Tag: coffee industry

Keurig Dr Pepper’s Coffee Gamble Turns into Private-Equity Opportunity

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Dubai – Qahwa World

Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. (KDP) has turned investor discontent into renewed optimism after securing a $7 billion investment from Apollo Global Management and KKR & Co. to support its €15.7 billion (about $18 billion) acquisition of Dutch coffee group JDE Peet’s. The capital injection eased market fears over KDP’s rising debt and transformed what was initially seen as a controversial coffee gamble into a strategic success backed by private equity.

When KDP first announced its plan in August 2025 to acquire JDE Peet’s from JAB Holding Group, shares fell by roughly 30 percent, wiping about $10 billion from its market value. Investors feared the deal would triple KDP’s exposure to coffee and overburden its balance sheet, while hedge fund Starboard Value publicly criticised the move, calling for a reduction rather than expansion in coffee assets.

The situation shifted when Apollo and KKR stepped in with a hybrid financing package that helped restore confidence and pushed KDP’s stock up by around 10 percent after the announcement. Their combined $7 billion support came in two parts: $4 billion directed toward a joint venture known as Global Coffee Co., which merges KDP’s coffee-pod business with JDE Peet’s, and $3 billion in preferred stock carrying a dividend below 5 percent and convertible into ordinary shares at roughly the pre-deal price.

This arrangement reduced KDP’s effective leverage to about 4.5 times EBITDA, compared with the 5.5 times analysts had feared when the deal was first disclosed. The structure blends elements of equity and debt, costing just above 7 percent annually, and serves as a vote of confidence in KDP’s financial resilience and in JAB Holding’s broader beverage strategy.

According to Bloomberg Opinion, the investment underscores how private-equity firms are shifting away from their old reputation as “barbarians at the gate.” Rather than launching full buyouts, groups such as Apollo and KKR now deploy hybrid capital — part loan, part equity — that offers reliable yield with potential upside. Both firms are holding their KDP positions through their insurance subsidiaries, which seek long-term, credit-like assets to back liabilities. For KDP, the infusion provides near-equity financing without diluting control, while giving investors comfort over leverage.

The turnaround was further strengthened by KDP’s third-quarter results. The company reported $4.31 billion in net revenue, an increase of nearly 11 percent and well above forecasts. Growth was driven by stronger volume, pricing, and acquisitions. U.S. Refreshment Beverages revenue rose 14.4 percent year on year, International 10.5 percent, and U.S. Coffee 1.5 percent. Adjusted earnings grew 6 percent, maintaining a dividend yield above 3.25 percent.

Market analysts now project a recovery toward the $35 share-price range, estimating an upside of about 25 percent from October levels. Institutional investors have continued to accumulate KDP stock at roughly two shares bought for every one sold throughout 2025, giving the company a solid base of long-term holders.

Beyond financial performance, the transaction carries strategic weight for the global coffee industry. The integration of KDP and JDE Peet’s would create one of the largest coffee enterprises worldwide, combining brands such as Peet’s, L’OR, Senseo, and Green Mountain under a single umbrella. Analysts believe the merger could reshape competition in both single-serve and roasted-coffee markets, expand distribution networks across North America, Europe, and the Middle East, and increase procurement influence in coffee-producing countries.

The deal also marks a turning point in how major beverage and coffee companies fund growth. What began as an unpopular, debt-heavy acquisition has become a model of financial engineering, illustrating the growing role of private capital in global coffee. For investors and industry watchers alike, Keurig Dr Pepper’s transformation of a “loathed” coffee deal into a structured, profitable partnership with private equity may signal a new era in how coffee giants balance ambition with financial discipline.

The Kona Coffee Fraud: When Geochemistry Exposed the Truth and Restored Authenticity

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Dubai – Qahwa World

In early October 2025, U.S. federal authorities uncovered one of the largest coffee fraud cases in recent history. Prosecutors charged 66-year-old businesswoman Patricia Johnson, from Kona, Hawaii, for her alleged involvement in selling massive quantities of counterfeit coffee marketed as “100% Kona.”

