Our recurring round-up of the latest specialty-coffee industry news.
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Featured image by Joshua Earle
New Study Challenges Belief That Robusta Is More Climate-Resilient Than Other Coffee Species
A study published last month in the journal Sustainable Development is challenging the widely held belief that the robusta plant is more climate-resilient than other coffee varieties. “I found it troubling that people weren’t interpreting the science correctly and that they were advocating robusta as the savior of the coffee sector under climate change,” Aaron Davis, the study’s lead author, told Reuters. “The global coffee supply needs major structural and systemic change if it’s to survive over the long term.”
Amid Expectations of Oversupply from Brazil, Arabica Prices Drop to a Five-Week Low
Yahoo! Finance reports that coffee prices have fallen sharply, reaching a five-week low as expectations of a larger Brazilian harvest increase concerns about oversupply. However, financial analysts warn that other factors, including weather disruptions from El Niño, may cause prices to rise again. Click here for the full story.
Colombia Warns El Niño May Impact Coffee Harvests
According to Colombia’s National Coffee Growers Federation, the country’s coffee harvests managed to escape being impacted by a 7.4-magnitude earthquake that hit the country’s western farming regions late August. However, German Bahamon, head of the federation, warns that El Niño will likely affect production. “The federation expects this year’s production to drop 8% to 12.5 million 60-kilogram bags, down from 13.7 million bags in 2025,” reports Reuters.
Local Coffee Shops Play a Major Role in U.S. Economy
Newsweek reports that coffee shops contribute over $300 billion to the U.S. economy annually, exceeding even than the motion picture and video game industries. Data also shows that the number of independent coffee shops is equal to the number of coffee chain stores in the U.S.—an indication of the importance of local cafés in American business. Click here for the full story.
Coffee + Tea Linked to Lower Risk of Dementia
In a study published by JAMA, researchers followed a group of over 130,000 adults for four decades and found that, among the group, consumption of caffeinated coffee and tea was linked to an 18% lower risk of dementia. Coffee-drinking participants also performed better on cognitive function tests and showed less cognitive decline over the years.
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