DUBAI, UAE – In an exciting first for the UAE, RAW Coffee Company has partnered with Roxy Cinemas as their official beverage provider. The collaboration, set to be announced on October 1st, International Coffee Day, will offer Roxy viewers an exclusive range of artisanal coffees and a variety of other indulgent beverages.
Beyond their signature specialty coffee, movie-goers can now enjoy a vibrant beverage menu featuring matcha lattes, rich and decadent hot chocolates, refreshing fruit smoothies and lemonades, creamy frappes, and iced teas—each drink has been thoughtfully curated by RAW Coffee Company.
This collaboration brings together RAW’s renowned expertise in beverage innovation and Roxy Cinemas’ commitment to delivering a premium entertainment experience, creating a one-of-a-kind offering that’s set to redefine movie nights.
This partnership is a groundbreaking moment for cinema-goers, as no other movie theatre in the region offers such a diverse and premium selection. It’s a thrilling addition to the Roxy Cinemas experience, promising to transform movie nights into an indulgent escape for the senses.
RAW Coffee Company, established in July 2007, is a specialty coffee roastery based in Dubai. Owned and operated by caffeine aficionados Kim Thompson and Matt Toogood, RAW is dedicated to providing premium roasted coffee to a niche market that values quality, freshness, and sustainability.
HELSINKI, Finland – The international food and beverage company Paulig is exploring alternative and more effective ways to protect nature and its resources. Together with farmers across Europe innovative ways of wheat production are introduced and monitored. With that large scale data, gathered by their partner Improvin’, the company is convinced it can make a huge difference on the nature impact of the food we all eat. Satellite imagery is one of the sources of data-collection.
The environmental impact of food production largely depends on how ingredients are grown. For Paulig products like tortilla chips and wraps, this means focusing on how wheat is cultivated. Working closely with farmers thus is essential to tackle our shared challenges: reducing CO2 emissions, strengthening crop varieties, improving biodiversity, and maintaining healthy soils.
The collaboration between Paulig and farmers focuses on gathering on-farm sustainability data to measure and limit the environmental footprint. The project uses digital infrastructure built by the Swedish climate tech company Improvin’. Their AI-based technology collects information from various sources, including farm management systems and satellite images, to calculate the CO2 emissions and biodiversity impact of the wheat that Paulig sources. For farmers and Paulig, the automated data collection means faster, easier and much more precise sustainability data collection compared to manual methods they’ve used before.
“This marks a key step for us in mapping out our ingredients’ environmental footprint using precise field-level data with significant expansion potential. We’re eager to understand where we stand today and identify areas for improvement. Primary data will help us tremendously in tracking the results of our actions and making informed decisions regarding scaling”, says Salla Sulasuo, Director Sustainability at Paulig.
How technology helps
Measuring the climate impact of food ingredients, like wheat, requires a lot of information. Improvin’s system automatically monitors and gathers information from wheat’s entire growth journey: from sowing to harvest, into milling and processing, until a fresh batch of wheat reaches Paulig’s factories.
One of the valuable information sources is satellite images. They provide useful information about crop types, yields and farming practices. When combined with weather data, the images help predict future yields.
In addition, Improvin’s system receives information from the mills that process the wheat. This is useful as produced volumes and their quality, such as how much drying they require, impact the environmental footprint significantly.
Soil health stands out as another critical indicator of environmental impact and biodiversity. Healthier soil is more fertile and can absorb more carbon from the atmosphere. To assess the soil quality, the system analyses information such as crop rotations.
“There are a few key factors that significantly influence the climate footprint of any grain. Knowing the yields, crop rotations, fertilizer types and how much fertilizer was applied will already give a good indication about the carbon footprint and biodiversity impact”, says Niklas Wallsargård, CEO of Improvin’.
Using all this information, Paulig and farmers can drive change where it matters and reduce the climate impact of the wheat, starting from the fields.
