NEWS

SMARTMEALS PROVIDES THOUSANDS OF MEALS TO THE HOMELESS WHILE SAVING JOBS

CafeSmart organiser Streetsmart Australia has provided more than 5470 meals to vulnerable people during the coronavirus pandemic through its SmartMeals program.

StreetSmart Australia says charity meals programs are shut across the country. With gatherings restricted and older volunteers protecting their health, food security for vulnerable Australians is an emerging challenge. At the same time, restaurants and cafés are closing or reducing hours. This is making people with limited

Ladro in Fitzroy is supplying food to St Mary’s House of Welcome.

resources vulnerable to poverty, hunger, and homelessness.

“These are rapidly changing times and there is great uncertainty for community services, and even more for the people we support,” says Patrick Lawrence of the First Step Program in St Kilda, Victoria.

“It’s been great to be able to offer our clients a nourishing sandwich. It’s been greatly appreciated by our vulnerable clients and has doubtless had a positive impact on their mental and physical health.”

The launch of SmartMeals was fast tracked on 30 March. StreetSmart is raising funds for local homeless services who then pay cafés and restaurants to create the meals they need.

“SmartMeals enables people to receive a free meal and that is critical at this time. Linking a café with capacity with Uniting Prahran through Streetsmart is a win-win-win for all involved – but more so for our customers,” says Mike Scott of Uniting Prahran in Victoria.

For 17 years, StreetSmart says its community impact has been built on the generosity of the people in hospitality. Together, DineSmart and CafeSmart were supported by more than 3000 hospitality businesses.

“Jobs have definitely been sec ured

SmartMeals is connecting cafés and restaurants with overstretched community groups.

Great Place to Work recognises great company cultures across the globe.

LA MARZOCCO NAMED A GREAT PLACE TO WORK

with this program, across the team from prep, to making each morning and then the delivery team. It’s given us the confidence to have an extra person there all week,” says Jackie Middleton of Earl Canteen.

SmartMeals is part of StreetSmart Australia’s COVID-19 Emergency Reponse Fund, which provides grants to small grassroots organisations.

For more information, visit www.streetsmartaustralia.org

La Marzocco in Scarperia, Florence has once again been named a “Great Place to Work” in Italy, achieving the 19th position on Great Place to Work’s 2020 list.

Great Place to Work is an international brand dedicated to the examination of workplace culture and management support in creating an environment where employees define their workplace as empowering and remarkable. On 23 April, the organisation hosted a virtual event ceremony on Facebook to announce Italy’s top 60 companies.

La Marzocco says the recognition by Great Place To Work acknowledges it as an excellent work environment that creates a positive impact on the residing territory and in the industry.

Today, the Florentine manufacturer “continues to cultivate and sustain a workplace culture where people feel safe, encouraged, and equipped to explore and develop their talent, grow in their careers and personal lives”.

La Marzocco has been included on the list for several years in a row.

FIRST CUP OF EXCELLENCE ETHIOPIA AWARDS THREE COFFEES MORE THAN 90 POINTS

Niguse Gemeda Mude has won the first Cup of Excellence (COE) Ethiopia with his Sidama sun-dried natural coffee, which scored 91.04 in the competition.

This was one of three coffees to score more than 90 points in the competition, each receiving the Presidential Award. Rumudamo Coffee Industry Trade scored 90.89 and RumuDamo scored 90.25 with their 74110 varietal washed coffees, both from Sidamo.

COE organisers, the Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE) and Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority, with USAID’s Feed the Future Ethiopia Value Chain Activity, announced the top 28 winning coffees from the competition. They will be sold in an online auction on 25 June.

“It’s exciting to know my coffee has made it this far. Becoming number one was what I was aiming for. I am very happy to promote our great coffee and to benefit from the market opportunities that will follow the result” Niguse says.

“It’s an honour to receive the special recognition. This encourages me to do more.”

Dr. Adugna Debela, Director General of the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority, says the success of the competition is a result of the commitment by the organising team and participating prod ucers.

Niguse Gemeda Mude has won the Cup of Excellence Ethiopia.

“The decision was made to move forward with the competition by adjusting to the new realities created by COVID-19. We had to move location, changing the original plan to conduct the competition in Ethiopia, and send the sample of each coffee to the jury. This has paid off with a successful completion of the competition, which will benefit the producers and the country as a whole,” Adugna says.

“I would like to congratulate all the winners, and the organising team who worked very hard to make the competition a success.”

The ACE says international buyers are excited to be involved in the June online auction with more than 134 already registered.

“The competition has been exciting and broke several records including the highest number of entries and highest number of buyers registered for the auction. Congratulations to all the winners,” says Darrin Daniel, Executive Director of the ACE.

SUPPLY AND DEMAND UNCERTAINTY BALANCE OUT IN APRIL COFFEE PRICES

According to the International Coffee Organization (ICO) April 2020 Coffee Market Report, concerns over supply chain disruptions are being weighed against uncertainty over future demand in the unprecedented situation of COVID-19.

Because of this, the ICO composite indicator only decreased by 0.1 per cent to 108.91 US cents per pound in April.

After reaching a high of 113.86 US cents per pound on 15 April, the daily indicator price declined over the next two weeks and reached a low of 103.63 US cents per pound on 27 April.

Global exports fell by 3.7 per cent to 11.06 million bags in March 2020 and shipments in the first six months of coffee year 2019/20 decreased by 3.9 per cent to 61.96 million bags.

In coffee year 2019/20, the ICO’s estimate of global coffee consumption has been revised to 166.06 million bags, which represents an increase of 0.5 per cent compared to 165.27 million bags in 2018/19. As a result, production is expected to exceed consumption by 1.95 million bags.