For many years Brazil’s annual harvests, particularly of Arabica beans, have had a significant influence on international coffee prices. Brazil’s sometimes rocky economic situation does have an effect on coffee bean harvests – and the results show up in overall production for various bean types, in organic production trends, and in the country’s total export volumes.

The 2023-2024 coffee harvest season in Brazil was marked by a significant increase in production compared with the previous year. This surge was primarily driven by favourable weather conditions and improved farming practices. Brazil’s total coffee production in 2024 exceeded that of 2023 by a substantial margin.

Brazil is renowned for its high-quality Arabica beans, which are prized for both their flavour profile and their aroma. However, the country also produces Robusta beans, a lowercost alternative, whose reputation has been improving over the last few years. The relative proportions of Arabica and Robusta in Brazil’s harvests do fluctuate from year to year, influenced by factors such as market demand and economic incentives.

In general, Arabica beans continue to dominate Brazil’s coffee production, accounting for asignificantly larger share of the total harvest. However, Robusta production has also shown growth in recent years, driven by increasing demand for lower-priced coffee options.

Organic coffee production has been gaining traction in Brazil, as consumers increasingly seek products that are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilisers. While organic coffee still represents a relatively small portion of Brazil’s total coffee output, it has experienced steady growth in recent years.

Several factors have contributed to the expansion of organic coffee production in Brazil. These include increased consumer awareness of the benefits of organic products, government support for organic agriculture, and the development of sustainable farming practices.
Brazil’s coffee products reach markets around the world. The volume of coffee exports from Brazil varies depending on the changing dynamics of global demand, competition from other producing countries, and worldwide economic conditions.

Brazil’s coffee bean harvests play a vital role in the global coffee market. The country’s production of high-quality Arabica beans, coupled with its increasing focus on organic coffee, has solidified its position as a leading exporter. Brazil has maintained its strong position due to strong demand for its beans from countries such as the United States, Europe and Japan. However, the country has also faced competition from other coffee-producing nations, particularly Vietnam and Colombia.

Several factors are influencing Brazil’s coffee production, including these four:
Weather: Climate conditions, such as rainfall and temperature, can significantly impact coffee yields. Excessive rainfall or droughts can negatively affect crop health and productivity.
Pests and diseases: Coffee plants, particularly, Arabica, are susceptible to various pests and diseases, which can reduce yields and quality. Effective pest control measures are essential for maintaining healthy crops.
Soil quality: The quality of the soil in coffee-growing regions is crucial for plant health and productivity. Poor soil conditions can limit crop yields and affect bean quality.
Economic factors: Economic factors, such as the price of coffee beans and the cost of production, can influence the profitability of coffee farming. Low coffee prices or rising production costs can discourage farmers from investing in coffee cultivation.

While weather, pests, soil quality, and economic conditions can influence coffee production, Brazil’s ability to adapt to changing market dynamics and invest in sustainable farming practices positions it well for continued success in the years to come.

The Impact of Climate Change
Coffee production is fragile, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports maintain that climate change will reduce worldwide yields on average and decrease land suitable for growing coffee by 2050.

Climate change is affecting Brazil’s coffee industry in ways which may, in the end, become detrimental to everyone – from the growers all the way downstream to those who consume their coffee.

“A Systematic Review on the Impacts of Climate Change on Coffee Agrosystems” is the January 2023 research article published in the prestigious PLANTS science journal. The six co-authors of this study reviewed 148 records from literature considering the effects of climate change and climate variability on coffee production, covering countries mostly from three continents (America, Africa, and Asia).

The main effects of climate change have been hotter temperatures and lower moisture, causing plants and cherries to not only be unable to fully flourish and bloom, but die while developing. Since the majority of Brazil’s coffee plantations are below 6,000 feet, they are being impacted in tangible ways by hotter temperatures.

Coffee plants need very specific temperatures, soil, and environments to grow in and continually produce coffee each year. With the rising temperature and lack of rainfall and humidity, coffee plants aren’t growing and reproducing as they usually would. Climate change has caused typical weather patterns to be inconsistent, making harvest times and crop quality nearly impossible to control and predict. Though rainfall is lacking for some growing regions, it’s happening more often for others, resulting in more harvesting and picking cycles, which is great.
However, this means higher labour costs than usual, making it harder on farmers.

The hotter temperatures have caused plants to lose several growing days in their usual harvest cycle. This is because heat can disturb a plant’s metabolism, driving stress in the plant and possibly reducing its photosynthetic efficiency. While hotter regions have caused harm to some growing regions, it has opened up new areas where coffee can be grown. With the increased temperatures, coffee can now grow at higher altitudes. Twenty years ago, coffee couldn’t grow in altitudes above 6,000 feet, but now, some of the best coffees are coming from these regions. However, the majority of coffee plantations are below 6,000 feet and are being impacted by the hotter temperatures. The main effects of climate change have been hotter temperatures and lower moisture, preventing plants and cherries from fully flourishing and blooming, but also dying while developing.