According to court documents published by Hawaii News Now on October 2, 2025, Johnson imported approximately 88 metric tons (about 194,000 pounds) of low-cost coffee from South America over more than a decade, repackaging and selling it in the United States as genuine “Kona Coffee.” The operation generated millions of dollars in illegal profits, deceiving consumers and damaging the reputation of authentic Kona growers.

Kona coffee is among the most distinguished varieties in the world, cultivated on the fertile slopes of Mauna Loa in Hawaii, where young volcanic soils and a tropical microclimate produce a rich, balanced, and subtly fruity cup. Its exclusivity and premium prices have long made it a target for counterfeiters seeking to capitalize on its global prestige. Over the years, the market saw a growing influx of products labeled as “Kona” being sold at unusually low prices, prompting suspicion and triggering a scientific investigation unlike any the coffee world had seen before.

Back in 2020, researchers from the University of Utah, led by Bitter and colleagues, published a groundbreaking study in Food Chemistry 320 demonstrating that roasted coffee beans retain a stable mineral fingerprint that reflects the geochemical makeup of the soil where they were grown. Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), the team measured 44 trace elements in roasted Arabica coffees from 21 countries, focusing not on absolute concentrations—which roasting can alter—but on elemental ratios such as Rb/Ni, Mn/Sr, and Ce/Yb. These ratios remain consistent even after roasting, serving as precise geochemical markers for verifying a coffee’s origin.

When U.S. investigators applied this scientific method to samples from the suspected Kona coffee, the results were conclusive: the mineral profile did not match the known geochemical signature of Kona’s young basaltic soils. Instead, it matched that of continental South American soils, confirming that the coffee was falsely labeled. The findings became the forensic cornerstone of the case, offering irrefutable proof that “the soil never lies.”

This case went far beyond a simple commercial dispute — it became a defining moment in how agricultural authenticity is protected worldwide. Experts say the integration of geochemical fingerprinting in food forensics represents a turning point for both science and trade. It not only exposed a decade-long fraud but also reinforced the principle of traceability through science, ensuring that terroir and truth can once again align in every cup.

The Kona scandal also highlighted how cutting-edge analytical chemistry can serve as a guardian of transparency and fairness. For producers, it protects geographical indications and guarantees fair recognition for genuine coffee growers. For scientists, it validates the power of multi-element and isotopic analysis in authenticating food origins. And for consumers, it restores confidence that when they buy coffee labeled as Kona, Yirgacheffe, or Tarrazú, they are tasting the true essence of that land.

The Kona Coffee Fraud proved that while marketing can deceive, the soil cannot. Through science, justice, and data, geochemistry has given authenticity its voice back — one that speaks, quite literally, from the ground beneath the roots.

Yannis Apostolopoulos Speaks Frankly About the Past, Present, and Future of Specialty Coffee

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Dubai – Qahwa World

The 5th Wave Podcast published a long interview with Yannis Apostolopoulos, CEO of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), under the title “The Past, Present and Future of Specialty Coffee.”
Given the importance of the insights shared, Qahwa World republishes the full conversation with minor editorial adaptation.

In today’s episode we’re speaking with Yannis Apostolopoulos, CEO of the Specialty Coffee Association.

First established in the 1980s, the SCA is the largest coffee trade body globally and represents thousands of coffee professionals – from producers to baristas – all over the world.

In this conversation, Yannis discusses the evolution of the SCA and its ongoing efforts to make coffee more sustainable, equitable, and resilient, through research, standards, and education. He also shares his perspectives on the key challenges and opportunities in the industry, from climate change and sustainability to navigating economic uncertainty and the evolving role of technology and AI.

5thwave-the-business-of-c the-past-present-and-futu
Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.
One of the conversations that needs to be at the forefront is about risk. Who is taking the risk and who gets compensated for that risk? Welcome back to the 5th Wave Podcast. I’m Geoffrey Young, Editor-in-Chief of 5th Wave.

