Our recurring round-up of the latest specialty-coffee industry news.
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Featured image by Joshua Earle
Coffee Watch Launches First-Ever Global Coffee Agroforestry Database

Nonprofit Coffee Watch has announced the launch of their Coffee Agroforestry E-Library, created in collaboration with the Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE). The platform is the first-ever comprehensive database to consolidate global research on coffee agroforestry into a single, accessible location, containing decades of research from multiple countries and in multiple languages. Read more about it here.
Thump Coffee Merges With Backporch Coffee Roasters

Beginning on January 1, Bend, Ore.’s Thump Coffee and Backporch Coffee Roasters have officially joined together as part of a long-term partnership called the Thump–Backporch Coffee merger, or TBC Thump Backporch Coffee.
“Backporch brings beautiful heart and hospitality. Thump brings purpose and the belief that craft can shape lives. Together, we get to build something steadier, stronger, and more supportive for the people who make all this happen: our teams,” the Thump team shared in a press release.
Café Culture is Reshaping Tehran

News Line Magazine reported on an emerging specialty-coffee scene in Tehran, Iran. In a country where alcohol is banned, coffee is becoming the capital city’s “lifestyle drink” of choice, with coffee culture acting as a platform for other social changes led by Iranian youth.
Particularly timely as young people have been protesting in record numbers across Iran is the role of the coffee shop as a social hub and community nexus. Read the full story here.
Belgian Start-Up Turns Chickpeas into Coffee Alternative

After meat and cacao, coffee has the third highest carbon footprint, pushing sustainability-minded companies—like Belgium’s Koppie—to think of formidable coffee alternatives. For Koppie, chickpeas and yellow peas have emerged as strong contenders. Click here for the full story.
Subscribe and More!
As always, you can read Barista Magazine in paper by subscribing or ordering an issue.
Support Barista Magazine with a Membership.
Signup for our weekly newsletter.
Read the December 2025 + January 2026 Issue for free with our digital edition.

