Global Coffee Report July 2022 by Prime Creative Media

July/August 2022

Raise the bar

Why increasing the price of espresso in Italy is no mean feat

Coffee connectors

How relationships and transparency are strengthening the supply chain

Crossing over

What Colombian and Bolivian coffee producers can learn from each other to improve livelihoods

An unpredictable era How the manufacturing industry is managing growth and demand post-pandemic

Let’s

talk

New ICO Executive Director Vanusia Nogueira on the importance of uniting the private and public sector to address the long-term sustainability of the global coffee sector

www.gcrmag.com

CONTENTS July/August 2022

COVER STORY

New ICO Executive Director Vanusia Nogueira on the importance of uniting the private and public sectors to address the long-term sustainability of the global coffee industry and reaffirming the organisation as the centre of coffee diplomacy.

IN THIS ISSUE FEATURES 10

STRENGTHENING EL SALVADOR How a new government proposed program is hoping to turn the country’s fortunes around

RAISE THE BAR Why it’s time to review the pricing structure of espresso in Italy and why it’s a decision split between quality and culture

GREEN BEAN PROFILES 24

BEST FOOT FORWARD Nespresso and Zèta join forces to create a sneaker collection using recycled coffee grounds

INNOVATION BEGINS TO BEAR FRUIT ofi’s innovation teams focus on repurposing by-products to offer consumers new nutritious and sustainable ingredients

PROFILES 9

POWER PLAY How to make significant cost savings and emission reductions with Brambati catalytic converters

MANUFACTURING THE FUTURE Probat’s Connecting Markets Symposium returns with a first look at its new manufacturing facility

A LOVE THAT NEVER CEASED Faema reconnects to the world of cycling with its official sponsorship of the Giro d’Italia

EVERY DROP COUNTS Project Waterfall on its latest endeavour to provide sustainable clean water to Ethiopia

“IT’S A VERY COMPLEX TIME. A SOLO PURSUIT [TO THE INDUSTRY’S ISSUES] WON’T WORK. WE FIRST NEED TO RECOGNISE THE CHALLENGES TOGETHER, THEN WORK TOGETHER, BECAUSE THERE IS NO SHORT-TERM FIX.” Vanusia Nogueira

International Coffee Organization Executive Director

LAST WORD 58

NO MORE BABY BLUES Australian researchers discover that coffee consumption may not affect pregnancy after all

HOUSE OF INNOVATION A new expanded test centre means Neuhaus Neotec has the room to grow beyond roasting innovations

MANAGING GROWTH Eversys Group CEO Martin Strehl on why communication and relationships postpandemic are more important than ever

COFFEE CONNECTERS Sustainable Harvest on the current context of green coffee sourcing through its Relationship Coffee model

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS Juan Valdez opens its 500th store and continues plans for expansion

A GLOBAL AWAKENING The long-awaited Melbourne International Coffee Expo will reunite the international coffee community once again

CROSSING OVER Researchers examine how livelihoods of smallholder coffee farmers in Colombia and Bolivia can be improved through high-quality coffee and learning from each other

LET’S TALK ICO Executive Director Vanusia Nogueira on a commitment to making the coffee value chain more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient

REGULARS 04 06 52 54 56

EDITOR’S NOTE NEWS DRIP BY DRIP WHAT’S BREWING DIARY DASHBOARD MARKETPLACE

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EDITOR’S NOTE Global Coffee Report

PUBLISHER Christine Clancy christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au EDITOR Sarah Baker sarah.baker@primecreative.com.au

A LITTLE MORE CONVERSATION THE WORLD HAS 99 problems but its love for coffee is not one. Just when the industry was starting to recover from a two-year pandemic, our resilience is being tested in different ways as a result of political decisions, lack of supplies, consumer demands, staff shortages and rising costs – of everything. Pre-pandemic, the average national price of a single Hass avocado in Australia reached AUD$2.10 (about US$1.45) in 2019, almost doubling in just one year. Millennials were told to cut back on eating avocado toast at AUD$19 and coffee at AUD$4 each should they ever want to save for a house deposit. Post-pandemic, the joke’s on another green salad staple, the humble iceberg lettuce, fetching as much as AUD$12 (about US$8) in some parts of the country due to flooding and heavy rain in the Sunshine State’s growing regions. Popular franchises KFC and Subway have since replaced lettuce with cabbage or served it in reduced quantities. What would we substitute or add to a latte should coffee ever face the same dire situation? The rising price of coffee per cup, however, is not such a distant consideration. With the price of production and freight continuing to climb, green bean buyers and roasters can only bear the brunt for so long before customers realise that buying a daily cup won’t be helping that elusive house deposit. Over in Italy, there are calls for the price of espresso coffee to be renewed. Each time I’ve travelled to Italy, I’ve enjoyed pushing a €1 coin over the counter to receive my first espresso of the day – a cheap and effective caffeine boost, and therein lies the problem. For locals, espresso is steeped in tradition, a culture more to do with social interaction than the quality in the cup. It’s this attitude that makes the increasing price an interesting conversation, and a necessary

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one for those serving specialty coffee. As I discover in my interviews with passionate Italian roasters, the distinction of quality will perhaps be the turning point that sees tradition remain and those with evolving palates and appreciation for quality pay a higher price. The key to change is communication, and in the case of the International Coffee Organization’s (ICO) landmark International Coffee Agreement 2022, this is precisely the point. The new agreement is set to bring the whole coffee value chain together – retailers, roasters and manufacturers with coffee farmers – to address the biggest challenges facing the global sector in a way that is fair for all. In my talk with new ICO Executive Director Vanusia Nogueira this edition, she speaks honestly about the challenges ahead and stresses there is no one specific solution to solve every issue, but talking together will provide the answers. I first met Nogueira in Poços de Caldas, Brazil seven years ago, then President of the Brazil Specialty Coffee Organization. I knew immediately she was a passionate advocate for coffee producers, and when I learned of her appointment to the ICO, I smiled, knowing there would be no-one more committed to flying the flag for producing countries, female leadership, and uniting the industry with a renewed energy to do more.

Sarah Baker Editor, Global Coffee Report

JOURNALIST Hayley Ralph hayley.ralph@primecreative.com.au DESIGN PRODUCTION MANAGER Michelle Weston michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au ART DIRECTOR Blake Storey blake.storey@primecreative.com.au DESIGN Daz Woolley BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING ACCOUNT MANAGER Courtney Walker courtney.walker@primecreative.com.au CLIENT SUCCESS Ben Griffiths ben.griffiths@primecreative.com.au PHOTOGRAPHY Jeff Gilbert Photography, La Presse, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland HEAD OFFICE Prime Creative Pty Ltd 11-15 Buckhurst Street South Melbourne VIC 3205 Australia p: +61 3 9690 8766 f: +61 3 9682 0044 enquiries@primecreative.com.au www.gcrmag.com SUBSCRIPTIONS +61 3 9690 8766 subscriptions@primecreative.com.au

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ARTICLES

All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. The Editor reserves the right to adjust any article to conform with the magazine format.

Global Coffee Report is owned and published by Prime Creative Media. All material in Global Coffee Report Magazine is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher. The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information Prime Creative Media will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published. The opinions expressed in Global Coffee Report are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated.

NEWS In brief

NEWS DRIPBYDRIP water crisis in isolated, rural coffee growing areas. After four years, the independently registered charity has successfully increased the water quality in the Jabi Tehnan Woreda region of Ethiopia. Project Waterfall has provided improved access to safe water supply for 10,571 people, and increased access to improved and basic sanitation for 10,416 people. See page 46.

ASIA PACIFIC

Inspecting coffee plants with Colombian producers near Neiva.

AMERICAS This year, Sustainable Harvest celebrates 25 years of the Relationship Coffee Model, which it pioneered and helped to shape a new category in green coffee sourcing. The company has partnered with more than 200,000 smallholder farmers and their families, helping them gain access to premium markets and increased incomes. As part of Sustainable Harvest’s plan to re-connect the supply chain, the company will also host its global Let’s Talk Coffee event after a two-year hiatus. See page 24. At the end of a two-year project, ofi has developed cascara ingredients that the company believes has a wide range of uses in beverage, bakery, and confectionery applications. Cascara trials have been carried out

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19 on ofi’s certified, single origin Arabica estates in Zambia and Laos, to allow end-to-end quality control with full traceability. At ofi’s new innovation centre in Chicago, United States, the company is developing new cascara products derived from various processing conditions, in partnership with external laboratories and customers to meet their specifications. See page 26. Juan Valdez has opened its 500th store, located in La Plaza Salvador del Mundo in El Salvador. During 2022, Juan Valdez continues to position itself in Latin America and the United States, where it has one of the highest growth rates in its mass consumption channel. It has plans to expand in Spain, Qatar, Turkey, Argentina, Mexico, and Canada. See page 28. Project Waterfall is working to end the

Visitors will return to the Melbourne International Coffee Expo from 27 to 30 September 2022 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. With huge demand, exhibition space at MICE2022 is filling fast, and is seeing a great uptake of international exhibitors eager to reconnect with the Asia Pacific market. This year’s event boasts 200 exhibitors and is expected to attract more than 12,000 attendees. See page 50. Researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia have found that enjoying a daily latte or long black while pregnant causes no increased risk to pregnancy. Researchers used a method called Mendelian Randomisation, using eight genetic variants to predict pregnant women’s coffee drinking behaviour and examine whether these variants were also associated with birth outcomes. See page 58.

EUROPE Since the joint expansion of Neuhaus Neotec’s technical centre in 2019 with its sister company DEVEX, the Innovation Center has become unique in the diverse capabilities it has to offer. This includes recreating a small

US$166 The price of Re:Ground sneakers made from 80 per cent recycled and upcycled materials. The sneakers are only available in the European market to avoid overseas air shipments and minimise its carbon footprint.

NEWS In brief

Zero-waste fashion start-up Zèta has launched Re:Ground, a limitededition collection of coffee sneakers made from 80 per cent recycled and upcycled materials. Each pair contains Nespresso’s recycled coffee grounds, equivalent to 12 espressos. See page 34.

Each pair of Re:Ground sneakers contains 12 cups’ worth of coffee grounds.

production plant to bring green coffee into the system, and replicating the whole process of production including cleaning, roasting and grinding the coffee, then extraction and freeze drying. See page 9. The ICO’s landmark International Coffee Agreement (ICA) 2022 on 9 June formally welcomes the global private sector of coffee retailers, roasters and manufacturers, together with coffee farmers to discuss the future of coffee. Member Governments represent 93 per cent of world coffee production, and 63 per cent of world consumption. The goal of the Agreement is to find new ways to improve conditions in an over US$300 billion-a-year industry that provides livelihoods for millions of people across the world. See page 10. In response to declining coffee crops, the Salvadoran government has started the wide-ranging Program to Strengthen the Climate Resilience of El Salvador’s Coffee Forests. The total projected cost of the coffee renewal plan is US$377 million. The International Development Bank is providing a loan for US$45 million, of which US$25.5 million is for the renewal of coffee plantations, US$6 million for marketing, US$10 million for the modernisation of the coffee

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sector, and US$4.5 million for program administration. The program aims to roll out 24 million rust-resistant plants in the next five years. See page 14. Researchers from Zurich University of Applied Sciences and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich have conducted research with scientists from Bolivia and Colombia over two years, investigating the most important quality traits for green coffee and coffee cherry products. See page 19. A YouGov sponsored 2021 Italian coffee research report on consumption analysis in Italy, granted by Italian Consorzio Promozione Caffè, found that of the 1032 people surveyed, 83 per cent drink coffee at home, with 60 per cent making coffee from an espresso machine compared to 39 per cent with the traditional Moka pot, and 31 per cent with a capsule machine. Espresso remains the most dominant form of consumed coffee in Italy, both at home and out-of-home, accounting for 67 and 73 per cent of drinkers respectively. See page 30. After eight months of testing, research, and development, Tintex Textiles in Portugal has created a coffee material that can be processed into trainers.

In the past decade, Brambati has invested in research and development of increasingly high-performance emission abatement systems. Its ongoing study has been done with the aim of creating an energy-saving roasting system in collaboration with the University of Pavia in Lombardy, Italy, based on artificial intelligence to optimise the production of roasted coffee while reducing environmental impact. See page 36. Swiss coffee system manufacturer Eversys anticipated a 35 per cent growth for 2022, but Martin Strehl, CEO of the Eversys Group, says it could have doubled that growth easily. Demand for Eversys products continues to be strong, with a detailed plan on how to further manage and develop capacities. It has submitted plans to treble the size of its production facility. See page 38. Probat will host the next edition of the Connecting Markets Symposium from 21 to 22 September and celebrate the opening of its new production facility at the company headquarters in Emmerich, Germany. The opening is a milestone for the company in the field of machine, plant engineering and logistics. See page 40. Faema sponsored its own Faema cycling team from the 1950s to 1970s, and this year, has returned to the world of cycling with official sponsorship of the Giro d’Italia for the next three years. To demonstrate Gruppo Cimbali’s recent innovations, at each stage of the race, Faema presented its custom E61 and Faema President and Faemina to cyclists and spectators. See page 43.

24 million The number of rust-resistant plants El Salvador hopes to roll out in coffee producing regions over the next five years.

INNOVATION Neuhaus Neotec

House of innovation

A NEW EXPANDED TEST CENTRE MEANS THAT NEUHAUS NEOTEC HAS THE ROOM TO GROW BEYOND ROASTING INNOVATIONS. LEADING MANUFACTURER NEUHAUS NEOTEC has been operating testing centres for many years at its headquarters in Ganderkesee, Germany, as well as in Eastern United States, in order to evaluate and further develop products in its range of coffee processing and roasting plant technology. Since the joint expansion of Neuhaus Neotec’s technical centre in 2019 with its sister company DEVEX, the Innovation Center has become unique in the diverse capabilities it has to offer. “We are really trying to innovate all stages of coffee production, not just roasting,” says Lars Henkel, Head of Marketing at Neuhaus Neotec. “One reason for going larger, is that we can recreate a small production plant. That means we can bring green coffee into the system and we can replicate the whole process including the cleaning of the coffee, roasting and grinding, and then extraction and freeze drying. This enables us to do more tests that we can do currently and innovate in more ways.” One of the many highlights of the expanded test centre will be the controlled gassing option for ground coffee. “This is an advanced technology that is well established but it is not typical for a test centre,” Henkel says. “For a higher quality, you can also use nitrogen in your gassing to protect the ground coffee from oxygen, which would change the taste and flavour.” Henkel says a sophisticated test rig for gassing processes, developed in-house, will allow detailed analysis of coffee’s degassing behaviour, depending on storage conditions. This strategic decision goes hand in hand with this year’s introduction of Neuhaus Neotec’s new Maestro drum roaster for roasting capacities of up to three tonnes per hour, and the consistent product development in both roasting technologies.

FOCUS ON THE DETAILS Our unique RFB roasters are equipped with the newest and most innovative hot air roasting technologies. With our flexible roasting profiles we give our clients the possibility to optimize every detail of the roasting process for a perfect result. WWW.NEUHAUS-NEOTEC.COM

“Nowadays, the customer expects much more, and a key part of the innovation process is to try new things out together with the customer,” adds Henkel. This was particularly true of testing the equipment under production conditions. Previously, that was left to customer feedback but with the expanded test facility, Neuhaus Neotec has the capability to do stress tests on equipment, for example observing several hours of continuous production. The existing pilot plants will also be further expanded to present the variety of technical solutions in the roasting sector. For example, Neuhaus Neotec’s new Le Belle Sorelle roasting concept, presented at HOST Milan, will be installed. In this line, roasting can be done on both the drum and with rotational flexible batch technology in one system. With the new technical centre, Neuhaus Neotec aims to provide its customers with unique production machines discovered through innovative solutions, and to shape the future together. GCR For more information, visit www.neuhaus-neotec.com

COVER STORY ICO

Let’s

talk

NEW ICO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR VANUSIA NOGUEIRA ON THE IMPORTANCE OF UNITING THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTORS TO ADDRESS THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF THE GLOBAL COFFEE INDUSTRY AND REAFFIRMING THE ORGANISATION AS THE CENTRE OF COFFEE DIPLOMACY.