Paulig: Being a frontrunner
Paulig aspires to lead the food and beverage industry through a commitment to sustainability, innovative product development and digital transformation, aiming to create a positive impact on the planet and delight consumers with unique culinary experiences.
“Paulig has set ambitious sustainability goals, verified by the Science Based Targets Initiative to align with 1.5 degree global ambition. Among these goals is a commitment to reduce Paulig’s value chain emissions, known as Scope 3 emissions, by 50% by 2030. It is our mission to become the frontrunner in Europe and we will use our circle of influence to the maximum to reach this goal”, says Rolf Ladau, CEO of Paulig.
MILAN – The bearish interlude on the coffee futures markets lasted only one session. After last Friday’s declines, the two coffee exchanges edged higher yesterday, Monday 30 September, posting marginal gains: the main contracts of Ice Arabica and Ice Robusta gained 0.4% and 0.3% respectively, closing at 269.15 cents and $5482, respectively, recovering their initial losses.
In New York, speculators trimmed their net long position in Arabica coffee, over the week of trade leading up to Tuesday 24th September, by 1,982 lots to 41,649 lots, according to the latest Commitment of Traders.
The weather in Brazil remains the dominant factor: forecasts of substantial rainfall in the Brazilian coffee belt initially pushed markets down.
Then, the realisation that the rains, even if they are abundant, will not be enough to repair the damage that plantations have already suffered as a result of this year’s long drought, pushed coffee futures prices onboth exchanges up again.
Meanwhile, new forecasts from ClimaTempo arrived today, which are decidedly less than optimistic. The Brazilian TV weather channel claims that dry weather conditions will prevail again this week in most areas.
In fact, a new heat wave is spreading over the interior areas of Brazil and will bring above-average temperatures in the coming days. We will have to wait until the second week of October to see significant rainfall, says ClimaTempo.
Alysson Fagundes, an agronomic engineer at Fundação Procafé, reiterated that the damage suffered by trees here is irreversible and the arrival of the rains will at best prevent further damage. “No climate scenario predicts a bumper harvest next year, the current rainfall will at best limit the losses.”
According to Fagundes, all Arabica production areas are strongly affected by the drought, with the partial exception of Espírito Santo, which was less affected.
MILAN, Italy – No brand represents the tradition of Italian espresso coffee as well as Gaggia does. This launch brings to life the link between tradition, constant innovation to achieve the best espresso coffee experience and the most avant-garde technology to ensure that all parameters are under control in the process of making each cup of coffee.
The new traditional espresso coffee machine Gaggia La Vetro, and its premium version Gaggia La Vetro Pro, boast an elegant and modern design with detailed finishes that adapt to the decoration of any establishment.
What’s more, it works in a way which is handy and secure, and its touch-sensitive intuitive interface is really practical, with backlit dials and buttons that are easy to use. Built-in PID temperature control offers advantages such as ensuring that coffee is highly consistent and allowing the desired water temperature to be adjusted for different kinds of tea.
Gaggia La Vetro (image provided)
These are energy-efficient models as their software includes an eco-friendly mode and their boiler is insulated so as to reduce energy consumption. Maintenance of these models is also straightforward, as their panels are easy to remove, meaning that users can get into them quickly. 95% of the contact surface with the user is tempered glass too, which is an elegant, durable and recyclable material that is easy to wash and keep clean with any cleaning or disinfection product.
Sustainability has also been one of the main objectives of this machine, as recyclable parts based on the circular economy model and environmentally-friendly packaging have been used.
Gaggia La Vetro can be easily customised on the sides of the machine. It is available in 2 and 3 group heads, as well as in 2 and 3 Tall Cups group heads, and comes in 2 colours (black and white). Its insulated and backlit capacitive buttons offer 4 direct selections and 1 continuous button in each group head.
Gaggia La Vetro Pro (image provided)
As well as the backlit working area, there is 1 hot water outlet and 2 adjustable steam outputs (10 mm ⌀) with a quarter turn tap mechanism. The group head solenoid valves are hidden behind the front panel, which includes a standard rail in addition to resistant and non-slip supports.
