Our recurring round-up of the latest specialty-coffee industry news.
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Featured image by Joshua Earle
Fairtrade International Raises Minimum Prices for Coffee Again
On July 30, Fairtrade International announced that minimum prices for Robusta and Arabica coffee are rising for the second time in less than four years. As of December 1, 2026, the new Fairtrade Minimum Price for washed Arabica beans will be $2.00 USD per pound, an increase of 20 cents, or 11 percent. The new price for natural Robusta will be $1.30 per pound, an increase of 10 cents, or 8 percent. Natural Arabica and washed Robusta Fairtrade Minimum Prices will also increase by 20 cents and 10 cents, respectively. Click here to learn more.
Starbucks Workers Raise Health Concerns Over New “Blended Energy Refreshers”
Members of labor union Starbucks Workers United are voicing concerns over the chain’s new “Blended Energy Refreshers,” saying a silica-based blending powder used to make the drinks has been causing sore throats, coughing, and headaches for employees. The company has not yet made a formal statement regarding the concerns. Click here for the full story.
Coffee + Tea Consumption Linked to Lower Risk of Dementia
A decades-long study of over 130,000 people found that regular consumption of caffeinated coffee and tea was linked to lower risk of dementia and cognitive decline. The same effects were not observed for those who consumed decaffeinated coffee or tea, suggesting that the benefits were the result of moderate caffeine intake.
Said You Zhang, MBBS, the lead author of the study: “Dementia is a growing public health concern, and coffee and tea are things many people drink every day. We wanted to see whether these common habits might be linked to better brain health over the long term.”
San Francisco’s First Indian Coffee Shop Opens With Beans from Family Farm in Chikmagalur
SF Gate reports that Le Mil’s Coffee has just opened in San Francisco—the city’s first Indian specialty-coffee shop. Opened by Milana Ram and her husband, Himanshu Bhaisare, the café serves coffee from the owners’ family’s farm in the southwest region of Chikmagalur. Click here to read the full story.
Bay Area Coffee Shop Returns Refunded Tariffs to Customers Through Discounted Drinks
SF Chronicle shares that Oakland, Calif. coffee importer Royal Coffee and its café The Crown are passing recently refunded U.S. coffee import tariffs back to customers by temporarily discounting drinks. The company has also issued credits to roasting clients after the government began refunding tariffs that had previously increased coffee costs.
“In 2025 we paid tariffs on the coffee we served. The courts later found those tariffs were never authorized, and Customs has started returning the money,” wrote The Crown on their Instagram page. “Our share, on the coffee that crossed this counter, came to about $2,500. We’re handing it back the only way a café can, by taking it off the price of a drink until the full amount is returned.”
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