In today’s episode, I’m delighted to be joined by Yanis Apostolopoulos, CEO of the Specialty Coffee Association. First established in the 1980s, the Specialty Coffee Association, or the SCA as it’s often known, is the largest global coffee trade body representing thousands of coffee professionals from producers to baristas all over the world. In our conversation, Yanis discusses the evolution of the SCA and their ongoing efforts to make coffee more sustainable, more equitable, and more resilient through research standards and education.

He also shares his perspective on the key challenges and opportunities for our industry, from climate change and sustainability to navigating economic uncertainty and the evolving role of technology and AI. Welcome, Yanis. It’s very nice to be here.

Very nice to see you, Geoffrey. We see each other around the world at different spots and really, really excited to have you here actually in the studio, in Serendipity Studios. I wonder if you’d just give us a little bit of intro just on your own career and what drew you into the world of coffee.

So first of all, thank you for having me. It’s really an honor and a pleasure to be here. Well, coffee is an interesting story.

My background is mostly in wines and spirits. And around 2009, the business I used to work for decided to get into coffee. And the more I get to know coffee, I just think that coffee has this amazing, I would say, attribute that brings people in.

And you meet people, the community, the actual beverage. It’s so unique in many ways. I think it was the first time in my career that I realized, okay, I’ve been selling wine, spirits, or soft drinks.

But this time, it’s something that it’s actually good for your health. And you can contribute in making an impact or a difference in the world by impacting the livelihoods of many people. And that’s what drew me into specialty coffee.

I got involved as a volunteer in the Greek chapter, then as a board director. And then during, I would say, the initial conversations between the merger between SCAA and SCAE, the European and the American organization, I found myself working for SCAE and leading eventually SCAE around end of 2018. Wow.

So that’s a good seven years already. Almost seven. Yeah.

Little I know that the year after I become the CEO, there would be COVID and everything would change in the world, at least when it comes to trade shows, because as you remember, it used to be just trade shows. Now we’re doing much, much more. And we at SCAE are trying to make coffee better, to make coffee more sustainable, equitable, and thriving as an endeavor for everyone in the value chain.

And we do that by doing research. We use the research to set standards. And one of our most famous standards is the capping form and the capping protocol, which we recently changed based on the work we’ve done around the coffee value assessment system.

And then we educate people around the world in using those standards and trying to make them get skills to, I would say, focus on the gaps that we have in the coffee industry. And then we do events to try to bring people together and use those opportunities to disseminate the information of our research and standards. So research events and bring people together at events.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it’s a formidable organization, I must say.

I was wondering if you could share how many people the SCAE educates in a given year. It’s very interesting. First of all, I have to say that it’s a collective effort.

I have an amazing team of people. They are really passionate about making coffee better. It’s a collective effort from the SCAE board that changed a lot over the years, but also the executive team.

On an annual basis, we educate over 80,000 people globally. It’s really something which I find it very interesting because a lot of people want to get engaged in the coffee industry. We have a lot of, say, churn when it comes to people who are trying to find a career in the coffee industry.

And what we’re trying is to provide tools and education to do so. It’s very interesting. And I think professions around hospitality are going to be much, much more attractive in the future, given the changes that we’re going to see in the global workplace with AI.

I think people will always enjoy experiences in food, in coffee. And coffee is a very human product at the end of the day. Exactly.

Now, thinking about those gaps, what do you think are the key issues that you and your organization are faced with out there in a world? For our industry, you get to speak to a whole array of human beings, from coffee farmers to people that produce equipment, to traders, to all the way down to the baristas, the roasters, and everything. The array of people that you talk to on a daily basis, it must give you a good instinct in terms of what are the big topics for our industry that we need to face over the next decade or two. What are you concerned with? …

 

JDE Peet’s Reports Strategic and Operational Progress, Confirms 2025 Outlook

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Amsterdam – Qahwa World

JDE Peet’s N.V. (Euronext: JDEP), the world’s leading pure-play coffee company, announced continued progress in implementing its new brand-led growth strategy and productivity initiatives while reaffirming its 2025 financial outlook.