Other advanced optional features can also be added to this machine, such as a cup warmer, boiler insulation, filter holder kits for various capsule formats and Smartia (the smart connectivity solution that allows users to control the machine remotely).
What’s more, with Gaggia La Vetro Pro it is possible to add other options such as Autosteam (electronic steam wand with temperature control to optimise the result of espresso coffee drinks with milk), LED on side panels with 16 colour settings and Mixed Water (which allows users to choose the water temperature by mixing water from the boiler and mains water).
In addition to all the advantages and features mentioned above, in the premium model, Gaggia La Vetro Pro, hot water can be measured out with a capacitive button and an innovative 2.8” TFT display.
The display offers information about the machine parameters and allows users to configure various functions such as language selection, programmable switch-on and switch-off, coffee and tea service meter, control of any times that self-cleaning is activated, parametrization and display of the boiler temperature, monitoring of warnings to change the water filter, meter for total litres consumed, activation of eco mode to keep the boiler temperature at minimum consumption, indication that dispensing has been properly completed in the established time, monitoring of inner parts and monitoring of the last 10 alarms recorded.
It boasts a highly intuitive display that takes the features of the machine to the next level for establishments that strive for excellence when making espresso coffee with a traditional machine from the iconic Gaggia brand.
Quality Espresso invites all professionals from the world of coffee to GUEXT, the new exhibition of suppliers and services for the hospitality sector, which will take place in Madrid from 18 to 21 October 2024. Demonstrations of the new Gaggia La Vetro and Gaggia La Vetro Pro machines will be carried out in both the Quality Espresso stand (stand 4A32 in pavilion 4) and in the CoffeeXperience area reserved for the coffee sector.
MILAN, Italy – Gusto 8 Lift is the first Necta machine to be launched on the market with the new name Gusto, which from now on will identify the Snack & Food range. This new name will be declined based on the capacity of each individual machine and its positioning on the market: an epochal turning point, which fully reflects the company’s idea of relying on simplicity to guide customers in choosing machines. But what are the main features of this new model? Let’s look at them together.
Attention to sustainability
Gusto 8 Lift immediately stands out for its high energy efficiency (Class C according to the IEC EN 63252 scale), among the best in the category. The R290 gas cooling system and the perfect foam insulation of the cabinet allow the desired temperature to be reached quickly. Finally, the use of bio-circular plastics is a tangible sign of real attention to sustainability. Furthermore, Gusto 8 Lift offers the possibility of managing up to three temperatures inside the cell or of being set with a 100% Food or Environment layout.
Maximum flexibility
Gusto 8 Lift has a technology that revolutionizes the use of trays inside the dispenser. The machine is able to dispense heavier products from the upper trays and, thanks to the Vertical Flex (V-Flex) system, offers the possibility of easily moving up to 7 trays. Not only that.
The predisposition for a high-capacity Visioshop tray is foreseen, which can be managed as an accessory, to increase the number of possible selections. Furthermore, Gusto 8 Lift is compatible with Newis payment solutions: with Breasy it is possible to select and pay for the product in a completely touchless mode.
Design and user interface
Gusto 8 Lift is appreciated for its elegant and clean design, characterized by the LED lighting of the white cell – which guarantees maximum visibility of the products on display – and by the user interface created via a 4.3″ TFT color display.
Gusto 8 Lift is designed to improve the sales experience, offering superior performance and flexibility: it is the first 8-spiral machine capable of offering all the features of a premium model at a low cost and is immediately positioned as the reference model for the Snack & Food category.
FLORENCE, Italy – Accademia del Caffè Espresso announces the screening of “The Rise of Espresso” at the Italian Film Festival in Sydney, on occasion of International Coffee Day, October 1st. Australia was chosen to host the world premiere as it is universally recognized as one of the most progressive markets in terms of coffee, as well as being a country with a rich history of migration and passion for espresso.
International Coffee Day (October first) is an iconic date for the industry, dedicated to celebrating the quality work and passion of the people who allow espresso coffee to be appreciated all over the world.
