Coffee News Recap, 11 Oct: ICO Composite Indicator Price reaches highest level in 47 years, US branded coffee shop market valued at US $54 billion & other stories

Every Friday, Perfect Daily Grind rounds up the top coffee industry news from the week. 

Editor’s note

Not long after 2023 World Barista Champion Boram Um joined as a brand ambassador, grinder manufacturer Mazzer announced that Martin Wölfl, the 2024 World Brewers Cup Champion, has also started to represent the brand. As commercial interest in specialty coffee at scale continues to grow, it seems that leaning on champions and competitors is a crucial component of many equipment brands’ marketing strategies.

Beyond ambassadors, the ICO also announced this week that its Composite Indicator Price – one of the world’s key reference prices for coffee – had reached a 47-year high. The ICO said the spike is due to tight supplies of robusta in Vietnam and the recent proposal from the EU to delay its landmark deforestation regulation.

The I-CIP hit a 13-year high just three months ago in July 2024. Ultimately this shows that a volatile C market is likely to be the status quo for a while longer. With both arabica and robusta prices climbing and the potentially delayed EUDR legislation looming, it seems more pertinent than ever for roasters and traders to precisely manage their inventories.

Top stories of the week

• Mon, 7 Oct – Coffee futures rebound on lower certified stocks. ICE robusta contracts for November rose 3% to US $5,067, while ICE Arabica for December gained 2.1%, closing at US 257.35 cents/lb. Both markets saw certified stocks drop to four-month lows. Despite the rise, market fundamentals remain bullish, with Brazilian green coffee exports up 36.8% in September, overcoming logistical challenges. (London, UK)

• Mon, 7 Oct – New report values US branded coffee shop market at US $54 billion. World Coffee Portal’s Project Café USA 2025 found that the market grew by 2,062 outlets, reaching 42,773 stores. Major chains like Starbucks, Dunkin’, and 7 Brew expanded, while market competition intensified to include 500 chains. Rising costs pushed prices up, with lattes averaging over US $5, but brands are cautious about further increases, focusing on value offerings to compete with non-specialist operators like McDonald’s. (London, UK)

• Tue, 8 Oct – Latest ICO report shows record figures for indicator prices and global coffee exports. The Composite Indicator Price rose 8.4% in September, up 69.1% from 2023. Robusta surged 12.8%, while arabica varieties saw increases up to 6.5%. Strong demand and the postponed EUDR deadline are driving the boost in trade. (London, UK)

• Wed, 9 Oct – LaSalle Capital invests in US private label roaster Cascade Coffee. Founded in 1995, Cascade produces about 50 million pounds of coffee annually from its 150,000 sq ft facility, featuring six Probat roasters and 17 packaging lines. Former investor Westward Partners has exited the business, but investment details remain undisclosed. (Everett, Washington, US)

• Wed, 9 Oct – The 2024 Best of Yemen auction sets new record for the country’s coffee sector. The highest-scoring lot received a record bid of US $1,159/kg – believed to be the highest price ever paid for Yemeni coffee. For the first time, 13 out of the total 36 lots were produced by women farmers, and honey processed coffee was also available for the first time.

• Thu, 10 Oct – Mazzer welcomes 2024 World Brewers Cup Champion Martin Wölfl as brand ambassador. Having used the company’s grinders for years, Wölfl chose the ZM for the WBrC 2024 finals in Chicago for its grind adjustment and performance. Martin debuted as Mazzer’s brand ambassador at SCAJ in Tokyo, presenting the ZM’s key features. (Venice, Italy)

Industry news

• Mon, 7 Oct – Cerrado Mineiro region featured at Ditta Artigianale with the first coffee Designation of Origin. Part of the Cerrado Mineiro Road Show, the event celebrated both countries’ coffee traditions and highlighted DO certification. Participants explored sustainability practices, tasted award-winning coffees, and attended workshops. Simoni Ameni and Thiago Furlaneto led discussions on the region’s significance in Brazilian coffee production and sustainability. (Florence, Italy)

• Mon, 7 Oct – Change Please signs up to DWP Homelessness Covenant to tackle the UK’s homelessness crisis. The social enterprise works with people affected by homelessness to provide employment opportunities and is calling on other industry leaders to join the initiative. (London, UK)

• Tue, 8 Oct – Social Bite expands into UK universities through pioneering coffee partnership. The collaboration with roaster Matthew Algie aims to tackle homelessness issues, as many students, especially from low-income and international backgrounds, are affected by the crisis. (London, UK)

• Tue, 8 Oct – Australia’s ST. ALi opens its first outlet in the Philippines. After debuting internationally in London and expanding to Indonesia, the company is now set to launch in the Philippines, a rapidly growing market for specialty coffee. (Melbourne, Australia)

• Wed, 9 Oct – Bacardí Rum and Jimmy Butler’s BigFace Coffee announce second collaboration. The collaboration will also launch the Domino Club event series, part of BACARDÍ’s Rum Room series, featuring limited-edition merchandise inspired by Miami Heat NBA player Butler. (Hamilton, Bermuda)