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Jeff Gilbert Photography

itting at her new desk surrounded by congratulatory cards in the International Coffee Organization’s (ICO) London headquarters, no-one is more surprised to be there than Vanusia Nogueira. At the end of 2019, the Brazil national had commenced talks with the Specialty Coffee Association Board about her replacement, and after 14 years as Executive Director of the Brazil Specialty Coffee Association, Nogueira knew it was time for a new direction. “I had decided 60 was a good age to start relaxing and begin a new kind of life. I was thinking about retirement, but that thinking stopped when the global pandemic began,” Nogueira tells Global Coffee Report. When former ICO Executive Director José Sette announced his retirement at the beginning of 2021, Nogueira met with representatives of Brazil’s cooperatives to discuss whether to present another candidate to lead the industry’s global coffee body. “Some of the presidents felt that Brazil shared a responsibility to support the whole coffee industry as the biggest producer and exporter, and almost the largest consuming country,” Nogueira recalls. “They then said: ‘We think the right person for the role is Vanusia.’ My first reaction was one of disbelief. I said no initially, but they asked me to think about it.” A far call from retirement, Nogueira consulted with her family who encouraged her to take on the challenge and career-defining move. Her name was put forward to the Brazilian government for consideration, and she was approved for the position in less than two hours. All ICO Member countries also gave consensus for Nogueira’s appointment, and she became the first female Executive Director of the ICO in May 2022. Newly settled in the United Kingdom, Nogueira says she comes to the role with a strong coffee background and even stronger relationships within the industry’s private sector, but with much to learn. “I need to approach this role differently and think about a diplomatic response, considering politics, and social responsibility,” she says. “I am looking forward to connecting with governments, development banks, NGOs, international and financial institutions, research bodies and academia, to build a network to support the many initiatives the ICO needs to address. “It’s a very complex time. A solo pursuit [to the industry’s issues] won’t work. We first need to recognise the challenges together, then work together, because there is no short-term fix.” Since the beginning of the ICO’s establishment almost 60 years ago, Nogueira says it has been “a place to have the most important inter-government discussions”.

“I’M UP FOR THE CHALLENGE. I HAVE ENERGY. I HAVE BELIEF, AND A DESIRE TO THINK OUTOF-THE-BOX TO TRY DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS.” Vanusia Nogueira

ICO Executive Director

“The ICO is totally neutral. It has to be. Our role is not to control but to manage and support. It is the main stage to bring all partners together, address initiatives and ideas together. We have a strong background of data which we can use for analytical analysis on future trends and industry progression, but first, we need to talk,” she says.

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COVER STORY ICO

A LANDMARK AGREEMENT

NO ONE-FITS-ALL APPROACH

Recognising the importance of this first step, Nogueira has wasted no time, unveiling the ICO’s landmark International Coffee Agreement (ICA) 2022 on 9 June, formally welcoming the global private sector of coffee retailers, roasters and manufacturers, together with coffee farmers, to key discussions on the future of coffee. The goal of the Agreement is to find new ways to improve conditions in an over US$300 billion-a-year industry that provides livelihoods for millions of people across the world. This includes smallholder farmers who have less than one or two hectares of land each to produce coffee and are considered the most vulnerable with incomes of US$500 a year. The Agreement is also a step towards the ICO’s restructuring and modernisation, reaffirming itself as the centre of coffee diplomacy, and the commitment to making the coffee value chain more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient. “We are entering a new era of cooperation with the private sector thanks to the landmark International Coffee Agreement 2022,” says Nogueira. “The arrival of the world’s biggest highstreet names and manufacturers as well as smallholders means that the whole coffee value chain can now address the biggest challenges facing the global sector in a way that is fair for all.” The Agreement is the seventh of its kind since 1962, after the first ICA defined coffee export quotas at the United Nations in New York. The 2022 Agreement goes beyond the traditional divide between exporting and importing Members. It will bring all parties to the table for the first time and tackle challenges through international private and public cooperation, involving Member Governments which represent 93 per cent of world coffee production, and 63 per cent of world consumption. “The industry has changed dramatically in the last 30 years in terms of governance and value distribution between producing and consumer nations. We can now come together and put a bigger emphasis on the development of the global circular coffee economy. Ultimately, we want to create a brighter future for millions of coffee farmers by adhering to the United Nations’ Sustainability Development Goals and work for more transparency, quality, and fair pricing for billions of consumers. The new Agreement is a huge step in this direction,” Nogueira adds. The Agreement comes at a time when expanding demand for coffee will contribute to maintaining a balance between supply and demand, and supporting fair market prices, which saw a 10-year high and a Composite Indicator Price increase for 17 straight months to 210.89 US cents per pound in February 2022. As part of the ICO’s crusade to embrace all producing and consuming nations, Nogueira will also look to connect with representatives from Australia, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Uganda, Asia, Guatemala, and other African countries currently missing from the ICO Member list. “I think it’s very important for importing and exporting countries to share experiences and expectations and to help us find new solutions. We need to open our minds and hear from the governments of each country to better understand how we can add value, and show them why it is beneficial to be part of the ICO,” Nogueira says.

The issues facing the global coffee sector are vast and varied: the coffee price crisis, climate change, extreme weather events, market transparency, sustainable production, and social issues, the list goes on. Many of these issues have resulted in crop losses and prompted farmers to quit a business that had been in their family for generations. Each issue is significant. Each needs attention, and each is interlinked, Nogueira says. “You cannot talk about environmental issues without talking about economic issues. If we don’t have economic sustainability, how can be maintain social sustainability? “If you don’t have food on the table for your kids, how can you even tackle the social issues?” she asks. “There is not one specific or unique solution to solve all the producer’s issues. It’s impossible. But by talking together, I believe we can find solutions,” she says. The ICO’s Coffee Public-Private Task Force is directly related to maintaining prosperous wages and income, and a topic Nogueira says the ICO has been trying to address for two decades. “Some people have said that the Task Force is slow, but we needed the time to build our team and maturity. And now, it is time to go to the field and start pilot trials,” she says. Nogueira refers to the Living Income Benchmarks and Living-Prosperous Income pilot projects, which have taken place in parts of Latin America, Africa, and Asia to identify and help close living income gaps. “We may have great results with some pilots, and maybe not with others, but at least we are trying. “I do believe we need to take some risks, and hopefully we can replicate the solutions,” she says. Also on the agenda is traceability, not just of specialty coffee but all commodity coffee. After world leaders signed a plan at COP26 to reverse deforestation, a draft law has been proposed to ban the import and export of six core agricultural commodities – including coffee – to and from the European Union under a landmark legal proposal, if products are deemed to be linked or contributing to deforestation.

“WE ARE ENTERING A NEW ERA OF COOPERATION WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR THANKS TO THE LANDMARK INTERNATIONAL COFFEE AGREEMENT 2022.” Vanusia Nogueira

ICO Executive Director 12

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“We need to show the government that the relationship between coffee and deforestation is low. We are contracting a consultant on the matter and have up until November to talk with the European Union about the proposed restrictions. The EU is a very strong member of the ICO and have said they are receiving lots of suggestions they wish they could support, but they don’t want to lose focus on the goal to minimise deforestation,” Nogueira says. “We do, however, need to find a new way to support this concept in a way that is good for humanity and the planet.”

LEADING BY EXAMPLE Nogueira comes from a fifth-generation farming family. She had the opportunity to manage the family farm 20 years ago but left to pursue other opportunities with her background in marketing and management, which led to 15 years working as partner at PwC Consulting. “I am part of the generation that left farming at a young age. I left my town at age 17 because of the same problems the youth of day are facing. I started hearing from my father and grandfathers that the price of coffee was no good, and that we couldn’t survive only from coffee production,” Nogueira says. “I wanted to go outside coffee farming to lead another life. And 22 years later, I came back and started to work in coffee again.” Just as Nogueira once faced, today’s generation of farmers are still torn between a laborious, unpredictable career. They are unmotivated, concerned about competition, and the impact of COVID-19. “We have a kind of bottleneck because there are many people in their 30s looking for new jobs and we have new generations coming and arriving, but they need access to practical education, infrastructure, extension training, which has stopped for the past two years due to COVID. We need to support them with research and innovation. Without that, we won’t keep the new generation in the field,” Nogueira says. “This will be one of my personal missions. “I’m up for the challenge. I have energy. I have belief, and a desire to think out-ofthe-box to try different solutions. This is my pledge.” G C R

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ORIGIN El Salvador Coffeelands in El Salvador, with Santa Ana volcano in the background.

Strengthening El Salvador THE SALVADOR AN COFFEE INDUSTRY HAS R ECENTLY SEEN SOME TOUGH TIMES AND DR AMATIC DROPS IN COFFEE CROP YIELDS, BUT A NEW GOVER NMENT PROGR AM, BACKED IN PART BY THE INTER NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT BANK, IS HOPING TO TUR N THE COUNTRY’S FORTUNES AROUND.

conomically, coffee is the backbone of the Salvadoran economy, making it the single most important agricultural product in the Central American country. Therefore, any hits that the coffee industry takes are not just a loss to the coffee producers and local farmers, they have negative economic and social consequences. In terms of coffee exports, there has been a significant reduction in recent years. Back in 2000, the country once exported about 330,000 tonne (3.3 million quintals) according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, in 2018 coffee exports fell to about 74800 tonne (748,000 quintals). In the 2017/18 crop year, the sector generated 45,000 jobs per year but, compared to the 2000 crop, approximately 62 per cent of jobs have been lost in the coffee sector. “We have been hit by climate change, no doubt about it,” says Ricardo Esmahan of the Association of Beneficiaries and Exporters of Coffee in El Salvador (ABECAFE). “The sharp drop to 748,000 quintals (about 74,800 tonnes) was because we had an explosion of fungus (coffee rust or la roya in Spanish). It was a perfect storm: we had a tropical storm just before the crop, then we have a hot climate made worse by climate change and that’s a hot soup for fungus to grow. That is one of the reasons that production went down but it has never recovered.” Esmahan says that poor prices in the past have also resulted in a lot of debt in the sector and that, while coffee prices have recovered, the industry needs to look to the future. “Bourbon and Pacas, some of the El Salvador’s trademark coffee varieties, are weaker and are not able to stand up to this type of disease, we need to explore a renovation of the industry,” he says.

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This includes deploying improved varieties for farmers while also attending to larger issues that help sustain coffee production over the long-term, such as forest ecosystem health, smallholder food security, and marketing support for producers. “But one of the reasons we are having difficulty doing this is the debt problem that the smallholder producers have,” Esmahan adds. In response to the declining coffee crops, the Salvadoran government has started the wide-ranging program to Strengthen Climate Resilience of El Salvador’s Coffee Forests, which began in November 2021. Inspired by Colombia’s Castillo renovation program in the mid-2000s and Honduras’ Lempira program in the early 2010s, it is hoped that a conscious transformation of the coffee industry would not only halt the decline but build a sustainable industry into the future.

The total projected cost of the coffee renewal plan is US$377 million. The International Development Bank (IDB) is providing a loan for US$45 million, of which US$25.5 million is for the renewal of coffee plantations, US$6 million for marketing, US$10 million for the modernisation of the coffee sector, and US$4.5 million for program administration.

OVERHAULING THE COFFEE INDUSTRY Otho Ludwing Argueta Recinos is the coordinator of the modernisation, innovation and extension of the El Salvador coffee sector for the Ministry of Agriculture, the person responsible for overseeing the bold coffee renovation project. Argueta says the program aims to roll out 24 million rust-resistant plants in the next five years. A series of nurseries have been testing the plants and they settled on 14 varieties that would be suitable. Then, the government whittled those varieties down to just seven types of coffee plants: Cuscatleco, Marsellesa, Parainema, Catisic, Anacafe 14, San Pacho, Pacamara, Borbón, and Tekisic. With the support of the IDB, a study called the Design and Structuring of a System for Traceability of Vegetative Material of Coffee in El Salvador was carried out by World Coffee Research. The project is the first coffee renewal program to use the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based genetic testing to assure that the plants are distributed are the correct variety. “Finding the best coffee variety is the critical first step,” Argueta says. “However, it is also crucial to ensure that when growers buy seeds or seedlings, they are getting what they paid for; healthy plants that are the correct genetic type.” Argueta says it is not uncommon for a coffee farmer to purchase plants that turn out not to be the variety they thought they were. This can have serious consequences, if for example, the producer thought they were buying a coffee variety resistant to rust and it turned out not to be. “The genetic purity of a variety is one way to reduce a grower’s risk. Some plants may look healthy at a young age, but have problems, such as segregation of phenotypic traits such as plant height, leaf type, or colour. Or, there are also

It’s not uncommon for farmers to purchase plants that turn out to have disease, such as fungal infection.

A series of nurseries have been testing suitable varieties to help restore El Salvador’s coffee producing industry.

It is hoped 24 million rust-resistant plants will be rolled out to producing regions in El Salvador over the next five years.

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ORIGIN El Salvador

There is a key understanding that for a thriving industry, it is necessary to look not only at the plants but the business success of those that grow them. Since 2016, El Salvador has begun a process of renewing coffee crop. To date, approximately 20,000 hectares have been renewed. This process is complemented by the IDB Climate Resilience program that began at the end of 2021.

OVERCOMING THE OBSTACLES

Featured is Emilia Umana at a coffee nursery in Guatemala. El Salvador producers hope single nucleotide polymorphism-based genetic testing will assure that plants distributed are the correct variety.

damages such as bent roots, which prevent their optimal development and useful life,” he says. Argueta says that, while this level of detail can seem obsessive, the aim is to avoid the pitfalls of other coffee renovation programs. He says they are trying to avoid the traps of other programs that often mass produce new plants with little thought for quality, and the result is a high mortality rate or low yield, meaning the plan is a huge waste of time and money. Taking care at the beginning to get the genetic testing right is a way to protect farmers against such losses in the future and not waste a large investment of government funds. But Argueta stresses that plants are just one part of the renovation. The project will look at all aspects of reviving the coffee industry in El Salvador. “The program has two general objectives: the first one is to maintain the ecosystem services provided by the coffee forest,” he says. “And the second one is to improve the food security of small coffee producers and their families. “The adoption of climate-smart agricultural technologies is providing some coffee plants and services to improve the agricultural ecosystems and help promote the renovation of 7000-hectare coffee plantations.” This includes the adoption of coffee under shade in agroforestry systems in association with fruit, timber and service trees, giving producers increase income and maintaining ecosystem services of coffee forest. The goal is to benefit 7500 producers. Argueta says the third objective is promotion of incentives for business and marketing. “We are supporting 40 co-operatives and 70 youth entrepreneurships, and also looking at the modernisation of the governance of the coffee sector,” he says. This holistic approach is also taking into account the various roles that gender and youth play in the country’s coffee industry and working to incentivise women and young people to re-enter the industry and help stop the loss of jobs seen over the past few years. The plan involves the partial financing of business plans (80 per cent of the cost) for a maximum amount of US$30,000, training in management and marketing at the association level, financing of youth entrepreneurships in the coffee chain (for a maximum amount of US$15,000), training for women in all links of the coffee chain, and the design and implementation of a marketing plan to promote Salvadoran coffee at the national and international levels. There are also plans to look at planting different types of crops that can act as shade trees for the coffee forest and bring in extra income for farmers.

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This renovation is not without its challenges, even if the genetic testing turns out to be worth the initial investment. Argueta says that one of the simple problems in rolling out the program is one of safety for the workers who have to head out into some of the riskier areas of regional El Salvador. “We have serious problems because we have different high levels of delinquency and very high-risk areas that limit our operations and we need security systems that support us to get out and assist the producers and the families in the rural coffee industry,” he says. Ricardo Esmahan of ABECAFE has his reservations but they are more focussed on the funding of the project in an industry that has yet to recover from the past few years of downturn. The government may have the loan from the IDB but it is up to them to raise the rest of the money and he is not sure that there would be enough funding to cover the largescale aims. “We do have our doubts about the take-up because many producers have stopped growing coffee altogether because they went broke from the years of low international prices. They went broke because of climate change and now they cannot afford the costs of fertilisers because they are going through the roof,” Esmahan says. He adds that the coffee industry has been presented with documentation from the El Salvador Government about the investment required for the renovation of 50,000 manzanas (about 34,900 hectares) of coffee plants, ratified by the Salvadoran Congress, and is optimistic about the future. “The coffee sector used to be the backbone of the Salvadoran economy. [It’s] not anymore, but we could be again hopefully,” he says. G C R

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FEATURE Research project A coffee plot in Huila, Colombia

Crossing over R ESEARCHERS EXAMINED HOW LIVELIHOODS OF SMALLHOLDER COFFEE FAR MERS IN COLOMBIA AND BOLIVIA CAN BE IMPROVED THROUGH HIGH-QUALIT Y COFFEE PRODUCTS, AND WHAT TECHNIQUES THEY CAN LEAR N FROM EACH OTHER.

offee provides a livelihood to millions of smallholder farmers but faces challenges resulting from price fluctuations, climate change and plant diseases. To investigate how the use of high-quality coffee could be used to improve the situation, Dr. Chahan Yeretzian, Professor at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW); Dr. Johanna Jacobi, Assistant Professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich; Sebastian Opitz and Sabine de Castelberg, Principle Investigators from the ZHAW; conducted research together with scientists from Bolivia and Colombia over two years. They investigated the most important quality traits for green coffee and coffee cherry products, analysed the value chains of both countries to support farmers’ livelihoods, and provided recommendations of strategies and policy reorientations at national and international levels to enhance sustainable and fair markets. “The objective really was to observe these two countries, which are quite different in their development of coffee and their maturity in the coffee business, and explore what aspects of their production processes could be improved or beneficial to the other,” says Yeretzian. Opitz says there are not many studies that really make a link between cup quality, farmers’ livelihoods and polices to foster both. First, an interdisciplinary team is needed, followed by a theoretical basis that is not just about monetary benefits like the sustainable livelihoods framework. “Too little research has focused on the situation of coffee farmers in general. But what I think is really different [in our research] are two things: First, the focus on by-products such as fruits, nuts, or timber and not just coffee, which is also important if we want to enhance agroforestry,” Jacobi says. “And two, the view of what quality actually means. Is it a high-quality coffee when the cup is fantastic but it is produced under slave-like conditions? Or if it comes at the cost of an old-grown forest?”