“The Rise of Espresso” is produced entirely by Accademia del Caffè Espresso, and aims to share the dreams, challenges and anecdotes of the many emigrants who have dedicated their lives to this beverage, with the hope of promoting appreciation for quality coffee and understanding of its supply chain amongst a wider audience.
The stories told in the documentary illustrate the transformation of espresso from an Italian tradition to a global cultural phenomenon, a symbol of Made in Italy.
The Rise of Espresso poster (image provided)
This project is part of a broader approach to the topic, which initiated from Accademia’s exhibit “Coffee Migrant | Migrant Coffee – BRAZIL Chapter II”, currently on display in Florence, portraying the significant migratory flow of over a million Italians, between the 19th and 20th centuries, to Brazilian ports and which has brought them to engage in coffee cultivation and businesses.
Instead, the second chapter of the exhibit, “Coffee Migrant | Migrant Coffee – NEW WORLDS Chapter II”, will be inaugurated in 2025 and will illustrate the journey of Italian migrants to the New Worlds (Australia, Canada, USA), acting as an extension of the documentary’s narrative.
Accademia Del Caffè Espresso, for the occasion, has decided to open its doors to the public with an Open Day event (Tuesday, October 1st, 2024) aimed at showing its spaces, edutainment and research content, inviting visitors to learn and connect over an espresso. The staff will be available to accompany coffee enthusiasts and professionals alike in the discovery of the different areas of Accademia: La Marzocco’s heritage museum, coffee labs and the interactive lounge dedicated to the world and machines of La Marzocco Home.
The poster premiere at Sidney (image provided)
“The Rise of Espresso” will be the protagonist of other screenings in the future, in which it will be shown in its entirety during special events, linked to hospitality and cultural celebrations, as well as at festivals around the world. Of course, the documentary will soon be available in Italy.
About Accademia del Caffè Espresso
Accademia del Caffè Espresso is a cultural hub located in Florence, created to preserve and promote espresso coffee culture by increasing its appreciation and relevance on a global scale.
Accademia was founded by La Marzocco, a historical Florentine company founded in 1927, now a world leader in the production of espresso coffee machines. Housed in La Marzocco’s old factory, it employs researchers, educators and an indoor coffee greenhouse, and prides itself on partnerships with international universities, institutions and experts from all over the world.
The partnership beteween Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and Slow Food Coffee Coalition (SFCC) (image provided)
TURIN, Italy – The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and the Slow Food Coffee Coalition (SFCC) announce their partnership, shaping a new pathway towards impactful change within the global coffee industry. This collaboration, initiated at the beginning of 2024, was formalized with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding during Terra Madre Salone del Gusto, the Slow Food flagship event, this weekend in Turin, Italy.
“Together, we can better identify and tackle the challenges coffee producers face every day, while also raising consumer awareness on choosing good, clean, and fair coffee,” said Emanuele Dughera, Slow Food Coffee Coalition Coordinator.
“The SCA is committed to advocating for all actors within the coffee community by providing them with the resources, education, and support needed to thrive in an increasingly complex market,” adds Yannis Apostolopoulos, Chief Executive Officer of the SCA. “Our collaboration with the Slow Food Coffee Coalition will play a crucial role in continuing the work towards a more sustainable and equitable future, ensuring that ethical practices and social responsibility are at the forefront of every step.”
The global coffee sector provides employment and income to an estimated 12.5 million coffee farms, two-thirds of which are smallholders. Coffee production is a vital source of rural economic activity, but susceptible to hazards.
“The SFCC’s main principles include preservation of biodiversity, safeguarding of human and labor rights, food security through the application of agroecological principles, and education,” comments Emanuele Dughera. “In order to achieve these goals, it is essential to build and strengthen new partnerships with distinguished partners such as the Specialty Coffee Association. For the SFCC and its partners, education and capacity development must remain at the forefront of each project. Empowering farmers with the tools, knowledge and skills to implement agroforestry practices everywhere in an effective manner is paramount. Training programs, workshops and knowledge sharing platforms must be expanded and made accessible to all, ensuring that they reach communities and practitioners.”
