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

• Mon, 13 Dec – Uganda’s Agricultural Minister releases statement on coffee pests and diseases. Farmers in the Toro, Buganda (Mubende), Busoga, Bugisu, and Sebei sub-regions reported higher incidence of pests and diseases damaging trees. Field research found most cases were because of coffee leaf rust, coffee berry disease, or black coffee twig borer beetle. The minister provided a set of measures to mitigate their impact.

• Mon, 13 Dec – Tim Hortons to roll-out Chobani oat milk across 4,000 stores. Chobani oat milk will be made available on the Canadian market.

• Mon, 13 Dec – Three Dutch coffee chains form under franchise company Caféco. Doppio Espresso, Barista Café, and Chocolate Company operate a combined 67 locations in the Netherlands. Caféco will be headquartered in the northern town of Joure.

• Mon, 13 Dec – Higher Grounds collaborates with local artists on new merchandise. Michigan-based artists Morgan Arrowood and Em Randall launched an exclusive series of sweatshirts and t-shirts with the roaster.

• Mon, 13 Dec – Lavazza celebrates 20th anniversary of partnership with Save The Children. Through the Giuseppe and Pericle Lavazza Onlus Foundation, Lavazza has funded several programmes which provide emergency relief, and support family health initiatives, and youth engagement projects. Lavazza has supported projects in Italy, Yemen, Indonesia, Nepal, India, Ivory Coast, China, Vietnam, and Myanmar.

• Mon, 13 Dec – US Vice President announces support for economic growth in Central America. As part of the Call to Action to address migration, Kamala Harris said JDE Peet’s will increase its smallholder farmer financial support by 40%. Harris previously announced Nespresso’s commitment to fund a minimum of US $150 million for the region by 2025.

• Mon, 13 Dec – ZWILLING ENFINIGY home brewer receives SCA certification. The SCA-certified home brewer includes a stainless steel boiler, an automatic bloom function, integrated drip circulator, and a 12-cup glass carafe.

• Mon, 13 Dec – Luckin Coffee reports Q3 growth of more than 100%. The Chinese coffee chain revealed revenue for Q3 was around RMB 2.35 billion (US $364.7 million) – 105.6% higher than the same period in 2020.

• Tue, 14 Dec – On-demand roasting solution ansā raises US $6 million in funding round. The company will use funds for R&D and to complete production of the Barista model of the ansā countertop roaster.

• Tue, 14 Dec – Bazzara Coffee Books publishes CoffeExperts. The book covers a range of topics, including the history of coffee and sustainability in the specialty industry. CoffeExperts was written by Andrea and Marco Bazzara, with a preface by Maurizio Cimbali.

• Tue, 14 Dec – Malaysian coffee chain Pappa Roti to enter US market. The chain – known for its Malaysian-style coffee buns – operates over 400 global locations, including in Malaysia, China, Germany, India, and the UAE. The first US location will open in Illinois, with two more locations set for Michigan and Nebraska.

• Tue, 14 Dec – Colombian coffee production falls 22% in November. Colombia produced some 1.1 million bags in November, compared to 1.3 million bags in November 2020. Total volume produced so far in 2021 amount to 11.2 million bags – an 8% drop on the same period last year.

• Tue, 14 Dec – SCA announces 2022/23 Board of Directors. The board includes Nomad Coffee Consulting Cosimo Libardo’s strategic advisor, the co-founder of Buunni Coffee, and the director of Tolley Coffee & Tea.

• Tue, 14 Dec – CoE Peru 2021 auction results announced. The highest scoring coffee was a washed Geisha from Nueva Alianza, which received a total of over US $18,000 at the auction for some 330lbs. Total earnings exceeded US $330,000.

• Tue, 14 Dec – Brazil’s November exports drop to 8-year low. Cecafé reported total shipments in November (green and roasted) fell 38.6% to around 2.93 million bags – the lowest levels recorded since November 2013. Total 2021 export revenue is predicted to total US $5.4 billion, a 5.9% growth on the same period in 2020.

• Tue, 14 Dec – Dutch tech start-up Taka Insights develops predictor for coffee prices. The company uses satellite imagery to monitor selected samples of arabica plants to produce a “Normalised Difference Vegetation Index” (NDVI). The index assesses plant growth using near-infrared and red lights.

• Tue, 14 Dec – Starbucks employees at two Boston locations file union petitions. Boston employees are looking to hold separate elections at both stores following the formation of the first-ever Starbucks union in Buffalo, New York.

• Wed, 15 Dec – Indian start-up Third Wave Coffee secures US $6 million in Series A funding round. Third Wave Coffee will use the funds to scale international expansion and hire top leadership positions.

• Wed, 15 Dec – Starbucks South Africa surpasses target for new store openings by end of 2021. In partnership with Rand Capital Coffee, the company opened 41 new locations in 2021. The partnership focused on smaller kiosk-style locations to drive sales growth.

• Wed, 15 Dec – Vacuum-powered “NoAir Coffee” brewer raises US $12,000 on Kickstarter. The bottle-shaped brewer includes a vacuum pump and stopper system, which removes both oxygen and carbon dioxide during brewing. The manufacturers claim this extracts more desirable flavour compounds at a quicker and more thorough rate.

• Wed, 15 Dec – Research from Northumbria University finds coffee cherry extract can enhance alertness. The study also found that participants who consumed 1,100mg of coffee cherry extract reported increased levels of activity, as well as more energy and better moods.

