hopefully no actual sweat...