LONDON, United Kingdom – Celebrating the International Coffee day and building on the success of its inaugural in-person event in 2023, the World Coffee Innovation Summit London 2024 – a solution driven and the only cross-industry-centric global event – organized by the World Coffee Alliance (WCA), is meeting once again in London on 16-17 October 2024 at QEII Centre, with a much stronger coffee, climate, finance and farmer-centric agenda and a top-lineup of global speakers, government and policy makers in its second year.
A two-day intensive discussion through its Keynotes and cross-industry panels, this high-level Summit convenes Governments, Ministers, ambassadors, and stakeholders both from coffee producing and coffee importing countries, global brands including Starbucks, JDE Peet’s, Volcafe, Tchibo, Olam (ofi) and Lavazza as well as non-coffee specific global brands including Salesforce, ESA,CDP, WWF, Gold Standard, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, Novartis, WWF，B Lab Europe and IBM Consulting to discuss coffee, climate change and finance through innovation and a cross-industry exchange of best practices and scalable solutions.
The world Coffee Alliance logo
Innovation, being the front and center of this Summit, will also gather startups, scaleups, Agri-funders and coffee and climate Innovators showcasing their unique products and solutions on the INNOVATION HUB & EXHIBITION SHOWCASE. This unique gathering will highlight the “Innovators meet Farmers” panel from coffee origin countries to discuss how technology can change the way producers manage their farms through eco-systems and digital platforms to increase their yields and adaptation measures to fight climate change.
Against the backdrop of high prices and unpredictable weather patterns, the world confronts major challenges in climate change, biodiversity loss and financial inclusion – there is a growing demand from consumers and coffee producers to provide an ethical and data-driven coffee sourcing mechanism that is sustainable across the global value chain.
In this year’s Summit Theme – Redefining Shared value – a concept described by Professor Michael Porter and Mark Kramer of Harvard Business School, as “policies and operating practices that enhance the competitiveness of a company while simultaneously advancing the economic and social conditions in the communities in which it operates. Shared value creation focuses on identifying and expanding the connections between societal and economic progress.
This concept will be tested and scrutinised at this event on whether it can work as a guiding principle in the coffee industry or requires revisiting or redefining.
Topics include EUDR Countdown, CSRD & CS3D, Sustainable Sourcing, Regenerative Agriculture, Climate, Nature Based and Farmer-centric innovations, Coffee Science & Innovation, Sustainable Finance and Fintech, Geo-spatial and Traceability, Climate Action and Carbon Credits and Digitalisation of Global Trade.
Joseph de Villiers, CEO and Founder of World Coffee Alliance, the organiser of World Coffee Innovation Summit London said, “We are delighted to have attracted a roster of top-level global brands speakers, thought leaders and policy makers to highlight our unique approach in fostering cross- industry partnerships to pull ourselves together against Climate Change, biodiversity loss and promotion of financial inclusion”.
“Mere collaboration within the coffee industry is no longer enough to face the existential threat of Climate Change. We need to reach out to outside experts and cross- industry leaders and incorporate some of proven solutions from other industries that will equip us better to face this bigger challenge that requires a bigger innovation. “Let’s redefine shared value in favour of nature”, he added.
The Summit will also feature the Global Leaders Forum – the men and women who leads their organisation through example, including governments, business, industry and policy makers, adopting practical and hands-on style of leadership and inspires his organisation toward a mission-centric agenda driven by innovation.
This year’s hot topics include the most important and most-challenging regulation by far, The EUDR, which is part of the European Green deal – as Operators face regulatory compliance challenges and operational bottlenecks as the deadline approaches on 30 December 2024.
The EUDR requires that commodities placed on, or exported from, the EU market that are covered under the regulation — cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soy, timber and rubber, as well as derived products such as beef, furniture and chocolate — don’t come from land deforested or degraded after December 31, 2020.