Strategic and Productivity Initiatives Under Way

On July 1, 2025, JDE Peet’s launched its “Reignite the Amazing” strategy, designed to accelerate brand-led growth and enhance operational efficiency. The company reported solid progress across several fronts:

  • U.S. Integration: The full integration of the U.S. capsules business into Peet’s Coffee was completed following the discontinuation of the L’OR Barista roll-out in the American market.

  • Distribution Transition: Peet’s is transitioning from its Direct Store Delivery (DSD) system to a direct central distribution model in the U.S., expected to be completed by the end of the first half of 2026.

  • Portfolio Optimization: The company exited its low-margin Food Ingredients (B2B) business in Asia.

  • Manufacturing Footprint: Two additional plant closures were announced—one in northeastern Brazil and another in the northeastern United States—as part of an ongoing global optimization program.

  • Brand Rationalization: Fifteen long-tail brands are scheduled for transition within the next six months.

  • Cultural Transformation: JDE Peet’s is reshaping its corporate culture around four newly defined values—Dare to amaze, Own it, Make it simple, and Win together—to foster agility, ownership, and transparency across the organization.

Business Performance Update

The company stated that its overall third-quarter performance was broadly in line with expectations, taking into account anticipated retailer negotiations and customer pre-buying during the first half of the year.

JDE Peet’s reaffirmed its 2025 outlook, citing strong discipline in pricing and cost control that continues to support gross profit and adjusted EBIT. Approximately 96 percent of the second wave of global price negotiations, which began in July, have already been completed.

While green-coffee prices remain significantly elevated and increasingly volatile compared to previous years, JDE Peet’s said it continues to manage these pressures effectively. The company also confirmed the termination of its share-buyback program as of September 1.

Update on Keurig Dr Pepper Transaction

The planned public offer by Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. (KDP) for all issued and outstanding shares of JDE Peet’s is progressing as scheduled:

  • The regulatory antitrust filing has been submitted in the U.S.

  • The company has received positive advice from JDE Peet’s Dutch Works Council.

  • The transaction closing remains expected in the first half of 2026, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of customary pre-offer and closing conditions.

About JDE Peet’s

JDE Peet’s is the world’s largest pure-play coffee company, serving approximately 4,400 cups of coffee per second across more than 100 markets. Guided by its Reignite the Amazing strategy, the company is pursuing brand-led growth through three global power brands—Peet’s, L’OR, and Jacobs—alongside a portfolio of nine local icons.

In 2024, JDE Peet’s generated €8.8 billion in sales and employed more than 21,000 people worldwide.
More information: www.jdepeets.com

EU Eases EUDR Rules to Ensure Smooth Rollout by 2025

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Brussels – Qahwa World

The European Commission has announced adjustments to the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) aimed at ensuring its timely implementation by 30 December 2025. The changes include lighter reporting requirements, deadline extensions for small businesses, and simplified due diligence obligations to reduce administrative complexity and IT system strain.

The EUDR, which targets commodities linked to deforestation such as coffee, cocoa, palm oil, paper, and wood, will require importers to prove that their products have not contributed to forest degradation anywhere in the world after 31 December 2020. Initially scheduled for December 2024, the regulation was postponed by one year to give coffee producers and other stakeholders additional time to comply.

Under the updated proposal introduced on 21 October 2025, micro and small enterprises will receive an additional 12-month extension to 30 December 2026. Large and medium-sized companies must still meet the 30 December 2025 deadline but will benefit from a six-month grace period for checks and enforcement. To streamline the process, the Commission will now require only a single due diligence statement across a product’s entire supply chain, easing the burden for businesses and simplifying data management within the EU’s internal systems.

The revised framework maintains that “upstream” operators—those first placing regulated commodities on the EU market—will continue to exercise due diligence. “Downstream” operators, typically traders handling products already imported into the EU, will no longer be obligated to submit separate compliance statements.