To Opitz, there are two types of coffee quality, that of coffee measured using the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) scoring points, and the overall quality of the coffee sector. “We observed that the consistence of production was much poorer in Bolivia compared to Colombia. Colombian coffee farmers are more aware how to produce quality Colombian mild coffee on a large scale, whereas in Bolivia the coffee samples analysed had a much higher spread, which is especially critical when considering defects and high moisture content in the green beans,” he says.

BOUNTIFUL BOLIVIA In Bolivia, one of the poorest countries in South America, production has been decreasing in the last years despite increasing international recognition and highly sought-after coffees, according to the World Bank. While Bolivia’s high-quality coffee production and marketing is still in its infancy, the country has a very a good reputation for its J U LY /A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 | GCR

FEATURE Research project

Coffee drying in Bolivia is traditionally done at two different locations with varying humidity levels.

A coffee producer picking coffee cherries near Caranavi, Bolivia.

cascara or coffee cherry, and a longstanding tradition of using the green coffee by-product as tea. “Cascara or ‘sultana’, as the locals call it in Bolivia, is an example of a coffee byproduct Colombian producers could embrace to help develop and promote in a type of crossfertilisation between the two countries despite them being in very different phases in the coffee evolution and development,” Yeretzian says. The research team initiated workshops and modules to help Colombian farmers promote the use of coffee cherry. “It is always fruitful to exchange concepts, ideas and experience, which also holds true for producing countries,” says Opitz. “Colombia has much more experience with the production of coffee. It is not only the biggest exporter of mild Arabica coffee, but it has also highly successful research institutions that help the coffee sector, for instance with breeding new Arabica varieties. Bolivia on the other hand has a comparably small coffee sector with little professionalisation. However, they have a long history of utilising cascara as a beverage, which in turn are useful concepts for Colombian coffee farmers.” Through the team’s research, they identified that cascara is best dried at low temperatures under shade, and best consumed 20

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as freshly as possible as opposed to storage for a year, which results in a 30 to 50 per cent decrease in flavonoids and chlorogenic acids. The team also observed the drying process of smallholder Bolivian farmers, which dry their coffee at two different locations with varying humidity levels: one at high humidity and high temperature in the Yungas at 1600 metres above sea level, or in El Alto with low humidity at 4000 metres above sea level. The researchers observed drastic differences in drying times, which also had an effect on the green bean composition. They say a compromise with initial drying in the Yungas and subsequent final drying in El Alto was most promising for sucrose content, as well as from a quality perspective. Another observation, Jacobi says, is that Bolivian farmers are implementing pesticide-intensive monocultures for three main reasons: the persisting economic pressure, a lack of clear vision and orientation by organisations and authorities from the national government or locally, and that agroecological practices such as agroforestry are almost never taught at universities and agricultural schools. “The focus is on agricultural extractivism as in many other crops in Latin America, as if soybean was an example for coffee to follow,” she says. One of the most pressing issues for the Bolivian coffee sector, however, is the lack of representation by a unified coffee organisation. Aside from organisations such as FECAFEB (Federación de Caficultores Exportadores de Bolivia), ANPROCA (Asociación Nacional de Productores de Café) and ANAPCafé (Asociación Nacional de Profesionales y Amantes del Café), Opitz says establishing one multi-stakeholder organisation to represent the coffee sector with democratic principles would be the most urgent policy initiative. “We observed that the few existing organisations in the coffee sector are working against each other instead of collaborating. This weakens the whole sector considerably and comes out of a state of mistrust which in the end disadvantages the most vulnerable because any effort to make high-quality value chains more accessible will be weaker and later delayed. We concluded that their collaboration accompanied by a ministry could help tackle this situation,” Opitz says.

COLOMBIA’S CHANGING CLIMATE Colombia is a country with a high reputation for coffee quality, stability, and consistency thanks to its well-established infrastructure. The Colombian Coffee Growers Federation has been the

The research team with different samples of roasted coffee in Munaipata, Bolivia.

Inspecting coffee plants with Colombian producers near Neiva.

leading institution that has guided, regulated, and directed the coffee sector for more than 90 years. It had strong ties to the national government and international organisations. Project researchers say increased technical support and more extension services would also be beneficial to help strengthen the small producers’ associations which constitute 90 per cent of coffee farmers. Opitz says more policies should also be in place to improve the living conditions of rural areas. “The negligence of rural areas is a broader problem than just the coffee sector. Most coffee farmers are small farmers. They deal with many problems at the same time. Abandoning the international coffee agreement has resulted in a decade-long coffee price crisis and in a delay of sustainable development in terms of education, health, and many other topics for millions of farming families, because of poverty,” he says. In terms of production however, Jacobi says the biggest practice Colombian producers can adopt from Bolivian farmers is to take a step back from high-sun intensive coffee production and implement more shade-grown agroforestry approaches for growing coffee. She says this will become even more important with the ongoing climate crisis, which is expected to severely impact most Arabica coffee areas.

“More extensive dry spells are expected with ongoing climate change. Then, keeping moisture in the soil will be critical since artificial irrigation is not possible for most Colombian farmers. Here, not only shade, but also mulching practices will become relevant again. The other factor is temperature and buffering high temperatures in the coffee crop increases coffee quality and reduces the stress for the coffee plant. This correlation between quality and higher altitude (with lower temperature) is commonly accepted,” Opitz says. Coffee under shade trees in forested landscapes, climate-friendly management and post-harvest technologies will allow for an adapted and resilient coffee production that can fulfil high quality criteria. Colombian farmers would also benefit from the diversification of coffee processes, and the knowledge of how to produce not only natural, but experimental-processed coffee that could lead farmers to new niche markets. This trend is already happening. The researchers currently have a wide range of experimental fields where farmers are testing modified post-harvest processing methods and even other coffee species.

GROWING DEMAND, INCREASING ACCESS Market access for small coffee farmers remains another significant challenge. Opitz says since smallholder farmers are not able to market their coffee to a broader public, they remain in a weak position of a price taker, since they are highly dependent on the intermediaries to export their coffee. “Here, the risk is high that the coffee is sold below its value,” he says. As coffee farmers remain the most vulnerable actors in the coffee value chain, Jacobi adds that they are subject to price fluctuations, infrastructural problems, and bear the risk of climate change alone. Without making a profit, many smallholder farmers are in a debt spiral that doesn’t allow them to think about investing in quality, agroforestry, or such things as becoming a barista. “Farmers’ organisations around the world have helped to build resilience through mutual support, claiming policy-makers’ attention to their needs, and to increase their bargaining power. The most famous example is the global farmers’ organisation La Via Campesina, which has brought small farmers’ struggles to the international policy agenda, and which has over 200 million members,” she says. To further strengthen the quality and sustainable production in Bolivia and Colombia, Jacobi and Opitz suggest both countries rethink their models of production since climate change is impacting the whole sector. J U LY /A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 | GCR

FEATURE Research project

Visiting BosCafé in Pitalito, Colombia. Sabine de Castelberg (left), Dr. Johanna Jacobi (second from right), and Dr. Nelson Gutierrez (far right) from Universidad Surcolombiana, who led the Colombian research team.

“Governments, and their national research organisations, need to adapt and to provide solutions to the coffee growers. One practical approach that would be tackling the pressing issue of climate change funding studies how climate change will impact the domestic production. Based on climate modelling it would then be much more efficient to plan any future coffee production areas, instead of hoping to pick the best suited areas. This needs an initial investment in research, which would pay off quickly,” Opitz says. In producing countries like Colombia and Bolivia, specialty coffee is typically exported, and lower-quality coffee is marketed for domestic consumption. However, coffee cherry products are increasingly sought after and local demand for high-quality coffee is growing. Jacobi says it should be prioritised to reduce farmers’ dependence on green coffee exports and improve access to local markets. “To value their own coffee means that they see meaning in investing in its quality and in its persistence. If coffee is just a commodity like any other, it will just be replaced by whatever when the problems get too big. If we want to have coffee in the future, we need not only to work on its sustainability but also its appreciation – and especially by those who produce it,” Jacobi says. In Bolivia, Jacobi observed consumer demand for high value coffee produced within the country, especially from the younger generation. What was also positive to see, was young Bolivians obtaining SCA degrees and successfully opening specialty coffee shops or roasteries serving locally produced coffee to enhance the country’s coffee culture. Opitz says their research showed that selling roasted coffee within the origin country entails the highest profits for coffee farmers. Another related topic, Jacobi says, is the decolonisation of coffee: “How can it be that in many parts of Bolivia, you cannot drink a Bolivian coffee (because almost all of it is exported) and all you can get is imported instant coffee, which is of very low quality and pollutes the environment with plastic? How can it be that the best quality is taken somewhere else and people receive a lower quality from elsewhere? This is not an isolated phenomenon, it comes with the cancellation of culture, language, knowledge, and identity and has been going on for centuries.”

GROWTH, GOALS AND PROFIT Over the next two to three years, Yeretzian and his team plan to prepare research papers on their findings and are engaging in follow-up projects. While the project is mainly aimed at livelihood improvements at the local level, the research is expected to improve the positioning of Colombia and Bolivia in taking opportunities in export niche markets, such as for specialty coffee and coffee cherry products. 22

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“Our research showed that when farmers manage to engage with high-quality value chains, it can be very beneficial for them in terms of social, human, and financial capital,” Jacobi says. “However, given the very dire livelihoods situation of many coffee farmers, instead of scaling-up (growth of few farming enterprises), I would use the concept of scaling out (involving more people). This is one of the core concepts of just transitions in agri-food systems, to make these beneficial developments accessible to more people. Otherwise, it would remain a nice but little transformative niche. For this, the overall development of coffee must engage more in quality.” While Sustainable production systems are context-specific, Jacobi and Opitz say other origin countries could embrace pathways to agroforestry systems and learn from other countries that may be more advanced. While it already occurs through new processing methods to improve coffee quality, it usually only happens on a small scale. Therefore, Jacobi says it is important to facilitate the exchange of best practices on an institutional level to have a broader impact. Above all, what’s most important through all the research and policy recommendations, Yeretzian adds, is financial return for smallholder farmers. “In all recommendations we shared to both farming communities, we relied on local community members with our group to translate in Spanish. It is important that the transfer of knowledge shouldn’t come from us as academics. Rather, we feed the knowledge to those in contact with the farmers, who they trust,” he says. “Our research really did cover the whole value chain. It’s important that we as academics and scientists, continue to work with local onthe-ground agronomists and farmers and take a holistic approach to understanding how to use the information to make improvements. Ultimately, over time, we want to see farmers profit from the export of high-quality products and the local consumption of their valued product.” G C R For more information, view the working paper via the Swiss Network for International Studies titled: “Improving rural livelihoods through promoting high-quality coffee and coffee cherry products in the origin countries Colombia and Bolivia”.

GREEN BEAN Sustainable Harvest

Coffee connectors SUSTAINABLE HARVEST’S CHIEF COFFEE OFFICER JORGE CUEVAS DISCUSSES THE CUR R ENT CONTEXT OF GR EEN COFFEE SOURCING THROUGH ITS R ELATIONSHIP COFFEE MODEL. Jorge Cuevas (centre) with farmers at a Most Valuable Producer training event in Nicaragua.

ccording to Sustainable Harvest’s Chief Coffee Officer Jorge Cuevas, when David Griswold created the specialty importing business in 1997, transparency was virtually a foreign concept. “Relationship Coffee was born when Sustainable Harvest was founded to create transparent relationships that increase value throughout the supply chain, all while fostering greater sustainability,” says Cuevas. “This model allows communication to flow in both directions between producers and roasters, ensuring the terms of trade and commercial conditions are adequate for every member of that supply chain.” This year, Sustainable Harvest celebrates 25 years of the Relationship Coffee Model, which it pioneered and helped to shape a new category in green coffee sourcing. Since its inception, Sustainable Harvest’s mission has been to improve the livelihoods of coffee-farmers. The company has partnered with more than 200,000 smallholder farmers and their families, helping them gain access to premium markets and increased incomes. Cuevas says Sustainable Harvest set out to eliminate “information arbitrage”, a term he uses to describe the concentrated power of whoever knows the value of certain products or market conditions, and therefore has a broader influence over everyone else. “I remember visiting my hometown in the coffee growing region Oaxaca, Mexico, when a coffee cupping was arranged for a buyer. It was clear that many of the local merchants and the buyer new exactly where to find the finer, more distinctive coffees, but that information was never communicated to the growers. While the buyer sat in an air-conditioned room tasting coffees, the growers sat outside in the heat, awaiting the outcome of whether their coffee was the right quality. Because the buyer held all the information and understood the value of the coffee, the growers were simply passengers of their economic destiny, with zero ability to influence his decision,” he says.

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“I thought it was so wrong. The growers poured their lives into producing that coffee, and yet they had no say in how their produce was valued and no information to allow them to make informed decisions on how to properly negotiate the value of their produce. That’s why we set out to create Sustainable Harvest, and a more transparent and equitable supply chain.” Cuevas says farmers and buyers were engaging in an “opaque supply chain” that created challenges for both sides: from farmers not knowing the expectations of their final buyers to those buyers not having a consistent supply of coffee. By leveraging the power of transparent relationships, Sustainable Harvest has helped change how farmers and buyers interact. “While opacity still exists in some part of the industry, many stakeholders have discovered the importance of building relationships in their supply chain to strengthen their supply, foster greater sustainability, and offer a consumer brand-building opportunity,” Cuevas says. He adds that consumers need only look at the past few years as a perfect example of the importance of two-way communication. “It started with the global pandemic, then economic disruptions, and now we have armed conflict in Eastern Europe and growing concerns about climate change. At the moment, we’re seeing this transparent and integrated supply chain model become very effective to cope with these challenges,” says Cuevas. He adds that the company learned how to become flexible during these adversities and having offices in four coffee-producing countries enabled it to easily trace lots back to the producers who grew them. Sustainable Harvest also made an internal pact within the company to not lay off any staff. While there were pay cuts and budget adjustments, the team remained in solidarity.