The EUDR also introduces corrective measures for non-compliance and regulates a sanctioning regime with penalties amounting to 4% of the company’s turnover in the EU, as well as measures for the confiscation of products and income. There has been call from business organizations to delay its implementation, but so far, the EU remains firm and steadfast in its position.
Other EU legislations to be tackled include the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) marking a significant milestone in sustainable corporate governance and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D) which focuses on acting against violations of human rights and child labour through due diligence procedures.
This Summit highlights include a “Networking Soiree” at the UK House of Lords with limited tickets on a first-come, first serve only.
Summit Keynotes include Jennifer Jordan-Saifi, CEO, Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) who will deliver the inspirational speech, Dr Dongyu Qu, Director-General, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General, World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr Alvaro Lario, President, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD),The Lord Deben, H.E. Johnston Busingye, High Commissioner for the Republic of Rwanda to the UK, Graham Turnock, Special Advisor, European Space Agency, Jennifer “Vern” Long, CEO World Coffee Research (WCR), Sylvia Megret, President and CEO, ACDI/VOCCA, Chris Southworth, Secretary General, ICC UK, Antii Rautavarra, Special Envoy for Water from Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Clive de Ruig, President, ICE Benchmark Administration (IBA) and Sarah Nelen, Acting Director-General of the Department of Environment, European Commission, who will share the last quarter details and explain the plans IN FULL on EUDR as she highlights the EU Green Deal and Climate action towards a free-deforestation future.
Gold Sponsors include ICE Benchmark Administration (IBA) and osapiens, Silver Sponsor Agmatix, Bronze Sponsor Koltiva and Co-Sponsors regenagri and NAEB.
Cross Industry partners include Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI), ICC UK, Fairtrade International, GSMA, Soil Association, B Lab Europe, International Trade and Forfaiting Association (ITFA) and DCSA.
Media Partners include Roast Magazine, Daily Coffee News and Perfect Daily Grind (PDG).
Early Bird registration is now available until 3rd October 2024. To register, click here.
For updates, agenda and confirmed speakers, please click here.
About World Coffee Alliance
World Coffee Alliance (WCA) is a leading network alliance of coffee professionals, market research consultants and stakeholders across the global coffee value chain. WCA assists SMEs in the UK, Europe, North America and smallholder farmers in South America, Africa, Greater China and Southeast Asia. World Coffee Alliance (WCA) is the official organiser of World Coffee Innovation Summit London.
TURIN, Italy – Ahead of International Coffee Day, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the government of Ecuador, and Lavazza Foundation have partnered to launch deforestation-free coffee to help protect the country’s forests. The sustainably produced premium coffee will help efforts to enhance sustainable agriculture and strengthen local communities in Ecuador, as well as opening new market opportunities for small producers and setting a new standard for ethical coffee production worldwide.
The “Deforestation-free coffee” certification provides a guarantee to consumers that no forest land has been cleared or degraded for the cultivation of coffee. This certificate is obtained following rigorous monitoring and enforcement through satellite imagery and third-party verification to confirm that coffee production adheres to strict environmental standards. The Ecuadorian coffee certified under this partnership is grown without contributing to deforestation, protecting vital ecosystems while boosting local agricultural productivity.
“This partnership showcases the power of aligning public and corporate policies towards a sustainable future,” said Michelle Muschett, Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Director of the United Nations Development for Latin America and the Caribbean. “Ecuador’s sustainable, deforestation-free certification is not only a testament to our joint efforts in combating climate change and conserving vital forest ecosystems, but it also highlights how innovative, nature-based solutions can create long-term economic opportunities for local communities.
This collaborative model is a blueprint for how countries and companies can drive systemic change to ensure both environmental sustainability and economic resilience”, she added.
In partnership with FAPECAFES, a federation representing over 1,800 Amazonian families, the effort supports over 70,000 local producers, 40 percent of whom are women, through improved infrastructure across 18 gathering centers. Ecuadorian coffee organizations, have been at the forefront of this initiative, becoming the first to receive Ecuador’s good agricultural practices and deforestation-free commitment certification.