Environmental groups have cautiously welcomed the move, seeing it as a pragmatic step to avoid further delays, though some have expressed concern that the changes could weaken the regulation’s impact. “We reiterate our call to address the specific challenges millions of smallholders face in producing EUDR-compliant products and the disproportionate burden placed on their shoulders,” the Rainforest Alliance said in a statement.

The WWF offered a stronger critique, calling the decision “a shameful surrender to political pressure.” Anke Schulmeister-Oldenhove, Senior Forest Policy Officer at WWF, said the Commission’s reference to IT system issues “feels like a perfect scapegoat to water down the regulation.”

The proposed amendments will still need formal approval by the European Parliament and the European Council before implementation. If adopted, they would mark a significant shift in how the EU enforces environmental due diligence, with major implications for global trade in deforestation-linked commodities, including coffee.

Starbucks to Hire Thousands of New Managers by 2026

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Seattle – Qahwa World

Starbucks has unveiled a large-scale hiring initiative to appoint full-time Assistant Store Managers (ASMs) in all of its company-operated stores across the United States and Canada by the end of 2026. The plan represents one of the most significant structural workforce expansions in the company’s recent history.

At present, only about 20 % of the 11,400 company-owned Starbucks outlets in North America have an ASM. Most of these roles have been part-time and experience relatively high turnover. Moving forward, Starbucks intends to assign a full-time ASM to every location, creating roughly 9,000 new positions across its network.

The company began piloting the full-time version of this role in mid-2025 at select stores in California, Illinois, and Texas. During that trial, 62 full-time ASMs were appointed — 90 % of them promoted from within. Starbucks now plans to maintain that internal-promotion rate as it scales up the initiative, aiming for 90 % of all retail leadership roles to be filled by existing employees by 2028.

According to Sara Kelly, Starbucks’ Chief Partner Officer, the ASM position will help store managers devote more time to coaching teams and elevating the customer experience — a key objective of the company’s “Back to Starbucks” plan.
“When we have strong, stable leaders throughout every shift, everything improves — from partner satisfaction to customer connection and overall store performance,” Kelly said in the company’s statement.

The new full-time ASMs will assist store managers with day-to-day operations such as staff scheduling, inventory control, and store coordination. Starbucks expects the added managerial stability to enhance workflow efficiency and strengthen in-store culture.

This hiring campaign coincides with CEO Brian Niccol’s broader effort to revitalize Starbucks’ brand identity and restore the “coffeehouse atmosphere” that helped make the company famous. Under his leadership, the chain has been phasing out stores focused purely on mobile orders and pickup, which Niccol described as “overly transactional.”

In July 2025, Starbucks announced plans to shut down all pickup-only locations in the U.S. by year-end. Then, in September, Niccol revealed that hundreds of underperforming stores across North America would close because they were not suitable for remodeling within the “Back to Starbucks” framework.

Introduced in October 2024, the strategy focuses on bringing warmth and comfort back to the brand’s physical spaces. Newly redesigned stores in New York and Southern California — featuring softer lighting, cozy seating, vibrant artwork, and ceramic serveware — have shown early signs of higher customer traffic and longer visits. Encouraged by those results, Starbucks plans to refurbish around 1,000 U.S. outlets, about 10 % of its company-owned stores, by July 2026.

The announcement also follows Starbucks’ recent financial update. For the third quarter ending 29 June 2025, the company reported U.S. revenue of $6.45 billion — up 1 % year-over-year — despite a 2 % decline in comparable-store sales. The coffee chain is scheduled to release its fourth-quarter and full-year earnings on 29 October 2025.

The hiring surge marks a notable contrast to the store closures outlined earlier in the year. While trimming less viable locations, Starbucks is simultaneously investing in people and training to reinforce its long-term operational foundation. Executives say the move reflects confidence in the brand’s future and a belief that improving leadership at every level will ultimately drive better results for both employees and customers.

Coca-Cola Reassesses Its $5 Billion Coffee Investment

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Dubai – Qahwa World

Coca-Cola is reconsidering its coffee strategy after its $5.1 billion acquisition of Costa Coffee failed to deliver the expected results.