Climate change is a reason for the rapid spread of coffee leaf rust, a parasite that feeds off the leaves of the Arabica plant, and steals their food, causing the leaves to spot until they fall off and the plant dies. In the 1800s, this disease killed off most of the world’s coffee supply, and in 2012, another horrific outbreak resulted in over three billion dollars in damages. Coffee leaf rust can be controlled and contained by applying fungicides during wet seasons. However, it is only at higher altitudes and cooler temperatures that the disease struggles to reproduce and spread. This is still a very real problem that farmers face.

The Brazilian National Supply Company (CONAB) is a national government agency that manages agricultural policies and supply and provides information on Brazil’s agricultural harvest. In September of 2024, Conab lowered its forecast for 2024 Brazil’s coffee production: 54.79 million bags from 58.81 million as it forecast in May, due to the dry weather and extreme heat the crop experienced during its development phase.

This would put production down 0.5 percent from last year. Arabica production was lowered to 39.59 million bags from the previous forecast of 42.11 million. Conab’s forecast is up 1.7 percent from 2023 due to increased planted area. Yields were lowered, despite this being an ‘on year’ in the country’s biennial cycle.

Robusta production was forecast previously at 15.2 million bags, down from 16.71 million which had been the estimate in May and down six percent from a year ago. Brazil’s weather
conditions are not expected, but there could be a gradual increase in the number and frequency of showers as humidity starts to build for the rainy season. Greater rainfall is possible in the last days of September or early October. Until then, most
of the rain will remain too light to induce any flowering. ICE Arabica stocks are down to 837,656 bags, their lowest level since 4 September. The amount pending review is down to 6,081 bags, which is the lowest in more than six months.

UN FAO economist Fabio Palmeri shared his views about Brazil’s challenges and opportunities, “After negatively affecting the 2024 coffee output, prolonged dry weather conditions are raising concerns over the potential impact on the 2025 crop. In the first nine months of 2024, Brazil exported two million tonnes of coffee, 40 percent more than in the corresponding period last year, with export earnings reaching a record high of USD $8.5 billion, amid strong international demand. Arabica coffee remained the most exported variety. However, exports of Robusta and Conilon coffee surged in 2024, with shipments increasing by 170 percent compared to 2023, amid lower availabilities from Vietnam.”

Palmeri made a special note of the fact that coffee exports increased despite persistent logistics bottlenecks, including limited space at Brazilian ports coupled with greater demand for shipping containers.

Well Positioned for Continued Growth

In tabulating Brazil’s national coffee consumption data for the period from November 2022 to October 2023, the Brazilian Association of the Coffee Industry (ABIC) found that there had been an increase of 1.64 percent as compared to November 2021 to October 2022. This volume represents 39.4 percent of the 2023 harvest, which was 55.07 million bags, according to Conab. In the period from November 2021 to October 2022, the volume consumed inside Brazil represented 41.9 percent of the harvest, which was 50.9 million bags.

As the world shifts to low-carbon economic sectors and markets, Brazil’s rich ecosystems can enable it to discover some lasting growth opportunities created by that shift. Threequarters of Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions result from land-use change and agriculture. This implies that Brazil can and should make it a greater priority to halt spreading deforestation while transitioning towards low-carbon agriculture.

The scientific consensus is clear: Brazil’s rainforest in the Amazon is close to a tipping point, beyond which it cannot generate enough rainfall to sustain the national ecosystem. This is the power that fuelled Brazil’s growth: the agriculture, hydropower, water supply, industries. That same endangered ecosystem provides a full spectrum of environmental services to all of Latin America and the Caribbean as well as to the rest of the world.

Halting deforestation and scaling-up climatesmart land use can be done within Brazil’s agriculture sector while simultaneously increasing total productivity. It is entirely possible for Brazil to fully integrate agriculture, and other businesses, into the future green economy.

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To preserve quality, local and national tasting competitions are carried out regularly, and the list of the year’s ten cups ranking on top is published every year. These famous teas called ming cha are exclusive and very expensive, they are highly appreciated by the home market and the over-seas Chinese diaspora, and are making strides in attracting Western tea fans. There are premium cups from both the oolong tea and the white tea categories that appear on the ‘ming cha’ list every year, without exception.

It’s noteworthy that today, in China, there are also oolong and white teas that are grown in non traditional areas, mostly newly developed cultivars, which do not have an origin territory appellation and are therefore considerably cheaper and more accessible for non-Chinese customers. It should also be noted that the manufacturing skills and some of the more recent plant varietals have been introduced outside China, namely in Vietnam, Indonesia, India, and also in some East African countries, among others, where certain tea gardens have begun producing some oolong and white teas.