“Today, on the 20th anniversary of the Lavazza Foundation, we are proud to celebrate the sustainable projects carried out in collaboration with UNDP. This project exemplifies Lavazza’s dedication to sustainability and responsible supply chains” said Giuseppe Lavazza, Chairman of Lavazza Group and member of the Board of Directors of the Lavazza Foundation.
María Cristina Recalde, Deputy Minister of Environment, Water, and Ecological Transition of Ecuador, highlighted the broader impact of the project. “Our work with UNDP and the Lavazza Foundation demonstrates Ecuador’s leadership in sustainable agriculture. This project not only protects our forests, but also supports the livelihoods of Amazonian families through the improvement of coffee production practices.”
This launch of deforestation-free coffee builds on the achievements of the PROAmazonía Programme, a comprehensive initiative supported by Ecuador’s Ministry of Environment, Water, and Ecological Transition and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.
To learn more about the deforestation-free coffee initiative and UNDP’s leadership in sustainable coffee production. Click here to learn more.
MILAN – On this International Coffee Day, Fairtrade is celebrating the spirit of friendly competition with the Golden Cup that brings together coffee producers to compete for the highest quality coffee, and also demonstrating the links between great coffee quality and smart climate mitigation practices.
This year’s Golden Cup final in Honduras that included 46 samples from Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Mexico, confirmed that delicious coffee can be produced fairly and sustainably.
Miguel Ángel Rivera, awarded the top prize for the best blended coffee lot in this year’s Golden Cup competition, said the forest nursery where 50,000 plants have been planted annually for the past three years, has helped alleviate some of the problems associated with climate change including the increased humidity that cause disease like rust fungus.
Rivera, part of the COAQUIL cooperative in Honduras, added that the nursery has created a virtuous cycle of improved productivity. Improving the filtered shade and biodiversity within the coffee plot, supports healthier soils, leading to more productive trees – which supports farmers to make investments in the production and processing systems required for delicious, high quality coffees.
Fairtrade’s Latin American and Caribbean Network of Fair Trade Small Producers and Workers (CLAC) began coffee quality contests about a decade ago in Brazil and Costa Rica. Over the years the Golden Cup competitions began to be held in other coffee producing countries, and in 2024 there will be a total of 10 national competitions. They include events in: Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru.
In each coffee producing country, a diverse, highly qualified jury assesses the samples of Fairtrade producers, and then they rate according to specialty coffee criteria including aroma, flavour, and acidity. Plus, there are a lot of festivities and local customs to go along with the coffee .
The competition encourages coffee farmers and workers to continuously improve their coffee quality and get inspired by their coffee producing colleagues. These efforts to create and showcase the array of top quality profiles within the Fairtrade offering has been an important step in opening doors to top speciality markets, translating into more opportunities and partnerships for small producer organizations and their producer networks.
Samples from winning lots are often featured on cupping tables at the major international trade shows, such as the Specialty Coffee Expo (USA) and World of Coffee (Europe).
Joel Galeas, of the CAFICO cooperative, explained that the key to producing specialty and high-quality coffee is maintaining the coffee production line. “This means ensuring genetically pure plants, securing production systems with good agricultural practices, implementing processing systems with good manufacturing practices, and ensuring proper coffee processing. That’s the foundation.”
Let’s celebrate all the good that coffee can do for communities throughout the world.
About Fairtrade International
Fairtrade changes the way trade works through better prices, decent working conditions, and a fairer deal for farmers and workers in developing countries. Fairtrade International is an independent non-profit organisation representing more than two million small-scale farmers and workers worldwide. It owns the Fairtrade Mark, a registered trademark of Fairtrade that appears on more than 37,000 products.
Beyond certification, Fairtrade International and its member organisations empower producers, partner with businesses, engage consumers, and advocate for a fair and sustainable future. Find out more here.