CEO James Quincey admitted during the company’s recent earnings call that the “investment hypothesis didn’t work out as we expected.” The beverage giant had hoped Costa would drive significant growth beyond its traditional retail outlets, but that expansion has not materialized.

Despite the setback, Quincey emphasized that coffee remains a “super attractive category,” noting that Coca-Cola continues to invest in Costa’s UK operations and in expanding automated coffee machines under the Costa brand. However, he acknowledged that the business “hasn’t yet created the multiplier effect we were looking for.”

Coca-Cola is currently “reflecting” on how to position its coffee business moving forward. Reports from Reuters in August indicated that the company may be exploring a potential sale of Costa Coffee, though Quincey did not comment on that possibility.

Coca-Cola’s stock rose about 4% on Tuesday following its announcement that net sales increased by 5% to $12.46 billion in the third quarter.

The company’s coffee ventures also include experiments with Coca-Cola Coffee, a beverage blending the brand’s classic soda with coffee extract.

CQI Launches Global Survey to Shape the Future of Coffee Quality

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Dubai – Qahwa World

The Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) has announced the launch of its Global Priorities Assessment Survey, an open invitation to coffee professionals worldwide to help shape the organization’s future direction. The survey seeks insights from across the coffee value chain to identify the most pressing challenges and the most promising opportunities facing the global coffee sector today.

This new initiative follows CQI’s recent transition of the Q Program to the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) earlier this month — a milestone that marks the beginning of a new chapter for the institute. As CQI redefines its mission for the years ahead, it is turning to the very community it serves to guide its next steps.

“CQI is entering a new phase in its work, and we would like to ask for your help in identifying the most pressing challenges and most promising opportunities we face as a sector,” the organization stated in its official announcement.

A Collaborative Effort for the Coffee Community

The Global Priorities Assessment Survey invites producers, traders, roasters, educators, donors, and project partners to evaluate various aspects of CQI’s work — including its technical expertise, educational offerings, credibility, affordability, and project outcomes. Participants are also encouraged to share their perspectives on how CQI can continue improving the quality of coffee globally and supporting the livelihoods of those who produce it.

Through this initiative, CQI aims to gain a deeper understanding of community priorities and use the results to inform future educational programs, research initiatives, and international partnerships. The collected insights will serve as a roadmap for how CQI continues pursuing its mission of improving coffee quality and the lives of those who make it possible.

Available in Nine Languages

To ensure inclusivity, the survey is available in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Swahili, and Indonesian, enabling broad participation from coffee professionals around the world.

Questions in the survey cover topics such as:

The quality and accessibility of CQI’s education programs

Affordability and value of CQI courses

The organization’s credibility and trustworthiness

The quality of its project work overseas

How CQI could better serve businesses and producers

Respondents can also provide open feedback on what they like most about CQI, what the organization could do more or less of, and what areas have the most room for improvement.

Shaping the Next Chapter

The CQI Global Priorities Assessment Survey will remain open until October 31, 2025, and all members of the global coffee community are encouraged to participate. The results will help guide CQI’s strategic planning and long-term development as it continues to promote excellence, transparency, and sustainability across the coffee sector.

By contributing to this global consultation, participants will help define the priorities that shape CQI’s next decade of work — ensuring that the organization’s efforts reflect the real challenges and ambitions of the worldwide coffee community.

Call to Action:
Take the CQI Global Priorities Assessment Survey before October 31, 2025, and share your perspective to help shape the future of coffee quality.

Click here 

 

The Barista League Launches 2026 Season, Redefining Coffee Competitions Worldwide

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Dubai – Qahwa World

The Barista League has announced its groundbreaking 2026 Season, introducing a completely new competition format that reimagines what a coffee championship can be. The new concept, built around three central pillars — Concept, Service, and Product — marks a radical departure from traditional competitions that prioritize technical precision. Instead, it challenges baristas to craft and deliver experiential coffee concepts that merge creativity, storytelling, and service excellence.