• Wed, 15 Dec – Sustainable cup carrier available on Kickstarter. The Urban Coffee Carrier includes a silicone reusable cup tray and tote bag. It can carry up to six drinks at a time.

• Wed, 15 Dec – Sigep 2022 to be held in new hybrid format. The 43rd annual international trade show will include an in-person event from 22 to 26 January in Rimini, Italy. A virtual event will be held from 26 to 28 January.

• Wed, 15 Dec – Taste and nutrition company Kerry releases festive beverage flavour report. Consumer research found chocolate is the most popular flavour, followed by gingerbread, caramel, and cinnamon. Kerry also found that seasonal fruit and dessert-inspired flavours are popular among consumers during the holiday period. This includes orange and red velvet.

• Thu, 16 Dec – Brazil’s coffee consumption falls because of higher domestic prices. The Brazilian Coffee Roasters Association claims national consumption declined 14% in October in response to price changes. In late November, the CEPEA Index reached the highest level since its formation in 1996.

• Thu, 16 Dec – Caravela Coffee hosts ninth episode of Coffee Talks: Women Make Better Coffee. The episode featured the director of Coffee Coalition for Racial Equity, Phyllis Johnson. She discussed representation of the black community in the coffee industry.

• Thu, 16 Dec – The 15th Thailand Coffee Tea & Drinks trade show will take place in February 2022. The annual expo will be held from 3 to 6 February, in conjunction with the Thailand Bakery & Ice Cream trade show. Events will include Guatemalan coffee Champion Village and Café Roasting Street, in addition to workshops and seminars.

• Thu, 16 Dec – Brazil’s largest co-op exports first shipment of coffee in bags. To avoid issues related to shipping container shortages, Cooxupé shipped coffee directly in large bags. The co-operative and exporter also reduced its shipment forecast by nearly 20% based on logistical issues.

• Thu, 16 Dec – CBD-infused Supreme Origin coffee launches in US market. The company uses hemp grown in Colorado, and its coffee is now available in all US states.

• Thu, 16 Dec – Bellwether Coffee to accept applications for accessible roaster programme. The roasting equipment company’s new “Roast Accelerator Programme” will subsidise start-up costs for minority-owned businesses which are less than one year old. The first recipient of the programme is Verb Coffee Roasters in Atlanta, Georgia.

• Fri, 17 Dec – Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture signs 15-year agreement for new “coffee city”. The agreement will see 300,000 arabica seedlings planted over 160 hectares. The site will include a model farm, nursery, and industrial centre, which will feature workshops, warehouses, and mosques.

• Fri, 17 Dec – Ziggi’s Coffee opens new headquarters. The location in Mead, Colorado includes an on-site franchisee training facility, café, and drive-thru.

• Fri, 17 Dec – Dutch manual espresso machine company fully funded on Kickstarter in three days. The Superkop manual machine requires up to six low resistance lever pulls to extract espresso over at least 25 seconds. The machine can be wall-mounted, with deliveries expected in February 2022.

• Fri, 17 Dec – Green coffee supplier Genuine Origin joins “artisan.plus”. The inventory management service provides users with discounts on exclusive coffee offerings. It also streamlines green coffee inventory management for both home and commercial roasters.

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

• Mon, 6 Dec – Automatic coffee machine company JURA launches new hot and cold beverage system. The JURAZ10 includes the “Product Recognising Grinder”, which automatically adjusts grind setting according to brewing method. The machine can be connected to a mobile app to personalise beverage orders.

• Wed, 8 Dec – New partnership set to increase coffee sales in China’s petrol stations. Chinese commercial lender Tenet Fintech entered an agreement with PetroChina to sell and distribute coffee at its 20,000 uSmile convenience store locations. Tenet will work with Mellower Coffee to install and maintain automatic coffee machines throughout all stores.

• Thu, 9 Dec – Oatly to open three new production facilities by 2023. New plants are set to open in the US, the UK, and China, but specific locations remain unknown.

• Thu, 9 Dec – Global coffee market expert Judith Ganes launches new coffee data analytics platform. Through a partnership with Taka Insights, the digital platform will provide resources for traders to make more informed purchasing decisions. Features includes carbon emissions tracking in origin countries.

• Fri, 10 Dec – Engineering Better Espresso: Data Driven Coffee book launches on Kickstarter. Robert McKeon Aloe’s book was written using some 200 scientific journals on espresso extraction over the last 3 years. The book focuses on brewing variables in four key areas of espresso preparation and extraction.

• Fri, 10 Dec – Shanghai’s Chamber of International Commerce launches Coffee Industry Board. The new board will seek to develop the city’s coffee industry and implement a new coffee bean price index. Traders and exporters from countries such as Brazil and Ethiopia have expressed interest in joining the board.

• Sat, 11 Dec – Keurig reaches agreement in class action settlement. The class action case claims Keurig’s Green Mountain Coffee capsules provide deceptive recycling instructions to consumers, as the capsules are too small to be handled by local recycling facilities. Details of the final agreement remain undisclosed.

• Sun, 12 Dec – Starbucks denies dropping charges for plant-based milks in January 2022. The company claims a fake press release was put out which detailed that the coffee chain would end its extra charges for dairy alternatives based on higher cases of lactose intolerance in BIPOC communities.

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Photo credits: @coffee_and_i_uk