The vicinity between China and Taiwan, with many tea farmers having crossed the Taiwan strait in the 18th and 19th centuries, taking their tea bushes with them on their boats, and since then developed a thriving and extremely premium high mountain and coastal oolong tea production. Based on their continental China heritage and also newly developed cross bred varietals by the intensely active Taiwanese Tea and Beverage Research Station (TTBRS) in Nantou County, these exclusive Oolong tea cups are rivalling fully with those of China’s Fujian province.

3 Taiwan A li shan high mountain oolong tea. Credit: Barbara Dufrêne

The Complex Oolong Tea Category

All tea experts and tea lovers agree that this tea family is extremely complex, because of the incredible number of cultivars, each with unique flavour characteristics, a statement fully supported by French veteran tea experts, Katrin Rougeventre and Vivien Messavant, aka Zhong Yun Jing. The various manufacturing processes are often still carried out by family tea masters applying the wisdom of many generations. All this input generates an unbelievable amount of leaf shapes cup colours and, most importantly, endless shades of fragrance and aromas, ranging from warm and comforting to mineral and
metallic, offering many different flowery, fruity, spicy and woody notes.

This tea category was reintroduced to the Western markets at the beginning of the millennium and was so different from the well-established green and black teas, with its semi oxidised leaf, that they had to be named first.
Some called them ‘blue-green’, or qing cha and finally the denomination ‘oolong or wulong’, meaning ‘black dragon’ spread and was commonly adopted, with reference to the black and twisted leaf of the deeply oxidised Fujian rock teas. The many different bush varietals harvested in continental China and in Taiwan are genuine to the local lands, to which research has added on more through cross-breeding.

These many cultivars and varietals are grown in several oolong territories, all with their specific origin appellation, namely in Fujian and Guangdong province and in Taiwan’s Central Mountain range and coastal plains.

Additional quality criteria add on more specificity, such as the premium plucking time and picking way and the manufacturing process, with either ball shape rolled or twisted leaf and either low, medium or high oxidation.

Oolong teas can be stored and the aged teas of 20 to 25 years will then be basket toasted again to
bring out their wide range of delicious fragrance and taste notes. Because oolong teas require so much input and have such an intense richness of flavour notes, their brewing has been made into a
ceremonious ritual called gongfu cha, translated into “take your time to brew this state of the art cup” with a set of pots, cups, trays and other tools to serve the outstanding cups.

The best known and sought after heritage oolong teas from China are the low oxidised Tie Guan Yin from Anxi, South Fujian. The premium harvest is picked during the first half of October, whilst for all other oolongs the spring picks are the best – the leaves are tightly rolled into blue greenish pearls that infuse with intense flowery fragrance with notes of lilac and osmanthus. The deeply oxidised Wuyi Shan Rock teas are from Northern Fujian, with Da Hong Pao, Rou Gui, Shui Xian and others offering intensely fragrant cups with fruity and roasted notes with hints of caramel, brown sugar, cinnamon. The medium
oxidised Feng Huang Dancong from Guangdong’s Phenix Mountains, with intensely fragrant cups
offering notes of honey, orchids, gardenia, osmanthus, ginger flower, and magnolia, have big leaves and are harvested from specific single tea trees, very dear and rare cups indeed. According to Chinese statistics, oolong teas represent over 12 percent of the global production, which had a volume of around 382,000metric tonnes (mt ) in 2022.

The most famous oolong teas from Taiwan, initially brought over from Fujian but were then cross-bred and with local processing ways, fall into two main categories: the green or jade oolongs and the dark oolongs. The green or jade oolongs ,which are the low oxidised types such as the Milky Oolong or Nai Xiang Xin Juan, are highly appreciated for their creamy, buttery flavour, the Dong Ding Oolongs grown near Taipei, and the high mountain teas from Central Taiwan’s Nantou Province, namely from Ali Shan and Li Shan with their exclusive and costly frost teas that are picked bet ween November and January,
which are then delivered – in small parcels – to awaiting list of avid tea lovers. The dark oolongs, namely the high oxidised Dongfang Meiren or Oriental Beauty, are grown near Taipei.

According to International Tea Committee data, Taiwan’s 2022 total tea out put amounted to 14,000mt , with a share for oolong teas that were estimated to stand at around 75 percent and which are currently intensely promoted on international level with significant support from the government.