“We also encouraged flexibility between our partners. We had roasters that had too much coffee due to low demand and paired them with roasters that didn’t have enough coffee because its online sales had tripled in one week. We were working as connectors, which just meant a lot of communication,” Cuevas says. “We’ve stayed with that same approach ever since. It allowed us to become creative with logistics when we needed to ship coffees through different ports and routes. We ensure that we always understand where our counterparties are at.” To further improve communication in the supply chain while dealing with a volatile economy, Sustainable Harvest developed the Most Valuable Producer (MVP) program. This connects roasters to the top echelon of Relationship Coffee producers, a group uniquely dedicated to buyer relationships, quality, performance, sustainability, and organisational excellence. “Each year, we evaluate our producers’ partners in a number of key areas, assessing their ability to produce quality coffees that serve the needs of our clients. This is a rigorous assessment that we take seriously, as it indicates how well suited a producer is to supply coffee to our customers,” says Cuevas. “We are fortunate to partner with excellent organisations whose values align with our own and find that producers we choose to partner with perform well on this scorecard. “Some producers, however, score above and beyond what we expect of them, demonstrating a remarkable commitment to coffee excellence. We call this group the Most Valuable Producers, or MVPs.” Cuevas says the MVP Program connects roasters to a diverse portfolio of top-tier coffees, from value organics to exquisite microlots, produced by exceptional farmers. Beyond their pursuit of quality, these producers are deeply committed to on-time shipments, environmental stewardship, economic empowerment of under-resourced groups like women producers. Their membership in the program develops long-term relationships with buyers that are built on consistent quality and performance year after year. “For roasters, particularly, they’re getting a pre-vetted supply chain, so there’s no surprises

for them. They get constant feedback that ensures if something doesn’t go quite as planned, as it happens more frequently than not, at least they have a good way to ensure that feedback goes back to the suppliers and producers,” he says. “The philosophy of the program is to continually evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of both roasters and the producer organisations. By connecting MVPs to roasters, the MVPs can better understand how they can adjust their operations to best serve the needs of the specialty market. “In turn, we tailor origin-based MVP events to focus on topics like innovations in processing that help producer organisations leverage new processing techniques to produce flavour profiles that meet client needs.” Cuevas says despite building farmer capacity and roaster resilience through the program, companies that work with Sustainable Harvest value the sense of connection it inspires above all else. “By bringing all coffee stakeholders to the table and fostering an environment of radical transparency, the MVP and Relationship Coffee model creates the foundation for sustainable business,” he says. “Producers and roasters who partner year after year support the growth of each other’s businesses and the prosperity of each other’s communities, creating a powerful narrative of commitment that inspires the end consumer.” Cuevas says after two-and-a-half years of operating virtually, Sustainable Harvest is placing a tremendous emphasis on 2022 as the year to be ‘back in person’. “We have already participated in the Specialty Coffee Expo in Boston, and had a team travelling through Europe for World of Coffee in Milan. We are travelling with eight NextGen MVP coffee leaders from three producing countries on a commercial and educational tour,” he says. “These young producers will get to exchange knowledge and experiences with other coffee experts. It’s a great opportunity to bring the team closer to our growers and roasters, tasting coffees and discussing the challenges together. “We also plan to attend MICE (the Melbourne International Coffee Expo) in September and connect with the local Australian coffee community. We want to understand what’s going on there and how it’s coming back from the challenges of the last two-and-a-half years, as well as how we help open more channels for growers and bring new opportunities for roasters. Our main goal is to reconnect again.” As part of Sustainable Harvest’s plan to re-connect the supply chain, the company is also bringing back its global Let’s Talk Coffee event after a two-year hiatus. Heading to Copan Ruinas, Honduras, for its 19th edition, the event is a unique invitation-only gathering that brings together leaders from across the coffee supply chain to build strong, meaningful relationships. G C R For more information, visit www.sustainableharvest.com Sustainable Harvest imports green coffee from 18 countries on four continents.

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GREEN BEAN Ofi

Innovation

begins to bear fruit OFI’S INNOVATION TEAMS AR E FOCUSED ON R E-PUR POSING BYPRODUCTS TO OFFER CONSUMERS NEW NUTR ITIOUS AND SUSTAINABLE INGR EDIENTS. IT EXPLAINS HOW IT CR EATES DIFFER ENTIATED COFFEES THROUGH ALTER NATIVE PROCESSING METHODS.

fi’s coffee business, part of olam food ingredients and formerly known as Olam Coffee, is developing ways of upcycling the pulp and skin of the coffee cherry to create novel cascara products. Currently, the pulp and skin of coffee cherry is simply stripped from the coffee bean and often discarded, used as fertiliser, or sold for cattle feed. At the end of a two-year project, ofi has developed cascara ingredients that the company believes has a wide range of uses in beverage, bakery, and confectionery applications. “We believe this new product has a unique and interesting flavour profile and it has potential health benefits thanks to its levels of antioxidants,” says Vivek Verma, Managing Director for Coffee at ofi. Cascara trials have been carried out on ofi’s certified, single origin Arabica estates in Zambia and Laos, which Verma says allow end-to-end quality control with full traceability. At ofi’s new innovation centre in Chicago, United States, the company is developing new cascara products derived from various processing conditions, in partnership with external laboratories and customers to meet their specifications.

Cascara is a by-product Ofi is determined to upcycle and divert from waste streams.

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The ofi team has tried various methods of husk and pulped cascara to see which produces the best flavour. Verma says these two processing methods produce quite different flavour profiles. Using the pulped method during wet processing, the fruit pulp is collected and dried slowly on raised beds in a controlled environment. Verma says it is a pity that cascara has not been used already for wider human consumption, though the inspiration for the project came from seeing it used in rural communities on a much smaller scale. He also points out that utilising the fruit contributes to more eco-friendly production. “Cascara is a by-product [of coffee cherries] but by upcycling, we’re diverting it from the waste stream and reducing the environmental burden from methane emissions,” Verma says. Verma points out that the majority of the coffee cherry goes to landfill and is left to decompose in heaps. As the microbes break the pulp down, it releases a range of greenhouse gases including methane in the atmosphere. The added benefit of this upcycled byproduct, however, is providing an additional income stream for coffee farmers. Converting cascara into an ingredient for human consumption was a major focus of ofi’s project. It had to make sure that, first and foremost, there was no biological contamination so that the coffee fruit was safe to eat. The second challenge was to make sure it could process the cascara at scale, and with consistency.

Ofi says processing, such as wet processing, can influence cup quality, and cascara flavour.

“WE HAVE SEEN QUALITY INCREASES OF AS MUCH AS THREE TO FOUR POINTS.” Vivek Verma

Managing Director for Coffee at ofi

Verma is excited about the product’s potential. ofi is working with a range of businesses in the coffee industry to see if production can be scaled up, through involving more companies. But cascara is not the only ofi innovation that has been bearing fruit of late. The company is experimenting with extended fermentation techniques during processing to elevate the cup quality of washed Arabicas. “There are three factors that influence the flavour profile of coffee,” says Verma. “First the variety, second the terroir and conditions, and thirdly, processing. It is through processing that we can have the most influence, so we have focused on fermentation techniques as a driver of cup quality.” In dry processing, full cherries are dried prior to de-pulping and the husk is removed. In

Ofi is experimenting with extended fermentation techniques during processing to help elevate Arabica cup quality.

wet processing, cherries are pulped to separate the beans, with the remaining mucilage allowed to ferment before being washed off and the beans dried. Similar to the use of yeasts and cultures in many fermented foods like wine, beer or yoghurts, ofi has experimented with various starter cultures in its processing facilities across a number of coffee origins to understand the effect in generating favourable metabolites. “In many of the coffees we’ve trialled, we have seen quality increases of as much as three to four points on the Specialty Coffee Association [grading] scale – from a cup score of 81 to 85-plus. This not only adds value for our customers but helps farmers maximise earnings from their coffee too,” Verma says. The key here, Verma stipulates, is training farmers on the right techniques so they can upgrade the quality of their beans to improve their livelihood without increasing production costs. As cup scores go up, so can their profits. These two projects are part of a wider innovation focus at ofi. “Both innovation and sustainability are key to making our purpose real, ‘to be the change for good food and a healthy future’,” continues Verma. “Having our own processing capabilities, and close relationships with farmers mean we’re always looking at how to add value from crop to cup.” G C R For more information, visit ofi.com

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INDUSTRY PROFILE Juan Valdez

Strength in numbers CAMILA ESCOBAR, PR ESIDENT OF COLOMBIAN-BASED MULTINATIONAL COFFEEHOUSE JUAN VALDEZ TALKS TO GLOBAL COFFEE R EPORT ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF OPENING ITS 500TH STOR E. ccording to Juan Valdez President Camila Escobar, the renowned Plaza Salvador del Mundo is one of the most visited places by locals and tourists in El Salvador. This is why it was chosen as the location for the company’s 500th store. “The monument of the Divino Salvador del Mundo, located in La Plaza Salvador del Mundo, is considered a national symbol in El Salvador, a place where many of this nation’s celebrations are held,” says Camila Escobar. “We decided to open our Juan Valdez store in this location due to its relevance, making it the first in the franchisee to be branded under the new brand architecture model, which aims to highlight the in-store experience and have greater recognition at a local level.” Escobar says the company is proud to have 500 stores worldwide. For more than 15 years Juan Valdez has been consolidating a robust expansion plan. “We aim to be the global benchmark of 100 per cent Colombian premium coffee and with it, engage more and more consumers to fall in love with this product of our country,” Escobar says. She adds that Juan Valdez’s Colombian coffee has fascinated Salvadorians with its unique flavour, adding value in the market. “Consumers can find the Juan Valdez experience in our stores through different beverages based on coffee from diverse regions of Colombia, which represent the more than 540,000 coffee growing families and their work,” Escobar says. “We adapt to local preferences through our menu of food and other beverages besides coffee that are created both with traditional products from Colombia, but also with local tastes from the country. Additionally, we have focused on creating spaces in our stores that connect the Salvadorian consumers with the brand’s essence.” Escobar says the opening of its 500th store allows Juan Valdez to highlight the work of the thousands of Colombian coffee producers. “[They] are the essence of our brand and whom we work for with passion and commitment. Furthermore, this leads us to continue growing and sharing with the world everything about the premium coffee tradition of the country,” she says. “This achievement confirms the effort and work that we have been executing for the past 20 years and reaffirms the strength of our brand at a national and international level, allowing us to capitalise better opportunities in new markets and to increase our impact in regions in which we have a presence.” 28

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The achievement arises from the alliance between Juan Valdez and the franchisee Corporación JV de Centroamérica, that, since 2013, has led the brand in El Salvador. “In more than 10 years of operation in El Salvador, we have seen positive results for the brand, giving the company recognition among local consumers and tourists. Due to this partnership, we have opened 10 stores all around the country, located in shopping malls and touristic areas in the Salvadorian capital,” Escobar says. During 2022, Juan Valdez has continued to position itself in Latin America and the United States, where it has one of the highest growth rates in its mass consumption channel. It has plans to continue to strengthen its expansion in Spain, Qatar, Turkey, Argentina, Mexico, and Canada. “Through our Juan Valdez Stores, with a presence in more than 15 countries, we seek to bring the best from Colombia and our coffee, tailoring the needs for local consumers around innovation, recipes, and experience,” Escobar says. She adds that the reason for such a high growth rate and its ability to stand out at an international level, is largely due to Colombia’s reputation as a coffee growing country. “Throughout the years, we have strived to produce a high-quality product that represents

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the work of the coffee growers from our country. Also, our stores bring the best-inclass quality, service and experience that is very appealing to demanding and expert consumers,” says Escobar. “In the United States, the brand has been able to grow based on its internationalisation strategy, which is focused on innovation in the different market channels of El Salvador. As a result, more local consumers are connecting with our brand and the history behind it in stores, supermarkets, and online channels.” Escobar says Juan Valdez plans to become one of the leading brands in coffee consumption worldwide. “For the past 20 years we have been focused on being one of the most recognised brands in the world due to its healthy growth and sustainable impact. “This has been an ongoing effort with our partners who have the same purpose, and that is translated into an explicit commitment to shared economic, social, and environmental value,” says Escobar.

“By having more than 10 coffee origins that come from different regions of Colombia, we have created a competitive advantage regarding our products. Thus, the quality of our production provides a unique experience for consumers around the world, as well as the educational focus around coffee, which has become one of the main purposes of the brand since it allows us to share the work of coffee growers and their expertise.” The company also expects to expand its coverage in large supermarkets, digital channels, and stores, including key regions such as the Middle East and North Africa, North America, and Europe, to generate interaction and a greater reach to new generations. “These market channels represent diverse types of consumption, which enables an opportunity to expand our products to more consumers from different segments, offering an omnichannel brand. We have been working to enhance the experience that we offer with our 100 per cent premium Colombian coffee and our products, which include packaged coffee, high quality pastries, hot and cold beverages, among others,” Escobar says. Juan Valdez reaffirms its intention to continue promoting the Colombian countryside and the work of coffee-growing families who strive to raise the country’s name and share their coffee to the world. “Our purpose has been focused on generating shared value through a sustainable platform that includes multidimensional strengthening programs, such as Mujeres Cafeteras and Renacer, initiatives that support the coffee growers and generate an impact in their lives,” says Escobar. “Being part of the Colombian coffee industry is a responsibility with our country. We have the priority of promoting our coffee tradition, since this represents us globally and differentiates us as a brand.” G C R For more information, visit www.juanvaldezcafe.com

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MOMENT when great beans become great business.

At Franke, we’re not just in the business of selling coffee machines. We’re in the business of creating wonderful coffee experiences for your customers. It’s all about the moment. We can help you make it wonderful. Want to know more? coffee.franke.com

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FEATURE Espresso price

Rais€ the bar

FOR CENTUR IES, ESPR ESSO COFFEE HAS BEEN AN AFFOR DABLE STAPLE IN ITALIAN CULTUR E, BUT THE R ISE OF SPECIALT Y COFFEE IS CALLING FOR A R EVIEWED PR ICING STRUCTUR E. GLOBAL COFFEE R EPORT SPEAKS TO ITALIAN ROASTERS TO UNDERSTAND THE PR ICE DEBATE AND WHY THE DECISION IS NOT AS EASY AS PEOPLE MIGHT ASSUME. 30

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hen Ditta Artigianale Owner Francesco Sanapo re c e ive d a f ine of €1000 (about US$1058) for not disclosing the €2 price tag of a decaffeinated espresso at his Florence coffee shop as a result of a consumer complaint, he shared his response and outrage to social media followers. What transpired was thousands of notifications, video shares, messages of support, and international press coverage from France TV, CNN International, and The Guardian. What has since occurred, is an opportunity to discuss the cost of espresso in Italy and why specialty coffee should be valued with a higher price tag. “Our mission at Ditta Artigianale is to spread the beauty of coffee to everyone, especially for Italians. To do that, we need to increase the price paid for espresso coffee. Drinking a €1 coffee is no longer sustainable. It’s a symbol of poor-quality coffee, and one we cannot afford to keep. It’s not wrong to pay €2 if there is quality attached,” Sanapo says. Ditta Artigianale currently charges €1.50 (about US$2) for its espresso, with single origin espressos ranging from €2 (about US$2.10) to€2.50 (about US$2.60). Sanapo considers his espresso prices to be the most expensive in Florence, but says it is justified. Customers are not just paying for the coffee in the cup, but the experience at his café, its interior, quality furniture, and service from a qualified barista. When Sanapo visits other cafés, orders an espresso, and receives the receipt with the minimum cost of €1.20 (about US$1.25), he suggests they increase the price of the coffee to €1.50. Operators consistently say ‘no’ because other venues around them charge €1.10 (about US$1.16). They say it’s “too risky” to increase the price for fear customers will go elsewhere. “These operators are already losing money with every cup of coffee they serve,” Sanapo says. “I tell them to use their knowledge to create a story about quality, increase the quality, and then they really will stand out from the crowd. How exiting would that be.” What’s needed, is further education and knowledge to café owners and baristas, as well as the customer, about the cost of production of green beans, and prices applied across the

supply chain before it arrives in the cup. Sanapo says already 500 people have come through Ditta Artigianale’s training centre, and he hopes to influence many more. “With greater education, I hope one day my own baristas will go and open their own café and replicate what we do at Ditta Artigianale, because increasing the quality of coffee and increasing the price of the cup is the only way to make a revolution,” he says.

