Our recurring round-up of the latest specialty-coffee industry news.
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Featured image by Joshua Earle
Colombian Earthquake Disrupts Coffee Exports
Financial Times reports that a 7.4 magnitude earthquake has disrupted coffee exports from Colombia, interrupting operations at a major Pacific port.
Colombia is the world’s third leading coffee producer and provides about 20% of all U.S. coffee imports, and beyond the earthquake, concern for the Colombian coffee industry continues to grow as producers brace for El Niño. Click here for the full story.
Hurricane Lala Threatens Coffee Production in Hawai’i
Hawai’i is facing flood threats from tropical cyclone Hurricane Lala, which has threatened coffee production in the Kau region, washing away crops and causing destruction to vital roads and bridges.
“Thousands of trees are down, a lot of it just washed away completely, and the road is completely destroyed,” Alla Kostenko, co-owner of A Coffee Farm, told SFGATE. Click here for the full story.
9 African Nations Sign Agreement to Redistribute Power to Coffee-Producing Countries
At a conference in Marrakech, Morocco, nine African nations signed agreements to build a continent-wide coffee value chain, covering processing, quality control, traceability, logistics, branding, investment, and market access.
“This is not only about economic rebalancing, but also about the redistribution of power,” Sanae Benabdelkhalek, President of the African Coffee Hub, said at the event. Click here for the full story.
In San Francisco, Independent Coffee Shops Are Taking Over Former Starbucks Locations
In 2025, 15 Starbucks locations closed down in San Francisco, Calif., following the chain’s plans to downsize their North American presence by 1% as part of a broader restructuring plan. Now, as SFGATE reports, those vacant spaces are being filled by independent coffee shops like Andytown Coffee Roasters and Sana’a Cafe. Click here for the full story.
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