According to The Barista League 2026 Rules, baristas are described as “the gatekeepers to the coffee experience.” Their role goes beyond brewing — they are responsible for translating the stories, culture, and craftsmanship behind coffee into memorable experiences for consumers.

A New Era for Coffee Competitions

In the restructured scoring system, Concept and Service together account for 62% of the total score, while Product represents 38%. This shift places greater emphasis on innovation, communication, and guest experience. Competitors will design complete experiential concepts that guide audiences through a sensory journey, using the stage, sound, and lighting of The Barista League to bring their ideas to life.

“We want to see bold, creative service concepts that push the boundaries of what a coffee experience can be,” said Steven Moloney, founder of The Barista League. “This stage is a platform for baristas to use in the most innovative and impactful ways they can imagine.”

Watchable, Interactive, and Global

The 2026 Season is designed to be dynamic and engaging for both in-person and online audiences. Judges and competitors will be mic’d up, performances will be displayed on large screens, and the events will include live commentary, interviews, and real-time scoring. Every event will also be live-streamed and available for replay, making the competition accessible to coffee enthusiasts worldwide.

A Platform for Innovation and Leadership

Staying true to its mission, The Barista League continues to highlight creativity, inclusivity, and leadership within the global coffee community. With minimal barriers to entry, the competition focuses on imagination and collaboration rather than expensive tools or technical setups.

“We are looking for baristas who want to push the boundaries of service, rethink what a coffee experience can be, and use this stage to shape the future of the industry,” the 2026 rules state.

Moloney added, “Despite enormous changes in the industry, the competition landscape has not developed significantly over the past 10 years. We want to create a platform for the future leaders of our industry to stand up and show us where we are going next.”

Global Tour Across Six Continents

The 2026 season will feature six events spanning six continents, each hosting six barista teams chosen by regional selection committees:

The Barista League — 2026 Locations & Dates
Continent City Date
Europe Prague 28 March 2026
Latin America Mexico City 8 May 2026
Asia Tokyo 11 June 2026
North America Atlanta 3 September 2026
Africa Johannesburg 3 October 2026
Pacific Brisbane 13 November 2026

For more information, visit thebaristaleague.com
.

DXB LIVE Announces Fifth Edition of World of Coffee Dubai 2026

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Dubai – Qahwa World

DXB LIVE, the integrated event management and experiential agency of Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), has announced the return of World of Coffee Dubai for its fifth edition, taking place from 18 to 20 January 2026 at Za’abeel Halls 1, 4, 5, and 6 at the DWTC.

Organised by DXB LIVE in collaboration with the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), World of Coffee Dubai has rapidly grown to become the leading coffee industry event in the Middle East, bringing together producers, roasters, traders, and experts from across the globe. The 2026 edition builds on this success, reinforcing Dubai’s reputation as a global hub for coffee trade, culture, and innovation.

Since its inception, the exhibition has quadrupled in size, reflecting the region’s expanding coffee landscape. International exhibitors now account for around 77% of total participants, underscoring the global coffee community’s confidence in Dubai as a meeting point for business and innovation.

The event coincides with the strong growth of the UAE’s coffee market, currently valued at over USD 3.2 billion (AED 12 billion) and projected to grow 8.4% annually, reaching USD 4.5 billion (AED 16.5 billion) by 2029. Across the MENA region, the market is expected to exceed USD 11 billion (AED 40 billion) within the same period. This expansion is fueled by rising demand for specialty coffee, shifting consumer preferences, and sustained investment in quality, sustainability, and technology—all of which are reflected in this year’s enhanced edition.

Commenting on the announcement, Khalid Al Hammadi, Executive Vice President of DXB LIVE, said: “This exhibition embodies the UAE’s vision to be a global hub for specialty coffee, bridging producing regions and fast-growing markets. With participation expanding each year, World of Coffee Dubai has become an international platform uniting leading experts, brands, and innovators—reflecting Dubai’s spirit of innovation and reaffirming its pivotal role in shaping the future of the coffee industry both regionally and globally.”