A CULTURE STEEPED IN HISTORY During the 1950s, espresso and the local Francesco Sanapo is the Owner and Founder of Ditta Artigianale roastery newspaper were traditionally the cheapest and cafés in Florence, Italy. items sold in a classic Italian coffee bar. Going to the local coffee shop and buying ‘un caffè’ was also the way many people could watch television. Caffè sospeso, or, the suspended coffee, was another popular movement in Naples during World War II when customers would pay for two espressos – drink one and leave the receipt of the other for a stranger in hardship to uptake complimentary. For older generation Italians, the €1 is tied to tradition and culture. For them, espresso has never been about quality, it’s been about the social connection attached to it. Over time however, the price of newspapers has increased, but coffee has remained the same. “Espresso culture is part of Italy’s history. It’s not an easy decision to completely change the price of espresso because there is a mindset that it needs to be cheap because of the high volume of coffees people drink per day, from two to seven cups. The only way to change that mindset is to differentiate coffee by quality,” says Matteo Baldoni of Caffè Pascucci Torrefazione. “I think we can increase the price by serving a good quality coffee, and increasing the training and knowledge of baristas, giving them information to help educate consumers about how to evaluate the quality of coffee, and what happens behind the cup: sustainable farming, use of organic products, natural processed coffees. Communication is what will change the customer’s view and understanding of why the price of specialty coffee should be higher.” While this period of transition may take time, Eddy Righi, Barista Trainer, Research and Development of Caffè Pascucci Torrefazione and 2016 Italian Brewers Cup Champion, references Italy’s wine industry. In the past 25 years, it has emerged from a standard ‘red and white’ culture to bottles identified by region and varietal, with different prices attached. The same can be said for the large volume of boutique beers on the market. “Twenty-five years ago in restaurants, you would find only red or white wine. Then a scandal in the ‘90s occurred when police found a lot of companies were manufacturing wine chemically without grapes. That led people to start questioning the quality of product they were buying; what was in it, and where it was produced,” Righi says. While COVID-19 hit Italian coffee shops hard, resulting in the closure of thousands of small businesses and coffee shops according to Baldoni, the crisis could now be an opportunity for specialty coffee shop owners to reset their prices and start an important conversation with customers about quality, where their coffee comes from, and encourage them to try new products. J U LY /A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 | GCR

FEATURE Espresso price

“Expanding a coffee shop’s menu with more alternative brewing methods, such as filter coffee options, which are proving quite popular with the younger generation, may also help educate customers about the quality of espresso because their palates are evolving and they are more accepting of different coffee,” Baldoni says. “Otherwise, cafés will be forced to make a choice: work with lower quality coffee and risk closing or sell higher quality coffee and raise the price.”

CHANGING OF THE GUARD When Righi started working at Caffè Pascucci Torrefazione in 2010, he opened a coffee bar selling organic espresso for €1.20 (about US$1.27), but that price has not changed in 12 years. “The matrix for espresso in Italy in general is €1 to €1.40, but in my opinion it’s still too low. In today’s environment, the increased freight prices of green beans has gone up 300 per cent. A container used to be €1000 and is now €4000 on average. Everything is going up in price, but are we protesting the price of petrol? No, we just pay it. We accept the price increases of everything around us, but because espresso is a popular, sacred culture, people Matteo Baldoni and Eddy Righi of Caffè Pascucci Torrefazione.

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have an opinion. But one person can’t [increase the price] alone. Everyone has to agree in order for the whole industry to benefit,” Righi says. “I do think the average price of espresso in Italy will rise to €1.50, but it should go hand-inhand with salary raises of hospitality staff (which is a national average of €1340 per month or US$1418). Our industry has a high turnover of staff. If this doesn’t happen, I fear consumption levels will go down because Italy’s consumption is blocked at 5.5 kilograms per capita, whereas in Brazil, Eastern countries and Asian countries like China and Korea, their per capita has increased.”

HOME BREWING EVOLUTION A YouGov sponsored 2021 Italian coffee research report on consumption analysis in Italy, granted by Italian Consorzio Promozione Caffè, found that of the 1032 people surveyed, 80 per cent regularly drink coffee, compared to just 5 per cent that don’t. Eighty-three per cent also drink coffee at home, with 60 per cent making coffee from an espresso machine compared to 39 per cent with the traditional Moka pot, and 31 per cent with a capsule machine. “Home brewing has been a dominant form of coffee consumption since Moka pots were introduced to market in 1933. Ground coffee has been available in supermarkets for around €8 to €9 per kilograms, so the coffee many Italians use at home is probably a grade two or three with lots of defects. Because of this poor example of coffee quality, customers are used to drinking this type of beverage and are therefore reluctant to pay more for something that tastes quite different in a specialty coffee bar,” Righi says. Unique to Italy, however, is that espresso remains the most dominant form of consumed coffee, both at home and out-of-home, accounting for 67 and 73 per cent of drinkers respectively. Study participants were also found to value taste and aroma over brand and price, and purchase their coffee mainly from supermarkets. Outside the home, 82 per cent of consumers preferred to drink their coffee at a bar, compared to 43 per cent at the office, and 34 per cent at a restaurant. Michele Monzini is CEO of Mokito, a fourth generation roastery, and President of Consorzio Promozione Caffè, an association representing Italy’s coffee market, community and supply chain. He says Italy’s home coffee consumption rituals have evolved a lot in the past 10 years. “While a great majority of people continue to still use the traditional Moka pot at home, there has been an increase of espresso machine users and lots of people using pods or capsule machines, such as Nespresso, especially in the past two years,” Monzini says. “It was a time when cafeterias and coffee bars were closed. People, who were used to drinking two to three coffees per day at a bar suddenly had to start drinking at home, and they used capsules because it was the closest thing – and cheapest at 40 to 50 cents each – to a coffee consumed at the bar. The question now, is whether that volume of home consumption will remain, or will customers be happy to pay more for their coffee at a bar, with the out-of-home market still down by 20 per cent compared to 2019 levels.” The consumer is changing. That’s why Starbucks made its move by opening a Reserve roastery in Milan in 2018, Monzini says, knowing that the ‘new-age’ coffee drinker is experimental. “Habits are changing and young people’s preferences can change much faster than the older demographic of drinkers. They are looking for different kinds of products, not only espresso,” he says.

Monzini adds that pre-pandemic, Italy had “too many bars” and was already divided by the decision to pay more for espresso thanks to roasters more focused on providing a quality offering and the influx of specialty roasters, or stick with a lower price and lower quality customers were familiar with. According to Mordor Intelligence, the Italian coffee market is projected to register a compound annual growth rate of 2.3 per cent between 2022 to 2027. During the 2021 financial year, the Lavazza Group achieved revenues of more than €2.3 billion (about US$2.4 billion). illycaffè’s consolidated revenue for 2021 amounted to about US$532 million, a 17.4 per cent increase compared to 2020, and driven by the gradual recovery of the awayfrom-home sector.

Paolo Scimone is Founder of His Majesty Coffee, a dedicated specialty coffee roaster.

Also to be factored into rising costs, Monzini says, is service. “Not only should consumers pay more for a premium product, but for good service from a traditional Italian waiter or barista. If the coffee was served in a gold cup you’d have to pay for that too. It all adds up,” he says. “For this reason, the price of coffee in Italy is probably too low. If you can prove that you are achieving quality behind the bar then that would also justify you raising the price more than 10 or 20 cents.”

TWO DIRECTIONS

Michele Monzini is CEO of Mokito roastery and President of Consorzio Promozione Caffè.

Monzini says about 800 independent roasters make up the remaining 90 per cent of the roasting community, located in all corners of the country, such as Mokito, located in Milan. Monzini says regardless of size, all roasters would be feeling the pinch when it came to cost increases. “Rising costs are almost unavoidable. At Mokito, the raw bean price for Arabica has doubled and Robusta has increased by 70 per cent in past 12 months. Everything is growing and no-one is happy about it,” Monzini says.

Paolo Scimone, Founder and Head of His Majesty Coffee, a roaster in the Lombardy region of Italy, agrees that the key to consumers paying more for espresso will be to differentiate it into two categories of quality. However, he says it will also be about perception. “If you can identify a specialty coffee and that the owner has invested in a lot of equipment – such as La Marzocco, Victoria Arduino and Faema espresso machines, Mahlkonig EK43 grinders, Modbars and V60 brewing devices – it’s one way a customer can make a distinction that the venue is using premium devices and will be serving a premium product worth paying more for opposed to traditional venue that sells espresso for a quick and cheap purpose,” Scimone says. His Majesty Coffee opened in 2013, roasting only specialty coffee. Scimone has never sold a commercial grade coffee, although admits it would help the speed of growth. “We see the specialty market as moving but very slowly. Italy has about 50 roasters in the country roasting specialty coffee, so it’s increasing but not helping us grow quickly at scale. In the next five years I do think we will see many more specialty coffee shops open, but I also think specialty will remain a niche market,” Scimone says. “At times we feel pressure to follow the United Kingdom or Australia to be a fast-moving specialty country, but Italy is unique. It is not easy to break our longer and older tradition. “What’s also unique is that every city and small town in Italy has their own local roaster, which is why espresso tastes different from region to region. Traditionally, in the North, espresso is 80 per cent Arabica, 20 per cent Robusta or in some areas 100 per cent Arabica and roasted a bit lighter. In the South, it’s more popular to increase the Robusta, or have an even 50/50 split. Sugar is optional and largely dependent on the roast and the volume of bitterness in the coffee.” The way forward, with respect to tradition, Scimone says, is for cafés to add one specialty coffee to their bar menu at a time, and slowly introduce it to customers. “Over time, it will make an impact opposed to replacing all coffees with specialty at once. Once we capture the market, then we can slowly intergrade a higher price,” he says. Business owners such as Sanapo of Ditta Artigianale understand the challenges ahead but are hopeful that with further industry support and greater market education, a change will occur. “The task of raising the price of espresso in Italy, is my mission in life. Hopefully, in time, Italians and Italy, as a country, will see why we need to charge more for espresso. This is really about Italy’s coffee evolution,” Sanapo says. “We only want the best for our industry and to grow it, and I really believe raising our prices is one way to do that.” G C R J U LY /A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 | GCR

INDUSTRY PROFILE Nespresso

Each pair of Re:Ground sneakers contains 12 cups’ worth of coffee grounds.

Best foot forward SUSTAINABLY-FOCUSED BRANDS NESPRESSO AND ZÈTA HAVE PARTNERED TO CREATE A SNEAKER COLLECTION USING RECYCLED COFFEE GROUNDS. 34

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hen Laure Babin founded zero-waste fashion start-up Zèta in September 2020, she never imagined she’d be releasing a shoe collection with coffee giant Nespresso only two years later. “It all started when the CEO of Nespresso, Guillaume Le Cunff, came across Zèta on [social media platform] LinkedIn in January 2021. He was intrigued by our approach, as recycled, vegan and grape trainers (one of Zèta’s original upcycled products) are not very common. Guillaume sent a direct message with a challenge: ‘Bravo for the grape trainers, but what about coffee?’” says Babin. “At the time, it was difficult as we didn’t know how to make leather out of coffee grounds. We began the journey to search for suppliers who could undertake research and development to create vegan leather made from coffee. “It turned out that there was no coffee leather on the market. We finally met Tintex Textiles, a leader in the innovative textile market in Portugal, who decided to join us on this adventure. After eight months of testing, research, and development, Tintex created a coffee material that could be processed into trainers,” Babin says. Inspired by the principles of zero-waste, eco-design, and French style, Zèta has launched Re:Ground, a limited-edition collection of coffee sneakers made from 80 per cent recycled and upcycled materials. Each pair of sneakers in the capsule collection contains Nespresso’s recycled coffee grounds, equivalent to 12 espressos. In keeping with Zèta’s sustainable ethos, the Re:Ground sneakers, priced at US$166, are only available in the European market to avoid overseas air shipments and minimise its carbon footprint. Zèta is committed to working in short circuits with only European suppliers close to its manufacturing workshop to reduce its carbon footprint. The vegan coffee leather is therefore made in Portugal from spent coffee grounds from Nespresso recycling centres in Europe, where coffee grounds are extracted and separated from the aluminium capsules. Babin says this coffee leatherette is an innovative and durable material that reflects economic circularity.

The shoes are manufactured using environmentally friendly materials, present both in the textile substrate underlay, which is a 100 per cent cotton fabric, and in the cover layer, made of approximately 20 per cent green and biobased polymers, and approximately 65 per cent water-based polyurethane. “To this we added 15 per cent coffee grounds, which come from the Nespresso capsule recycling program. This coffee imitation leather has several sustainable aspects, including the incorporation of used coffee grounds, high content of organic substances, natural dyes, and eco-responsible treatment,” Babin says. “Coffee grounds are incorporated into the insole and outsole, and all the brown details of the shoe contain coffee. The soles have a speckled effect that comes from particles of recycled rubber and coffee grounds.” This capsule collection consists of three models titled Latte, Cappuccino and Ristretto. “It is the sole that fits perfectly with the name of the drink. A white sole for the Latte trainer, a honey sole for the Cappuccino trainer, and a dark brown sole for the Ristretto trainer, making this collection a unique creation,” says Babin. The composition of the Re:Ground sneakers remains faithful to the classic model of Zèta shoes with the choice of corn plant material for the outside of the sneakers. The inner lining is in mesh made from plastic bottles fished out of the Mediterranean Sea. The laces are made from recycled plastic, the removable insole is recycled cork, the outsole in recycled synthetic rubber, and the glue is recycled latex. To Babin, it was imperative to create a brand using recycled materials in the footwear. “We can no longer only use sustainable materials or natural resources. We have an abundance of waste we can use. The idea was to give another life to waste and create a new product combining innovation, aestheticism, and durability,” she says. Babin says it was only fitting to partner with Nespresso for this collection, as the brands share the same environmental and social responsibility commitments. “Nespresso has a deep and longstanding commitment to sustainability, and circularity is a key part of this,” she says.

According to Anne-Claude Truchement, Nespresso’s Head of Accessories, sustainability is ingrained in the company’s DNA, having started its capsule recycling program in 1991. “For more than 30 years, we have been exploring and learning how best to integrate social and environmental considerations into our activities while also improving efficiency and growing sustainably,” says Truchement. “For example, Nespresso offers an upcycled beach towel made from 100 per cent recycled materials including post-consumer plastic bottles and plastic captured from the sea, reducing the waste in the planet’s oceans.” Truchement says Nespresso’s recent B-Corp certification is a designation that the business is meeting high standards of verified sustainable performance, accountability, and transparency. “Becoming B-Corp certified is a marker for the positive impact Nespresso has made in the coffee industry. A key contributing element is our unique approach to coffee sourcing through the Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality™ Program, which is a coffee sourcing program designed to ensure the continued supply of high-quality coffee while improving the livelihoods of farmers and their communities, and protecting the environment,” she says. Truchement adds that operating sustainably is not important, it’s a must-have in the configuration of any business. “Not only as humans but as companies, we understand that there is a need to transition from a linear to a circular economy,” she says. “Nespresso’s central focus is moving towards the sustainable production of coffee and engaging consumers in the importance of sustainable consumption, which is why we participate in these initiatives, to inspire them and engage them into our recycling effort. “I think what Laure has done is amazing because it turns waste into something super stylish. The whole purpose is to bring this idea of a circular economy to the fashion industry where we know there is much to be done.” Babin hopes Zèta’s commitment to transparent and sustainable manufacturing encourages other brands in the fashion industry to pushing the boundaries in terms of creating new value from waste. “While we may have less weight than other big brands like fast fashion companies, we try to operate in the best way possible with the best composition of products, and the best working conditions for craftsmen. In this way, it can be a source of inspiration to other brands,” she says. “Having Nespresso and Zèta come together was a great way for us to show others how much innovation is a key element in this process. We need business owners like Laure that are super agile, passionate, young, and dynamic to drive this change,” says Truchement. From its inception, Zèta had the challenge to deconstruct the shoe industry and offer a collection of sneakers made entirely from vegan and recyclable materials, while being as transparent as possible. The company also gives a second life to materials such as grapes and corn, and considering the multitude of waste that exists, Babin doesn’t intend to stop there. “We’re working on developing a range of shoes made of seaweed, but we’re still in the research and development stage at the moment. What’s more, we plan to alter our logistics by making shipments by train to further reduce our carbon footprint. We’d also love to become B-Corp certified as a reinforcement of our commitment to the environment,” she says. Babin hopes the Re:Ground capsule collection delights coffee and fashion fans alike, and endeavours to continue designing recyclable and vegan sneakers with the lowest environmental impact possible. “Knowing how your shoes are made, and under what conditions, makes the difference. With every step you take, you support a brand that respects animals, the planet, and its people,” says Babin. “Re:Ground is the embodiment of our collaboration with Nespresso, a chic and stylish shoe that celebrates the value of coffee and the virtue of circularity.” GCR For more information, visit www.zeta-shoes.com or www.nestle-nespresso.com

J U LY /A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 | GCR

INDUSTRY PROFILE Brambati

Power play BR AMBATI TALKS ABOUT IMPROVING KEY ELEMENTS OF THE ROASTING PROCESS SO THAT COMPANIES CAN MAKE SIGNIFICANT COST SAVINGS AND EMISSION R EDUCTIONS.