• Wed, 9 Oct – Cooks Coffee Esquires branded UK and Irish store sales up 23.1%. Group store sales were up 26.0% to £16.4 million, UK store sales increased 36.0% to £11.4 million, and Ireland store sales rose 6.7% to £5.1 million. (Auckland, New Zealand)

• Wed, 9 Oct – CODOS Coffee reopens Hannover location. After a brief hiatus, the roaster has reopened its Osterstraße 31 location. (Hannover, Germany)

• Wed, 9 Oct – Cimbali Group publishes 2023 “Our Blend for the Future” sustainability report highlighting ESG achievements. Over a third of the company’s board is now comprised of women, with 37% of new hires being women. The report also states 54% of electricity consumption is now derived from renewable sources, with 7% self-produced. (Binasco, Italy)

• Thu, 10 Oct – Minnesota company sues TreeHouse over alleged intellectual property theft. Microtrace has sued TreeHouse Foods, claiming it misappropriated proprietary “taggant ink” technology for its K Cups. The lawsuit alleges TreeHouse and its subsidiaries breached contracts and reverse-engineered the technology. The dispute dates back to 2014 when Keurig launched its 2.0 brewing system, restricting compatibility with non-licensed pods. (Minneapolis, Minnesota, US)

• Fri, 11 Oct – IWCA hiring financial professional to join the board of directors as Treasurer. Responsibilities include overseeing the management of and reporting of IWCA’s finances, working with the Executive Director to prepare the annual budget, and providing financial analysis and guidance to support strategic decisions. Interested candidates can email [email protected] for more information. (Springfield, Illinois, US)

New launch

• Mon, 7 Oct – The Wise Brewer TG launches with focus on automation. Athens-based startup Wise Coffee Products’ latest brewer features a dual-boiler system for coffee and tea, allowing control over volume, temperature, flow speed, and pour count via a 3.5-inch touchscreen. The machine also includes an internal rotary pump for water drawn from a 1.7L reservoir. (Athens, Greece)

• Tue, 8 Oct – Saudi Arabia’s Camel Step opens a new location. Led by Faris Alosaimi, the design preserves the building’s essence while introducing functional elements. The space features rustic wooden chairs, decorative lattice walls, climbing plants, and a large granite fireplace. (Hail, Saudi Arabia)

• Wed, 9 Oct – Dripdash launches RTD Kyoto Iced Coffee. Kyoto Iced Coffee, originating in the 1600s from Dutch sailors in Japan, is brewed drop by drop over 16 hours, showcasing the coffee’s oils and aromas. (Palo Alto, California, US)

• Thu, 10 Oct – Parkside and Dark Woods Coffee partner on 100% compostable blend packaging. Made from a home compostable flexible laminate and an industrially compostable CO2 valve, the new coffee bag supports Dark Woods’ closed-loop waste management system, which collects compostable waste for onsite composting. (West Yorkshire, UK)

• Fri, 11 Oct – Blue Bottle releases Tokyo Kissa dark roast. Inspired by traditional Japanese kissatens, the new blend is the company’s darkest roast ever. (Oakland, California, US)

Milestone

• Wed, 9 Oct – Dear Green achieves high B Corp recertification score. Specialty coffee roaster Dear Green has achieved one of the highest B Corp scores among Scottish coffee roasters, with 117.6 points in its recent recertification, up 33.4 points from 2020. This places the roastery alongside global ethical leaders like Patagonia and Ben and Jerry’s. (Glasgow, Scotland)

• Wed, 9 Oct – Eversys’ Shotmaster wins World Coffee Innovation Award Presented at the Caffe Culture Show in London, the Shotmaster was recognised for its advanced technology and efficiency. (London, UK)

• Thu, 10 Oct – Pioneering capsule manufacturer alupak to acquire global ALUCAPS business. alupak AG co-developed the first coffee capsules on behalf of Nespresso in the 1980s. The company says the acquisition will help to support product diversification and sustainability efforts. (Belp, Switzerland)

• Thu, 10 Oct – Nguyen Coffee Supply launches RTD Vietnamese coffee at Jewel-Osco stores in the US. Following the recent announcement of the roaster’s largest national retail expansion at more than 400 Albertsons Company Stores, Nguyen’s RTD products are now available at over 80 Jewel-Osco stores. (New York City, New York, US)

Trade & production

• Thu, 10 Oct – UN agency launches platform to assist smallholders in meeting EUDR. The European Commission recently proposed delaying implementation from 2025 to 2026. Pamela Coke-Hamilton, executive director of the International Trade Centre, emphasised that the platform aims to minimise impact on farmers. (Hamburg, Germany)

• Fri, 11 Oct – Jamaica Agricultural Commodity Regulatory Authority partners with Verified & True to implement new traceability platform. JACRA says the platform will ensure compliance with the EUDR and provide a number of benefits to traders and brands in and out of the EU market. (Kingston, Jamaica)