Yannis Apostolopoulos, CEO of the Specialty Coffee Association, added: “World of Coffee Dubai has become one of the key events where the global coffee community comes together under one roof. Each new edition strengthens its position as an exceptional international showcase, thanks to the outstanding calibre of participants who help define the future of specialty coffee.”

Khalid Al Mulla, CEO of the SCA UAE Chapter, emphasized the event’s educational impact: “What distinguishes World of Coffee Dubai is its commitment to learning and knowledge exchange. It’s more than a marketplace—it’s a place where ideas are shared, skills are refined, and partnerships are built, creating a sustainable and thriving ecosystem for the coffee industry.”

The 2026 edition will feature the most diverse and inclusive program to date, including three national coffee championships—the UAE National Barista Championship, UAE National Cup Tasters Championship, and UAE National Roasting Championship—alongside the Best Coffee Design Awards, the Best New Product Competition, and two exclusive coffee auctions featuring some of the world’s rarest beans.

World of Coffee Dubai continues to serve as a global platform celebrating coffee culture, fostering innovation, and connecting tradition with progress. Exhibitors can now secure their spaces, and early-bird tickets for visitors are available through the official website: dubai.worldofcoffee.org

Finnish Company Paulig Files Applications to Register Five New Trademarks in Russia

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Dubi – Qahwa World

Finnish coffee producer Paulig has filed applications to register five new trademarks in Russia, according to data available in the Rospatent electronic database.

The applications were submitted on October 15 by OY Gustav Paulig Ab, listed as the official applicant. The company reportedly plans to market ground, instant, and roasted coffee, as well as coffee in bags and capsules, under the new trademarks.

Paulig had previously announced its withdrawal from the Russian market in March 2022, following the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine. By May 2022, the company had completed the sale of its Russian business to Vikas Soin, a private investor from India who acquired Paulig Rus LLC.

Earlier, in November 2021, Paulig had also halted the supply of its popular Santa Maria spices and sauces to Russia, which were part of the company’s broader product portfolio.

Meanwhile, other international brands have taken similar steps. The Spanish group Inditex, which owns Zara and Bershka, has also re-registered its trademarks in Russia, valid until 2035, even though it ceased operations in the country in 2022.

U.S.-Made Coffee Remains More Expensive Than Imports Despite Tariffs

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Dubai – Qahwa World

Throughout 2025, U.S. consumers have witnessed a steady rise in prices across nearly all goods following the administration’s decision to impose tariffs on imported products from global trade partners. Coffee has been no exception, even though the United States relies almost entirely on imported beans to satisfy domestic demand.

Data shows that coffee prices rose by 14.5% between July 2024 and July 2025, while roasted and packaged coffee in supermarkets increased by 21.7% between August 2024 and August 2025. These price hikes are largely attributed to tariffs affecting major coffee-producing nations such as Brazil, which supplies around 40% of the world’s coffee, and Vietnam, the second-largest global exporter.

Despite rising international prices, coffee produced within the United States remains significantly more expensive — a trend unlikely to change. Coffee cultivation requires specific geographical and climatic conditions found only in limited areas of the country, most notably Hawaii, where the right soil and altitude allow for small-scale production of high-quality beans. Even so, the total domestic yield accounts for barely 1% of what Americans consume annually.

Experts in both agriculture and finance agree that the United States lacks the natural and environmental capacity to achieve self-sufficiency in coffee production, even if domestic and imported prices were equal. Consumption far exceeds what local producers can supply, and expanding cultivation faces both economic and ecological constraints. The country’s main coffee-growing regions — Hawaii and Puerto Rico — can only cover a fraction of nationwide demand.

While tariff policies are intended to strengthen local industries and reduce reliance on imports, coffee remains a clear exception. Natural limitations make large-scale domestic production unfeasible, and imported coffee continues to be more affordable and abundant despite higher tariffs. Analysts conclude that the American coffee market will remain deeply tied to global supply chains — particularly to producers in Brazil, Vietnam, and Ethiopia — regardless of future policy changes or tariff increases.