talian roaster manufacturer Brambati has always looked for roasting innovations to help drive the company forward during its long history in the roasting business. “We have constantly focused on the environment and sustainability, so for us, all the developments we have made to the roasting system have always been in this area. We are improving our roaster’s emissions reduction results and doing this in two different ways,” says Dr Fabrizio Brambati, President and CEO of Brambati. “On the consumption side, we have been working to reduce the consumption of energy and gas, and on the other side, we have been working to have maximum control of emissions.” Brambati has always invested in the development of new technologies to improve the efficiency of its plants. In the past decade, the company has invested in research and development of increasingly high-performance emission abatement systems that can meet the most restrictive requirements. Its ongoing study has been done with the aim of creating an energy-saving roasting system in collaboration with the University of Pavia in Lombardy, Italy, based on artificial intelligence to optimise the production of roasted coffee while reducing environmental impact. In addition, each Brambati roaster, including its popular KAR and BR series in Eco models, can be fitted with an ECO afterburner to reduce emissions into the atmosphere, and control power and gas consumption. Brambati roasters can also be fitted with a catalytic converter. The manufacturer has different types, including metallic, which Brambati says guarantees mechanical strength, and ceramic, that allows easy cleaning. This 36

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Brambati’s impression of an afterburner with a catalytic converter installed on a roasting plant.

can be used depending on the required abatement levels on volatile organic substances (V.O.S.), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), aldehydes, and odours. Catalysts are also used to improve the efficiency of systems in which the roaster exhaust is ducted to the burners that heat the roaster. When particulate matter is a concern, some roasters prefer to use Recuperative Thermal Oxidisers (RTOs), which Brambati says is a more efficient way to deal with the problem. RTOs take the volatile organic matter and other air pollutants and pass the harmful air pollutants through a combustion chamber where it is heated until oxidised. This is usually done at very high temperatures to ensure all pollutants have been neutralised. “You have to oxidise the organic compounds and an RTO can recover up to 95 per cent of the energy used to reach those high temperatures,” says Federico Filini, Project Manager and R&D engineering at Brambati. By concentrating on what temperature the catalytic converters begin to do their work, the company says there are ways to neutralise pollutants at a far lower temperature, thus keeping energy costs down and having a positive environmental impact. The catalytic converter is already active from 300°C, allowing the use of afterburners of reduced size and power. This guarantees a less expensive investment and some of the lowest energy consumption levels. It’s for this reason Brambati has actively collaborated with some of the largely global coffee companies. “If you have an afterburner working with catalytic converters, we have different types of afterburner that absorb the exhaust, for example, with an increase in temperature of 150°C compared to the roaster exhaust temperature,” says Filini. “In some countries, for example, afterburners are used at a very high temperature of somewhere near 760°C. Therefore, with an increase in temperature of about 550°C compared to the roaster exhaust temperature, you can imagine how much you are saving in energy working with an afterburner that uses a catalytic converter instead of a high-temperature converter.” Filini proposes that energy can be saved by layering the catalytic converters to begin working at lower temperatures and monitoring the emissions, rather than relying only on high temperatures. Thanks to this process, Brambati says it can maintain abatement levels below the most restrictive requirements applied in Italy, the European Union, and generally in more than 50 countries worldwide where Brambati’s systems are used. Abatement efficiency levels on S.O.V and CO can be up to 98 per cent, while allowing NOx concentration levels to be kept below 100 milligrams per cubic meter. This is even when roasting with very dark roast profiles. Brambati’s equipment is also portable and easy to install. The catalytic plates are modular and small in size, allowing for easy removal and handling. Brambati’s afterburner and catalytic

“WE CAN ACHIEVE THE SAME QUALITY OF RESULTS WHILE ALSO TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE LOGISTIC NEEDS OF THE CUSTOMER.” Dr Fabrizio Brambati

President and CEO of Brambati

converters can be placed on top of the roaster, on the ground or on a factory roof. “This is very important because we can achieve the same quality of results while also trying to understand the logistic needs of the customer,” says Brambati. All of Brambati’s efficiency tests take place on a small roaster in Brambati’s pilot plant where it is possible to control the tests and make sure that the reduction in energy usage does not mean any loss in quality for the coffee roast. G C R For more information visit, brambati.it.

Brambati’s factory in the Province of Pavia, Italy, has always invested in the development of new technologies to improve the efficiency of its plants.

J U LY /A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 | GCR

TECH PROFILE Eversys

The unpredictability of managing growth

post-pandemic MARTIN STREHL, CEO OF THE EVERSYS GROUP, ON HOW THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY IS RECOVERING POST-PANDEMIC AND WHY COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS HAVE BECOME MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER. Martin Strehl, CEO of the Eversys Group.

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he past two years were met with uncertainty as the world battled a global pandemic, but as it turns out, our recovery is headed down the same path, proving to be a challenge of another kind. While it’s fantastic to see coffee shops and restaurants thriving again, our hospitality sector has forever changed. Many businesses used country lockdowns to think deeply about the hospitality landscape, the role of coffee machines within it, and how they could not only survive, but also thrive. Then, as the world re-emerged from the darkness and into the light, came the parts no-one really saw coming – broken global supply chains, rising inflation or staff shortages. As businesses fight to keep up with growing customer demand, to make up for lost revenue, they are also fighting to resource their shops with capable baristas. The solution, as many clearly now realise, is the use of automation to relieve the pressures of reduced labour while maintaining the quality and consistency customers have come to expect. It is for this reason we’re seeing such strong demand for the Eversys range of machines, and in particular, the Enigma (former E-line), which can handle large volumes and be used by the most and least experienced staff members. At Eversys, the Swiss manufacturer of coffee systems, we had anticipated a 35 per cent growth for 2022, which seemed already an ambitious target. But in light of our present reality, we could have doubled that growth easily. We had expected increased product demand to a certain degree, but not at the rapid rate we’re experiencing today. Though, this positive development, combined with the negative side-effects following the pandemic period confronts us with a set of new challenges. Not limited to the coffee market alone, but in almost every industry around the world, supply

chain challenges are an emerging phenomenon. I took my car to the mechanics a few weeks ago and spoke to the dealer about a spare part I was waiting for. They couldn’t give me a time indication of when it would arrive. Other industries are suffering from staff shortages, not only our already mentioned HoReCa sector but also, as we are currently experiencing, the airline industry. And I’m sure there are and will be other problems which we could not have imagined a while ago. The bottleneck at Eversys is not the people or the capacity of our company to grow. During the pandemic, we never reduced our capacities. Rather, we increased our staff by 20 per cent to help strengthen the company earlier this year and we keep on hiring and strengthening our team. What really is holding us back, is the limited availability of raw materials and the supply limitations on electronic components. That’s where the bottleneck lies. In some cases, we are having to fight even for materials that were previously ordered – whereas there is no hesitation from suppliers to doubling or trebling their price, even if it was pre-agreed by contract. As much as we dislike it, this leaves us no other choice than to adjust our pricing in line with the cost and exchange rate fluctuations as well, as most industries are forced to do these days. While simply sourcing pre-ordered components on time and according to plan has become a struggle, the flexibility to increasing order volumes short-term is nowadays a mission hardly possible. Obviously, this frustrating side of the post-covid era was not what we were hoping for. It costs our team members a tremendous amount of time and extra effort to mitigate these challenges. Alas, extended lead times – which have become a matter of months, not weeks as it was previously – seem hard to avoid in the short-term. Professional coffee equipment represents a significant long-term investment and the decision to choose the right product should be well considered by weighing up the key criteria. This has not changed and should not be questioned by short-term impacts of the post-pandemic phase. Our primary objective is and always has been to satisfy our customers’ expectations and to be a trusted partner for the long run.

We are dealing with this situation with absolute integrity, providing our clients with frequent, precise, and transparent communication. Which is why we have made the decision to share our current plight with Global Coffee Report’s readership, providing the audience with an honest insight into the challenges facing manufacturers the world over. At Eversys, demand for our products continues to be strong and we are implementing a detailed plan on how to further manage and develop our capacities. We are pursuing our recruitment drive and have submitted plans to treble the size of our production facility – a factory that was purpose built a mere two years ago. Most of all, however, we are working to increasing our resilience in a world with increasingly unpredictable supply chains. Concretely, we are investing into higher component stock levels, analysing and monitoring our sourcing channels with increasing detail to spot and mitigate potential risks, and working on alternative component designs, allowing for greater flexibility in case of supply chain shocks. This should send a clear statement to the market that we are taking all the necessary steps to not only cope with the current challenges, but also anticipate and prepare for the coming years with sound optimism. Our late founder Jean- Paul In-Albon once said, ‘The coffee world does not care so much about the economy; people will always be buying coffee, cigarettes and alcohol.’ Especially for the coffee part, we, at Eversys, agree with that statement. Regardless of COVID-19, post-COVID, and recession fears, we anticipate further solid growth of the Super Traditional coffee equipment segment. We are gearing up to overcome these current challenges and make sure that we can continue satisfying the growing demand for our equipment in the markets. G C R For more information, visit www.eversys.com/en/

Eversys has doubled its growth post-pandemic and increased its volume of staff by 20 per cent.

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INDUSTRY PROFILE Probat

Manufacturing of the future PROBAT’S CONNECTING MAR KETS SYMPOSIUM R ETUR NS TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS OF TODAY AND THOSE OF TOMOR ROW, AND GIVE ATTENDEES THE FIRST LOOK AT ITS NEW MANUFACTUR ING FACILIT Y.

hen Probat celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2018, it welcomed hundreds of leading executives and decision makers from the international coffee industry to its German headquarters. Probat CEO Wim Abbing likened the atmosphere to a “family reunion” and deemed the networking event an overwhelming success. The world market and technology leader in coffee processing technology will once again open its doors to the global coffee community to host the next edition of the Connecting Markets Symposium from 21 to 22 September. Knowledge, experience, entertainment are the three pillars of the Connecting Markets Symposium, and this year’s event will continue to “make innovation and progress an experience”. Connecting Markets 2022 will address issues currently influencing and driving the sector, and present solutions. Sustainability and digitalisation stand at the top of the list, according to Abbing. “We offer a whole host of ground-breaking solutions in these fields. When it comes to sustainability, these primarily include technologies designed to save energy, minimise pollutants emitted during the roasting process, and options that enable the use of alternative energy

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sources. And with the possibilities offered by our roaster and plant control systems, we are at the forefront of innovation in the coffee industry when it comes to digitalisation,” Abbing states. Across the event’s two-day exchange of knowledge and networking, more than 20 prominent industry personalities and influencers of the global coffee community will form the core of the line-up. Eleven Experience Sessions will also discuss innovative solutions Probat offers for the sustainable and digital design of coffee processing. A special highlight and proof of Probat’s innovative future orientation will be the presentation of the first hydrogenpowered roaster.

International experts from a wide range of backgrounds will also take part in panel discussions to share insights and ideas on the industry’s key drivers. Guest presenters at this year’s Connecting Markets Symposium include Carl Cervone, COO of Enveritas; Anders Fredriksson, Group CEO of Löfbergs; James Hoffmann, Co-founder of Square Mile Coffee Roasters; Andreas IDL, Ceo of Cropster; Darrin Daniel, Executive Director of the Alliance for Coffee Excellence; Bay Delgersaikhan, Founder of Root of Coffea, Stephen Leighton, Green Buyer of Drop Coffee and 3FE Coffee; Jennifer ‘Vern’ Long, CEO of World Coffee Research; Cristian Madriñán, General Director of Buencafé; Anders Nordquist, Managing Director of Arvid Nordquist, and many more. These industry icons represent the forefront of progressive thinking and action in the coffee industry and will provide insights into the current and future state of the industry. The occasion has also been timed to celebrate the opening of Probat’s state-ofthe-art production facility at the company headquarters in Emmerich. The opening is a milestone for the company in the field of machine, plant engineering and logistics, and will be a sign of Probat’s commitment to sustainability.

“WITH THE POSSIBILITIES OFFERED BY OUR ROASTER AND PLANT CONTROL SYSTEMS, WE ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF INNOVATION IN THE COFFEE INDUSTRY WHEN IT COMES TO DIGITALISATION.” Wim Abbing

Probat CEO

The design of the factory’s production process will be optimised through efficient use of decisive production factors. A clear routing, directed material flows, and modular production structures will reflect the focus on increased value creation. Potential expansion areas and changeable structures also aim to facilitate future growth of Probat’s overarching corporate strategy. Titled ‘Probat Go’, the next generation future facility aims to set an international benchmark in Probat’s core markets. It’s for this reason the Experience Sessions will also take place in the halls of the new ‘future factory’. The symposium will intentionally leave enough room for individual exchange and personal networking – over a cup of coffee between presentations and panels, or during the evening event. After a long period without major in-person events, it is time again for Probat and the international coffee community to come together and discuss the drivers of the industry, and literally, connect markets. G C R For more information, visit https://www.connectingmarkets.de

This year’s event aims to make innovation and progress an experience for Probat’s guests.

J U LY /A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 | GCR

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INDUSTRY PROFILE Cimbali

A LOVE that never ceased FAEMA HAS R ECONNECTED TO THE WOR LD OF CYCLING WITH ITS OFFICIAL SPONSORSHIP OF THE GIRO D’ITALIA AT A TIME WHEN COMMUNIT Y CONNECTION AND UNIT Y IS NEEDED MOST.

Image: La Presse

fter thousands of kilometres of cycling through Italy’s hillsides, towns, and picturesque landscapes, Jai Hindley became the first Australian to win the Giro d’Italia on 29 May. The final day of the tour was one filled with celebration for the competitors, event sponsors and spectators who gathered in the Verona Arena to watch Hindley ride to victory and lift his trophy to a sea of spectators covered in pink – the official colours of the Giro. Hindley, of the Bora-Hansgrohe team, says the highlight was winning the race and having his girlfriend and parents in the crowd, whom he hadn’t seen for two-and-half years. “That was like really special. It hasn’t really sunk in yet but I think it will in the next few weeks or so. It still feels like a dream,” Hindley told the Giro D’Italia.

Giro dream comes true: Jai Hindley wins his first Grand Tour for BORA-hansgrohe.

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INDUSTRY PROFILE Cimbali

For Edgardo Ferrero, Gruppo Cimbali Global Service Director and company coordinator of the Giro d’Italia project, it was also a diplomatic moment for company’s Italian-Australian relationship after signing on as the event’s official sponsor for the next three years. “Italy is the home of the iconic coffee culture and Faema, one of Italy’s most highly regarded espresso machine manufacturers [which has] triumphantly returned to the Giro d’Italia after 50 years,” Ferrero says. “Meanwhile, for the first time, Australia, known as being one of the major growing hubs of the worldwide coffee scene, claimed victory in the race. This could be considered a simultaneous success for not only Hindley himself but for Faema as an official partner of the event.” Since 1909, the multi-stage annual race has become a symbol of athletic endurance and community spirit that unifies the country with routes from the south to the north of Italy, and a festival of activities and regional races that run the year-round. Faema sponsored its own Faema team from the 1950s to 1970s, which to this day, remains one of the most successful teams of the Giro d’Italia. This year, the brand returned to the world of cycling with a renewed passion to connect with fans in a new way. “We believe this partnership will rekindle in the hearts of fans – that old love that has been going on since the early 1950s,” says Enrico Bracesco, General Manager of Gruppo Cimbali. Ferrero adds that the partnership is a “symbolic gesture” that represents the success and innovation of the company. “Faema is proud to once again associate its name with Giro d’Italia and looks forward to supporting the undeniable talent of these cyclists that dedicate a significant part of their lives to their sport, just as the teams at Gruppo Cimbali commit themselves to constantly strive towards innovation,” he says. To demonstrate Gruppo Cimbali’s more recent innovations, at each stage of the Giro d’Italia, Faema presented its custom E61 and Faema President and its latest espresso machine arrival Faemina – in custom pink – to the cyclists and spectators at the starting village each morning. For the cyclists, the exposition of Faema’s machines gave them an opportunity to recharge with an espresso before the race. And for spectators, the tradition of socially enjoying a cup of coffee while bonding over cycling was a moment savoured after the past few years of social isolation thanks to the global pandemic. For many, it was also the first experience to view the Faemina espresso machine designed for the home and small businesses. “Italy’s consumer market should have a positive outlook on Faema’s latest Faemina machines as indicators of Gruppo Cimbali’s steps toward future innovation. As a traditional manufacturer of professional espresso machines, it was a revolutionary decision to create a professional quality machine for the home and small business sector,” Ferrero says. He adds that the Giro d’Italia is a wonderful opportunity to give international audiences a window into how they can bring a taste of Italy’s true espresso culture into their homes. “Due to the lockdowns, people were forced to seek other options of getting a high-quality coffee since going outside was temporarily forbidden. Faema’s solution with Faemina made it possible for consumers to enjoy that professional quality cup from the comfort of their own home,” Ferrero says, adding that for many, it has become a permanent solution.