Research

• Mon, 7 Oct – New research seeks to revolutionise deforestation compliance in coffee production. AidData and COSA, with the support of the Gates Foundation, are studying the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of digital tools for EUDR compliance in the coffee industry, focusing on solutions like satellite verification and their impact on small producers. (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US)

• Thu, 10 Oct – ODI publishes new report on how proposed EUDR delay will support Least Developed Countries navigate new green coffee trade measures. The think tank’s study analyses how many LCDs, including coffee-producing countries, are vulnerable to new measures, lack capacity to comply, and are at significant economic risk. (London, UK)

Events

• Mon, 7 Oct – International Coffee Convention 2024 to take place on 17 & 18 October. The event will be held in Mannheim, Germany, focusing on climate resilience, consumption patterns, sustainability, and digitalisation. Organised by Coffee Consulate, the event aims to tackle key challenges in the coffee industry and offer practical solutions. (Mannheim, Germany)

• Mon, 7 Oct – Vollers to host Hidden Beans spot coffee auction. A timed auction will take place on 5 November and a reverse auction will be held on 6 November. All lots are from past harvests and includes coffees from Osito, Mercanta, Keynote, and Raw Material. (Bury St. Edmund’s, UK)

• Tue, 8 Oct – Let’s Talk Coffee will head to Peru in 2025. The multi-day event, organised by Sustainable Harvest and held in coffee-producing countries, brings together producers, roasters, lenders, and policy leaders. The 20th edition will be the first since the company’s acquisition by Sucafina and the first led by Director Al Liu. The summit will take place in September and more details will be announced soon. (Seattle, Washington, US)

• Wed, 9 Oct – Equal Origins to host webinar specifically for roasters on 16 October. Tailored for roasters, buyers, and sustainability leaders, the webinar will explore gender equity in the Honduran coffee industry, offering insights from key players and highlighting how these initiatives can strengthen supply chains.

• Thu, 10 Oct – Caracas Quiere Café to run until 12 October. Producers, roasters, baristas, and major brands can network at Venezuela’s top industry event. This edition is also featuring the third Venezuelan Barista Championship and the second national Brewers Cup Championship. (Caracas, Venezuela)

• Fri, 11 Oct – MICE2025 introduces the Roasters Playground. Sponsored by La Marzocco and Riverina Fresh, the new feature will showcase and celebrate national coffee roasters. For the first time, coffee roasters will be able to book half-day sessions at a set-up stand with all equipment provided. (Melbourne, Australia)

• Fri, 10 Oct – Monarch Coffee to host Q Processor Level 2 course for the second year at award-winning farm in Hawaii. The course will run from 2 to 7 December, led by expert Tim Heinze. Designed for green coffee buyers and roasters with some post-harvest knowledge, the course offers QP2 certification. Participants will gain hands-on experience on an award-winning farm known for its Gesha and Pacamara coffee. (Kailua-kona, Hawaii, US)

Competitions

• Mon, 7 Oct – World Barista Open 2024 crowns Brazil’s Emerson Nascimento as the winner. Fiamma hosted the competition, featuring 12 baristas in three events: the Coffee Shop Challenge, the PProfile My Coffee competition, and the Duoccino Challenge. Brazilian barista Emerson Nascimento won, followed by Stanley Chien from Taiwan and Sean Lee from Malaysia. (Aveiro, Portugal)

• Wed, 9 Oct – India International Coffee Festival announces its first edition of the country’s biggest coffee showdown. The IICF will be held in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru in October 2024, culminating in Bengaluru (13 to 15 December) to crown the winner. The festival will showcase India’s coffee culture with specialty coffee stalls, workshops, and competitions, highlighting the country’s role in the global coffee market. (New Delhi, India)

• Thu, 10 Oct – Gold Mountain Coffee Growers to host sample roasting competition. Participants will receive a 200g green sample of the company’s Pacamara Carbonic Maceration Cherry Syrup Natural, which they will roast and return for analysis. The winner will have the chance to win 10lbs of the Cherry Syrup coffee, and all participants win a digital subscription to Roast Magazine. (Matagalpa, Nicaragua)

• Fri, 11 Oct – The Barista League to return to Seoul on 9 November. The event is coinciding with Café Show 2024, and will be held at the Sewon Garage. (Seoul, South Korea)

Here are a few coffee news stories from previous weeks that you might find interesting. Take a look:

• Wed, 2 Oct – Martina Müller announced as new Managing Director of FrieslandCampina for Iberia, Italy, and France. With 19 years of experience, including roles at Mondelez and PepsiCo, Müller will focus on supporting the dairy cooperative’s expansion in key markets. (Barcelona, Spain)

• Thu, 3 Oct – NLRB rules Howard Schultz’s comment to Starbucks union supporter was illegal. The former CEO violated federal labour law by telling a California barista to “go work for another company” during a 2022 event. The National Labour Relations Board ruled this comment was an illegal threat against unionising efforts. (Washington DC, US)

Photo credits: The Barista League

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Want to keep up with current affairs in the coffee industry? Check out last week’s coffee news stories and make sure to read the latest Coffee Intelligence News & Opinion piece on whether proposed EUDR delays mean better preparation or market dilution.

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