The Giro d’Italia has also become an opportunity to expand Faema’s international target audience, including to the United States, United Kingdom, China, Korea, and Australia. “Thanks to our broad product portfolio and careful reading of market needs, this is a development strategy that we continue to pursue successfully, seizing the best commercial and visibility opportunities,” Bracesco says. Gruppo Cimbali ANZ Oceania Branch Manager Angelo Caruso also sees the opportunity. He is excited about the potential for Faema and the uptake of its latest Faemina product in the ANZ market. “The Faemina in particular is a topend aspirational product that is one of the most technologically advanced machines for the prosumer market to replicate the café experience at home, in addition to offices, businesses and the food service market,” Caruso says. “The design of the machine is the first thing that stands out to me, with the same group head that’s been used in Faema’s commercial President machine. Then, it’s the nice footprint, plug-and-play size, the ability to personalise the machines parameters using the connecting app, and having the versatility to produce filter coffee as well as espresso from the same unit, which is really appealing. I think customers will be genuinely excited to see this machine out in the marketplace. Those who are fortunate enough to own one are really going to love it.” An avid cyclist and racing enthusiast himself, Caruso watched the last few stages of this year’s Giro d’Italia and was thrilled to see an Australian take the top-line honours. He

Eddy Merck x won his first major stage race at the Giro d’Italia in 1968, representing team Faema .

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says the rekindled partnership between Faema and the iconic race is an exciting opportunity to show the world the powerful synergy between the cycling and espresso culture. “Any bicycle enthusiast knows that the shot of espresso before you start a ride is paramount. It’s the boost you need before a social ride with friends or training a couple of hundred kilometres on the weekend. It’s also what you look forward to at the end of your destination. I could never make it home without stopping off for another shot at one of my favourite cafés,” Caruso says. Cycling remains deeply rooted into the fabric of Italian society. After the Second World War, Italians used bicycle riding to gain more confidence and connect with other villages. The Giro d’Italia did not run for two years because of the war, and spectators were held at bay during the global pandemic. This year’s event however, marked the return of the Giro in all its glory. “The Giro d’Italia is the Formula One equivalent of racing. It’s an elite sport, Faema is an elite brand, and both our products are designed to showcase champions in the field – of cycling ability and our skills behind the coffee machine. That’s a pretty special combination,” Caruso says. To commemorate the official partnership, Gruppo Cimbali’s MUMAC Coffee Machine Museum also hosted a temporary exhibit titled “Never Ending Love,” dedicated to Faema’s historical presence in the cycling event. It represented Faema’s return to cycling and the love that never ceased. The exhibit featured the pink jersey of Faema team rider Eddy Merckx of Belgium, who won his first major stage race at the Giro d’Italia in 1968.

At each stage of the Giro d’Italia, Faema presented its custom Faemina to cyclists and spectators.

“That first year with Faema I won the Giro, I had the pink jersey for 13 days and I won four stages. It was the first great success for me, and it was for the Faema team,” Eddy told Marta Kokosar, Gruppo Cimbali Communications Director and company coordinator of the Giro d’Italia project. “I remember that we always drank an espresso before the race and we were also given a free uniform because we always had to be dressed well to represent the company with class, and I liked this a lot. They also gave us shoes... and socks, with the inscription ‘Faema’.” From 1968 to 1970, the Faema team became known as “Faemino-Faema” but Merckx says it was always the same, strong group of riders. A new era of cyclists is now emerging and Faema looks forward to how that will evolve over the next three years of sponsorship. It hopes to further contribute to Italy’s community connection next year when it evolves its storytelling and shares more of the values the familyowned company believe in, such as its commitment to sustainability. “It was a very emotional and special end to what’s been an incredible return back to the Faema’s support of the Giro d’Italia – and we can’t wait to do it all again next year,” Ferrero says. G C R For more information, visit www.faema.com/int-en/

J U LY /A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 | GCR

INDUSTRY PROFILE Project Waterfall

Every DROP COUNTS

Through the initiative, Project Waterfall has brought clean water to three Kebeles villages in Jabi Tehanan.

ndependently registered charity Project Waterfall is working to end the water crisis in isolated, rural, coffee growing areas. Its mission, is to unite the coffee industry to give back to coffee growing communities by investing in sustainable clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) projects. Project Waterfall Director Rebecca Hodgson says its recently completed project in the Jabi Tehnan Woreda region of Ethiopia has successfully increased the regions water quality. “Our project in Jabi Tehnan in three Kebeles villages began in the summer of 2018, and was completed in June 2022, so it’s taken just under four years to complete,” says Hodgson. “Ethiopia is considered the biological and cultural home of coffee, with coffee farming alone providing an income for over 15 million people across the country. However, Ethiopia is one of the countries that struggles that most with the water crisis. “The Jabi Tehnan Woreda region has some of the worst coverage of clean water and sanitation in

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CHARITY INITIATIVE PROJECT WATERFALL TELLS GLOBAL COFFEE REPORT ABOUT ITS LATEST ENDEAVOUR TO PROVIDE SUSTAINABLE CLEAN WATER TO JABI TEHNAN, ETHIOPIA.

the country, partly due to it being an extremely rural area. Disconnected areas like this often struggle to receive help with building and maintaining a resilient water supply system, which is why we prioritised this project.” In collaboration with international not-forprofit WaterAid, Project Waterfall utilised its in-depth knowledge of how to plan and deliver resilient water supply systems. “When completing these projects, it’s so important to do so in collaboration with the local community and government. Working

in partnership with WaterAid means we can make the most of established relationships, so that we know these projects are creating a long-lasting positive impact,” Hodgson says. “While WaterAid use their expertise to make changes on the ground, we used our connections within the coffee industry globally to raise as much money as possible to transform the lives of the hardworking people who grow our coffee. Our teamwork means that the community in Jabi Tehnan now have access to clean water as well as public shower and toilet blocks.” Thanks to a community of supporters, Project Waterfall has been able to provide improved access to safe water supply for 10,571 people, and increased access to improved and basic sanitation for 10,416 people. The initiative has also increased knowledge, skills, and awareness on hygiene for 10,571 people. Before this project, access to clean drinking water was a daily struggle for the community, with women and children having to walk long distances and wait in line to collect water that wasn’t clean. Now, students and staff at the local high school and primary school have access to proper toilets, a shower and handwashing facilities.

Bizuayehu Anteneh, a 45-year-old mother of five, lives in the Addis Alem village in the Mankussa Abdogoma Kebele in Jabi Tehnan. She says having accessible clean water has had an amazing impact on her and her family. “With the water that is installed near our house, I can now use my time effectively, look after my family’s hygiene and be energetic. This is what I was looking for and I am now living a happy life,” says Anteneh. Alongside the countless mothers living in this rural area, Anteneh used to walk for 20 minutes every day to collect unclean water from a nearby spring. Her family need eight jerry cans of water daily to stay hydrated, complete chores and keep themselves clean, and Bizuayehu was only able to collect and carry three. Now, Bizuayehu and her family can easily collect and use the eight jerry cans they need daily. “I am a member of the women’s development association. We make sure the water taps are working properly and are safely managed. We teach our children to stay away from the taps and keep the cattle away as the same time. We are very lucky to have this facility in our village and we will keep it safe as much as we can,” Anteneh says. With WASH training provided to health extension workers and local government officials, and water supply committees established, Hodgson says the newly-built facilities will remain climate resistant and be properly maintained. “Ensuring that our projects have a long-lasting impact is very important to us. As a result, education always plays a huge part in the successful completion of projects, including this one in Jabi Tehnan. The community were involved at all stages, whether it be during initial planning or during physical construction,” she says. Hodgson adds that Project Waterfall is committed to supporting those who make daily coffee possible and ensuring a permanent supply of clean water, as access to WASH facilities is something that many take for granted. “When you bring clean drinking water into a community, it changes everything. By working together, we can make a real and lasting impact on the communities that are so essential to our supply chain,” Hodgson says. G C R Bizuayehu Anteneh says life without access to clean water is now a distant memory for her and her family.

WITH THE WATER THAT IS INSTALLED NEAR OUR HOUSE, I CAN NOW USE MY TIME EFFECTIVELY, LOOK AFTER MY FAMILY’S HYGIENE AND BE ENERGETIC. Bizuayehu Anteneh Member of Addis Alem village in Jabi Tehnan J U LY /A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 | GCR

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MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COFFEE EXPO 27 - 30 SEPTEMBER 2022 MELBOURNE CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE WWW.INTERNATIONALCOFFEEEXPO.COM

Host of the 2022 World Coffee Championships

TICKETS NOW ON SALE MICE2022: WORTH THE WAIT

EVENTS MICE 2022

A global awakening THE LONG-AWAITED MELBOUR NE INTER NATIONAL COFFEE EXPO IS SET TO R EUNITE THE INTER NATIONAL COFFEE COMMUNIT Y ONCE AGAIN. he last time the wider global coffee community gathered in Australia for the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) was 2019, before there was a whisper of a worldwide pandemic. In the three years since, the coffee industry has been busy brewing up new concepts, new technology and new products. This evolution will be on display when visitors return to MICE from 27 to 30 September 2022 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC). “After three long years, we could not be more thrilled that MICE is finally back, and with the World Coffee Championships. As the only country outside the United States to host the World Barista Championship twice, I think it’s testament to the Australian coffee industry and its strength on the world stage,” says MICE2022 Show Director Lauren Winterbottom. With such huge demand, exhibition space at MICE2022 is filling fast, and is seeing a great uptake of international exhibitors eager to reconnect with the Asia Pacific market. Already booked in to attend MICE2022 is smoke and odour filtration company Vortx Kleanair. President Ron Kleist says the company has been planning to formally introduce its green alternative to an afterburner, the EcoFilter, since 2020. “We have received a number of commitments to meet with us at the expo, so we must be there,” says Kleist. Kleist says he’s eager to show the Australian coffee community the EcoFilter due to the existential threat of climate change. “We are offering a product which uses water to clean chaff, smoke, and odour from your stack without burning any natural gas. And the amount of water our system requires is less than a single bath each day,” he says. Kleist adds that he’s excited for the global coffee community to unite once again after such a disruption to face-to-face meetings. “VortX should do very well because we make any roaster an environmentally sound product at a fraction of the cost, all at a time when your nation is trying to implement the best possible practices when it comes to clean air.” Showcasing new products is just one of the ways MICE has become an anchor point for international guests. The expo will allow the global coffee community to connect with new and existing Australian customers, see the latest in coffee technology and machinery, and meet with the industry’s best roasters and baristas. Barista Academy Uganda is a first-time exhibitor that is keen to display its coffee offering to the global coffee community. “It’s important for Barista Academy Uganda to attend MICE2022 to showcase our coffee and learn more from other coffee roasters. We also want to engage with other coffee businesses and look to expand our reach in the market,” says Barista Academy Uganda Manager Sali Akim. Akim says MICE is a significant event for the company as it attracts coffee connoisseurs from all corners of the world, a perfect place to increase its customer base. “What I’m most looking forward to as a first-time exhibitor is to meet new coffee lovers like me and share new ideas with them. I look forward to learning more about coffee, as it will help me to improve my brand,” says Akim. MICE will bring top industry decision-makers and leading international organisations

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to Australia to provide a platform to build business relationships. That includes roaster manufacturer Brambati from Italy. Brambati CEO Fabrizio Brambati says the company made great strides and an enormous effort even during the pandemic to maintain a connection with its clients, but nothing can compare to in-person connections. “Even though Brambati has managed to stay close to its customers over the last two years, it’s a great opportunity for our company to meet personally with existing and potential clients in the coffee industry. Brambati has invested strongly in research and development, innovation, sustainability and improving our technology, and wish to share these achievements,” Brambati says. Brambati will also present its KAR15 fully automatic coffee roaster and discuss its latest features. This includes improved energy efficiencies, software control with precise roast profiling, and reduced emissions by installing catalytic converters with Ecodesign afterburners in accordance with ISO environmental management systems. Brambati has supported MICE and the Australian coffee market for many years and says every customer interaction at the tradeshow is memorable for two reasons. “The first, is that it allows us the chance to create new contacts, and from there, we hope we can start future collaborations,” says Brambati. “The second reason, is to reunite with customers we have known for a long time, particularly those with whom the collaboration has lasted years. It’s great to have the opportunity to see each other again in person, given the recent challenges we’ve faced globally, and that certainly gives added value to the exhibition.” In addition to manufacturers, there is a

vast range of internationally based packaging companies attending MICE2022. This includes ICA S.p.A, a company that manufactures high-performance automatic packaging machines with advanced solutions. “After three years MICE is back, and we couldn’t be happier,” says ICA Marketing Coordinator Michela Alvisi. “Since the 1970s, ICA has assisted Australian and New Zealand coffee roasters with its packaging systems. This makes us all the more eager to return to meet the operators of this fantastic sector in person at what is a true benchmark and hub of coffee technology.” ICA will present packaging systems dedicated to single serve, capable of implementing materials with reduced environmental impact. Alvisi says it will be an opportunity to highlight its 100 per cent recyclable degassing valves, the result of the work of one of ICA’s main brands, Aroma System, in collaboration with an Italian university. ICA will also illustrate the new aftersales technical support service located in Melbourne. “ICA and Australian roasters share the same level of preparation and quality of packaging plants, as well as the same goal to guarantee quality customer service. MICE will therefore be an opportunity to engage directly with extremely well-prepared operators,” Alvisi says. “Sharing ideas is fundamental to our company values. Our team always looks forward to MICE with great enthusiasm to gather information from prepared and attentive operators.” GrainPro is another packaging company exhibiting at MICE. By providing adequate storage, drying, and transport facilities across the supply chain, GrainPro aims to uplift the livelihood of smallholder farmers. “This makes MICE very important to our company because processors, roasters, and exporters depend on the coffee producers. Therefore, we want to create awareness of how GrainPro can provide a win-win solution for stakeholders in the coffee supply chain,” says GrainPro Marketing and Social Media Manager for Asia Rojoan Gabriel. Gabriel says GrainPro will highlight its products in hermetic or airtight storage, drying, and transport solutions. “We believe premium coffee deserves premium protection, which makes its container critical in passing on quality as the bean is prone to damage such as oxidation, moisture absorption, infestation, and light. This can be addressed using our drying, storage, and transport products,” she says. According to Gabriel, MICE is a significant event for the company to attend to gain insight into current trends and become aware of the needs and wants of specialists in the coffee sector. “We can determine how to improve our solutions and services by fielding feedback from current users we encounter at the event. We can also present our new solutions as well as introduce improvements to our existing products that will help users preserve and protect the quality and quantity of their coffee,” says Gabriel. “With proven success in consolidating more than 10,000 stakeholders in the coffee industry, MICE is a perfect avenue to create this awareness.” The expo has also helped GrainPro capture its target market and hopes the event will once again provide key connects, new leads and opportunities to connect with new partners. “We feel we are in the right place because MICE has provided a great avenue to expand our network in the coffee industry,” Gabriel says. “Additionally, the team behind this tradeshow is supportive and is always ready to lend a

GrainPro specialises in Ultra Hermetic technology used in storage, transport, and drying agri-solutions.

hand to help us maximise our presence before, during, and after the event.” MICE has come a long way since it began in 2012. This year’s event boasts 200 exhibitors and is expected to attract more than 12,000 attendees, making it one of the largest dedicated coffee expos in the world. “It’s not only a place for the industry to connect but also a show where real business is done, with many exhibitors making significant sales on the show floor,” says Lauren Winterbottom. “We can’t wait to welcome the world to Melbourne in September and showcase everything our wonderful industry has to offer. MICE will certainly be worth the wait.” G C R For more information, visit www.internationalcoffeeexpo.com

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WHAT’S BREWING? Industry appointments COFFEE PEOPLE AROUND ON THE MOVE THE GLOBE

WHAT’S BREWING? A WRAP UP OF THE LATEST APPOINTMENTS IN THE GLOBAL COFFEE INDUSTRY.

Louise Felton, Regional Director UK & Ireland, Gruppo Cimbali Louise Felton joined the Group in October 2021 after more than 25 years in the foodservice sector, working for various global companies. Throughout her career, Louise has held leadership positions, played a strategic role in project, product and category management, general management, and sales both globally and across the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. With strong experience leading cross-functional teams to deliver successful, product and market growth, Felton is now in charge of Gruppo Cimbali’s UK branch and service division. Her responsibilities also extend to maintaining a consistent voice for the brands Faema, Cimbali, Slayer and Casadio across the region. Outside of work, Louise loves spending quality time with her family, enjoying delicious food and, most importantly, a good cup of coffee.

Harris Grant, co-owner and Operations Director, Cairngorm Coffee Scotland’s Cairngorm Coffee has appointed Harris Grant, co-founder of the Edinburgh-based Scottish Edge-winning vegan fashion retailer Treen, as co-owner and operations director. The trained accountant spent almost five years working for KPMG in Hong Kong before returning to his native Scotland where he launched Treen alongside his partner Cat Anderson. “Good coffee is all about balance, and I feel I bring some organisational acumen to act as a foil to Robi Lambie’s (Company Director) creative flair and unparalleled coffee expertise. The business he has built is absolutely incredible and I am so proud to now be a part of it,” Grant says. “While I’m so relieved to be serving our loyal customers in Edinburgh again at both shops, I’m very excited to now have the potential to reach far more people through our subscription service and wholesale customers.” The pair now plan to begin a recruitment drive to add even more top coffee talent to their team, and are on the hunt for a new roastery.

Sara Trilling, Executive Vice President and President of Starbucks North America As Executive Vice President and President of Starbucks North America, Sara Trilling is responsible for driving operational excellence, and supporting more than 240,000 Starbucks partners or employees who provide the Starbucks Experience in more than 18,000 stores every day. During her two decades of service with Starbucks, she has touched nearly every aspect of the business, and demonstrated the best of the company’s Mission and Values as a leader who is committed to the experience of Starbucks’ Green Apron partners. Most recently, Trilling served as Senior Vice President and President of Starbucks Asia Pacific.

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Joe Thornton, President, Scooter’s Coffee To help drive Scooter’s Coffee intentional expansion goals, brand excellence and franchise support, Joe Thornton has joined the company leadership team as President, a new role at the rapidly growing drive-thru coffee chain. With more than 38 years of experience in operations, new store expansion, marketing, employee development, franchising, and store optimisation, Thornton has led some of the fastest growth companies over the years, including Starbucks, Jamba Juice, Blockbuster and, most recently, HMSHost. Scooter Coffee is expanding rapidly and is on its way to opening more than 1000 stores. By the end of 2022, Scooter’s Coffee will have over 600 stores open across 26 states.

Yimara Martinez, Manager of Post-Harvest Processing Program, Coffee Quality Institute Yimara Martinez Agudelo has joined Coffee Quality Institute as Manager of the post-harvest processing program. Agudelo spent her first week in her new position in Uganda piloting a new Robusta postharvest processing course, Q Processing 2 – Robusta. “Being involved in developing education for producers while increasing access is a meaningful way for me to take the next step in my coffee journey,” says Martinez Agudelo in a CQI announcement.

David Dempsey, Head of Coffee, FCB Coffee FCB Coffee, known for bringing specialty coffee to the travel sector in London and the SouthEast, has appointed David Dempsey as Head of Coffee across the entire brand. David started his career as a barista at FCB Blackfriars then moved to a manager position, in which he opened FCB London Bridge, before working his way to head of coffee. One of the first things David has done in his new role is to reintroduce guest roasts which he says are very important in specialty coffee. Currently with eight stores in the United Kingdom, FCB Coffee is a forerunner in sustainablysourced premium coffee on-the-go. In his new role, Dempsey wants to create a culture across the stores where anyone can walk in and ask questions without fear of embarrassment, and ensure FCB Coffee is accessible to all. “Being on-the-go doesn’t mean you’re busy and not paying attention to details, it usually involves long periods of sitting or walking where you can reflect. “Specialty coffee is important at this time because you’ll actually notice the quality and substance more. Why should you be constraint to having inferior quality at the same price?” he says.

Do you have career news to share? Email Sarah Baker at sarah.baker@primecreative.com.au J U LY /A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 | GCR

DIARY Dashboard

Global coffee: 1

Coffee Roasters Guild Retreat

DELAVAN, WISCONSIN

25 – 28 August The Coffee Roasters Guild is the global trade guild of the Specialty Coffee Association dedicated to inspiring a diverse coffee roasting community through the development and promotion of the roasting profession. After a three-year hiatus, this four-day educational event is for roasters with a wide range of experience and skills. Retreat attendees can look forward to lectures, workshops, cuppings, the Roasting Tent, and for the first time, a United States Roasting Championship preparation workshop.

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Sensory Summit

Connecting Markets Symposium

Melbourne Coffee Week

EMMERICH, GERMANY

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND

5 – 6 September Sensory Summit is a two-day conference designed to educate, inform, and inspire the Specialty Coffee sensory professional. Topics for Sensory Summit include incorporating techniques of sensory science into the coffee taster’s repertoire, latest reports about ongoing coffee extraction and consumer research, using new tools to sharpen tasting acuity and repeatability, improving coffee quality and consistency using established sensory methods, and incorporating learnings from wine, beer, and food science into specialty coffee.

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21 – 22 September Coffee processing technology company Probat is celebrating the opening of its new production facility at its Emmerich site in Germany with the next edition of the Connecting Markets Symposium. Leading personalities of the global coffee industry will present and discuss the drivers of digitalisation and sustainability. In combination with interactive Experience Sessions, the event offers participants a platform to exchange ideas and network.

www.connectingmarkets.de

24 September – 1 October In a city fuelled by coffee, COVID-19 has challenged Melbourne’s vibrant café culture, but the coffee industry and coffee lovers are nothing if not resilient. Melbourne Coffee Week will pay homage to this resilience with a week-long celebration of events and activations in the lead up to, and including, the Melbourne International Coffee Expo.

melbournecoffeeweek.com.au

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Let’s Talk Coffee COPAN RUINAS, HONDURAS

20 – 25 February 2023

After two years, Let’s Talk Coffee is heading to Honduras for its 19th edition. This is a unique invitation-only event that brings together leaders from across the coffee supply chain to build strong, meaningful relationships. At Let’s Talk Coffee, participants learn from each other, do business, and look ahead to the industry’s challenges and opportunities. It is an opportunity to immerse in an origin location, gain firsthand knowledge of production, and enjoy a cultural experience.

www.letstalkcoffee.org 4 5 5

Melbourne International Coffee Expo

SCAJ World Specialty Coffee Conference and Exhibition

Triestespresso Expo

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

27 – 30 September

TOKYO, JAPAN

MICE is known throughout the Asia-Pacific as the largest and most exciting dedicated coffee event. After three years, the expo returns for its ninth edition, welcoming café owners, roasters, baristas, equipment manufacturers, service providers, and more at this trade-oriented event with the purpose to network and do business. MICE will host the 2022 World Barista Championship and World Brewers Cup

An estimated 35,000 people are expected to attend the Specialty Coffee Association of Japan’s annual tradeshow. The expo will host various exhibits, seminars, and competitions, and display the latest machines and equipment. This year’s theme is ‘Come Join the Specialty Coffee Community’.

internationalcoffeeexpo.com

12 – 14 October

scajconference.jp/en/

TRIESTE, ITALY

27 – 29 October Triestespresso Expo is an exhibition designed for international coffee industry professionals. The biennial trade fair devoted to espresso is held in Trieste, Italy. This city has a long tradition and a rich expertise in the coffee sector. Coffee has been a fundamental part of Trieste’s trade exchanges and artisanal and industrial expertise for more than 300 years. This is a must-attend event for coffee professionals, featuring B2B meetings, a rich side-events calendar focused on education and innovation, and the entire coffee chain on show, from bean to cup.

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PRODUCTS Marketplace

Buencafé wins Monde Selection Quality Awards The international institute of quality selections, Monde Selection, has granted seven distinctions to the products of Buencafé Liofilizado de Colombia. Five products from the Colombian Coffee Growers’ factory obtained the distinction in the Silver Award category: freeze-dried medium roast coffee, freeze-dried coffee with enhanced aroma made with the new Sensoria by Buencafé technology, medium and low roast coffee extracts, and Roasted Instant with micro-ground coffee particles. Two other Sensoria by Buencafé technology products won the Monde Selection distinction in the Bronze category. Since 1961, Monde Selection has been assessing the quality of consumer products the world over. Its 80 international experts carry out a holistic quality assessment in a completely independent manner. Each product is evaluated according to numerous parameters and carefully selected according to the product category and consumer expectations. Buencafé is recognised worldwide for its commitment to the quality of the premium and increasingly sophisticated products in its portfolio. For more information, visit www.buencafe.com

LaCimbali Elective Grinder LaCimbali’s Elective is a user-friendly, high volume compact grinder-doser. Its Perfect Grind System (PGS) automatically grinds beans to the desired consistency. An integrated Bluetooth connection allows Elective to communicate with the most advanced LaCimbali espresso machines using an algorithm that monitors and regulates the consistency and dosing for the best extraction. LaCimbali’s Elective Grinder eliminates all complexity and the possibility of any user error in grind/dose adjustment, guaranteeing the most consistent in-cup quality possible. The illuminated working area and personalised touchscreen display facilitates the barista’s service in a quick glance. Its elegant yet compact design allows the Elective to fit in any space while offering maximum visibility from the workbench. The design of the hopper ensures easy refilling and cleaning. The Elective comes also with an optional in-built Autotamper. Users can choose from three levels of pressure and once set, the Elective grinder will continue to accurately tamp coffee through the day. For more information, please visit www.cimbali.com

From Nerd to Pro – a coffee journey Patrik Rolf, Founder of April Coffee Roasters in Copenhagen, Denmark, and 2019 World Brewers Cup Runner Up has written his first book, From Nerd to Pro – a coffee journey. The biography details the story of Rolf’s first decade navigating the industry, from dish boy in Gothenburg to roastery owner in Copenhagen. It is an unfiltered story of how to take a hobby and turn it into a professional career, or how a coffee professional can take the next career step, thanks to Rolf’s top takeaways and lessons learned from his own journey to the top. “It’s the guide I wished I had when I first started. Sharing our experiences is how we allow others to become better than ourselves,” says Rolf. The book launched in May 2022 and is printed in Copenhagen using paper made of recycled takeaway cups, totalling nine cups per book. For more information, visit www.aprilcoffeeroasters.com/pages/fromnerdtopro

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Cafetto Renew Descaler The new and improved Renew contains a synergistic blend of organic acids that give outstanding scale removal. Renew is registered by Australian Certified Organic (ACO) as an allowed input in organic systems. Renew is free from phosphate and Genetically Modified Organisms. Safe for all machine parts, this product is listed with NSF. It has been tested, evaluated, and passed the most stringent toxicology and corrosivity standards. The ingredients and formulation of the products that are NSF certified are safe, leave no harmful residues and do not cause corrosion within the coffee machine. It is safe to use on aluminium, brass, and stainless steel. All ingredients are all rapidly biodegradable meeting international standards. It is specifically designed for espresso coffee machines, boilers and coffee brewers. Renew is ideal to use for kettles, urns and bain maries too. Each 25-gram sachet makes up one litre of descaling solution. For more information, visit www.cafetto.com

Neptune 1000 drum roaster The Neptune 1000 is the latest machine release in Probat’s generation of industrial drum roasters. It is the perfect combination of flexibility and process safety, with a key focus on innovative hygienic design. With an extended roast time range of six to 20 minutes and a batch size capacity between 110 and 220 kilograms, the new NEPTUNE 1000 provides maximum possibilities in creating recipes for any aroma development from light to highly intense. Equipped with high-performance cyclones and a recirculation system, the roasting machine also reflects the rapidly growing importance of sustainable processes for the sector. This drum roaster has an hourly roasting capacity of 1000 kilograms, bridging the gap between the Px 120 and Probat’s next larger NEPTUNE 1500 model with an hourly output of 500 and 1500 kilograms, respectively. With its mid-size roasting capacity and high flexibility in terms of modularity, this roaster is ideal for customers who plan to gradually increase their capacities. For more information, visit www.probat.com/en

WMF 950 S The WMF 950 S is the first fully automatic coffee machine for small requirements. Designed for an average daily capacity of up to 50 cups, this robust machine offers the finest coffee-milk specialties in the entry-level segment. With its latest development, WMF Professional Coffee Machines is also putting an emphasis on its new directions in sales, after-sales and service. Customers from Germany can easily and conveniently order the pre-configured device on the WMF 950 S website via an online shop. Internationally-based companies can use a contact form via the homepage. After delivery, comprehensive, multilingual handling videos will provide support for set-up, usage, and machine cleaning. If customer service is ever needed, phone support is available from WMF and its service partners. For more information, visit www.wmf.com J U LY /A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 | GCR

LAST WORD Research study

No more baby blues regnant women can put their mind at ease with researchers at the University of Queensland (UQ) in Australia finding that enjoying a daily latte or long black while pregnant causes no increased risk to pregnancy. Dr Gunn-Helen Moen, Dr Daniel Hwang and Caroline Brito Nunes from the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at the UQ used genetics to analyse coffee drinking behaviour. “Two years ago, we came across an observational study that coupled the adverse effects of coffee and pregnancy together and had concluded that coffee is bad for pregnant women. After closer inspection, we realised this association didn’t separate other risk factors such as smoking, alcohol or poor diet,” says Dr Daniel Hwang. “We decided to actually investigate whether there was a relationship between coffee consumption and pregnancy risks.” Dr Gunn-Helen Moen says current World Health Organization guidelines state that pregnant women should drink less than 300 milligrams of caffeine, or two to three cups per day. “But that’s based on observational studies from women who, let’s say, drink coffee because they don’t sleep well or they’re stressed at their job or have a cigarette with their coffee, that could influence pregnancy outcomes. Maybe having sugar or cream in coffee affects the results too. It doesn’t necessarily reflect that coffee is the thing that causes negative pregnancy outcomes,” says Moen. “We wanted to find out if coffee alone really does increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, and the research shows this isn’t the case.” Hwang says coffee drinking behaviour is partly due to genetics, with a specific set of genetic variants affecting how much coffee we drink. “We showed that these genetic variants not only affect coffee consumption in the general population but also in pregnant women,” he says. To qualify their findings, researchers used a method called Mendelian Randomisation, which used eight genetic variants to predict pregnant women’s coffee drinking behaviour and examine whether these variants were also associated with birth outcomes. “Because we can’t ask women to drink prescribed amounts of coffee during their pregnancy, we used genetic analyses to mimic a randomised control trial,” Hwang says. “We first looked at whether these genetic variants were associated with how many cups of coffee women report drinking during week 32 of pregnancy. We then used those genetic variants to see if there was a link between coffee drinking and adverse outcomes to pregnancy,” says Moen. “We have previously shown that genetic variants for folate levels have a similar effect on birthweight as taking folate supplements, and therefore that using this genetic technique offers the same results as randomised control trials. “While the Mendelian Randomisation technique has been around for a while, we are one of the first groups of researchers using it for maternal and offspring outcome.”

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Dr Daniel Hwang (left), Dr Gunn-Helen Moen (centre) and Caroline Brito Nunes (right) are researchers at the University of Queensland.

The genetic analysis found there was no greater risk of miscarriage, stillbirth or premature birth for women who drank coffee. “When it comes to diet during pregnancy women are often advised to cut things out, but this study shows they can still enjoy coffee without worrying about increasing the risk of these pregnancy outcomes,” Hwang says. The researchers emphasise the study only looked at certain adverse pregnancy outcomes, and it is possible caffeine consumption could affect other important aspects of foetal development. “For that reason, we don’t recommend a high intake during pregnancy, but a low or moderate consumption of coffee, within the recommended two or three cups a day. “But if women are worried about whether having a cup of coffee will increase their risk of stillbirth and miscarriage, I can say that probably isn’t the case,” Moen says. This research used genetic data from the Coffee and Caffeine Genetics Consortium, the UK BioBank, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children and 23andMe. G C R

Image: Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland

R ESEARCHERS FROM THE UNIVERSIT Y OF QUEENSLAND, AUSTR ALIA HAVE DISCOVER ED THROUGH GENETIC ANALYSIS THAT COFFEE CONSUMPTION MAY NOT AFFECT PR EGNANCY AFTER ALL.

THE NEXT LEVEL OF DRUM ROASTING THE ALL-NEW NEPTUNE 1000 The all-new NEPTUNE 1000 embodies the next milestone in traditional drum roasting. Its unique modularity makes this drum roaster not only perfect for the development of any flavor profile, but also reflects the rapidly growing importance of environmentally friendly processes for the industry. The cleaning-friendly design of parts and components allows for simplified accessibility and easy maintenance, thus ensuring maximum availability. The all-new NEPTUNE 1000: The perfect combination of flexibility, sustainability and process safety, clad in an innovative hygienic design.