White Teas: A ‘Newer’ Category

Originating from China’s Fujian province, where the Da Bai and Bai Hao tea bush varietals grow as a local land race, t hes e elegant whit e buds and leaves were relaunched in the Western markets in the early 2000s . Their unbruised immaculate leaves, their reputation for high anti-oxidant effects, and the easy ways of brewing them without any fuss immediately fascinated consumers who jumped at the cup and wanted to learn more about it . This fascination has given rise to more authenticity controls because other producing countries did invest to master the manufacturing process, without necessarily being able to produce comparable cup quality.

As China wanted to protect these exclusive teas, which represent only about one percent of its tea production volume, an ISO Technical Report developed the basic definition and processing requirements in 2013. There are two main white tea terroirs in Fujian, around Fuding City and around Zhenghe City, both mountainous areas , which have started to intensely promote the white teas in recent years and to extend the cultivation surf ace. During the first International White Tea Conference that was convened in Fuding in December 2023,many Chinese tea experts presented their findings concerning tea research, tea and health, export facilities, protected geographical indication rules and more, all geared to the key target : how to enhance foreign markets’ awareness about the goodness of white teas and to make them keen to buy more.

Much clarification was provided about the cultivars, their characteristics and the three main quality grades:
• Early Spring: bud only harvest, called Yin Zhen (Silver Needle 4);
• Late Spring: more mature, one bud and two or three leaves, the still whitish Bai Mudan (White Peony);
• Summer Harvest: no more white down on the leaf, and no more buds, traded as Gung Mei and Shou Mei (Tribute and Longevity Eyebrow).

All grades are sought after in the home market, mainly for their reported health benefits and physiological effects, such as powerful antioxidant properties, antiviral and detoxifying effects, relief from fever, highly refreshing and relaxing during the hot tropical summer times.

Widely acknowledged in China, these reported health benefits come from the high polyphenol and theanine concentration in this rich plant material, which has undergone a soft processing that has not bruised the leaf and not broken up the cell walls, but allowed the leaves to wither for several days in the sun, thus also preserving their silvery downy coat, which makes up their elegant and unusual look.

These teas need a longer brewing time in order to extract all the flavours and juices – ten minutes
or more. They can be stored over years and their enzymes will allow the leaves to slowly continue
to mature, which is an additional bonus.

With their wide range of cups, from the premium origins to more accessible untraditional growing areas, consumers can discover these outstanding teas step by step, indulging in these gently boosting and truly soothing brews for everyday consumption and moments of sharing. Be it in or out-of-home, both oolong and white teas will provide highly pleasant moments of leisure and wellbeing, as well as offering the opportunity to become more knowledgeable about quality details, product botanicals, tea garden geographies and cultural tea brewing accessories.

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At the same time, the modern world demands focus, whether when working, studying, or even during leisure activities like playing video games. How are people to square this need for focus with a world seemingly designed to take it away? In part, though a larger role for coffee and tea products specifically designed for focus-enhancement.

Caffeine: The Nootropic That Dare Not Speak Its Name

One of the most interesting things about the focus-enhancing segment is how very few products actually position themselves as such. There are a great many people who have been reaching for coffee or tea their whole lives when they feel their mind slipping yet may have never heard the term ‘nootropic’, which is technically the correct way to refer to products that boost cognitive abilities like focus.

Therefore, there is the odd situation where caffeine and L-theanine are the world’s most used nootropics yet they are almost never referred to as such. This is important because there is a wave of new products hitting the market that are being explicit with their focus-enhancing abilities, threatening to muscle in on turf that has traditionally been dominated by coffees and teas. To avoid this, coffee and tea will need to be louder about their naturally occurring focus enhancing abilities.

Coffee and Tea on the Defensive in a Focus-Hungry World

These newer focus products tend to highlight more exotic and unfamiliar ingredients like lion’s mane, ginkgo biloba, or creatine. There are certainly coffee and tea brands who work with such ingredients (Four Sigmatic being perhaps the best-known) but increasingly nootropics are being used in the soft drinks space, especially in energy drinks. The energy-drink segment is attempting to diversify its appeal to new occasions and demographics and is increasingly launching products specifically designed for cognitive uses.

This year, for example, Rockstar launched a new product line called Rockstar Focus with a more explicit cognitive positioning than has previously been seen in energy drinks. In the years ahead, energy drinks will offer increasingly tailored energy boosts for specific usages instead of the more general energy positioning the category rose to prominence with – and cognitive enhancement is likely to prove among the most important.

They are likely to highlight their unusual nootropic ingredients to distinguish themselves from coffee and tea although in practice caffeine will probably provide most of the actual cognitive boost. Energy drinks are almost certain to be the most important emergent category, though powder concentrates and functional waters have also been experimenting and should see more product launches in the years ahead. Regardless of what formats end up on top, they will move straight into territory traditionally held by coffee and tea.

That will leave two options for coffee and tea. One will be to make themselves into pseudo energy drinks through adding additional nootropic ingredients, using RTD or on-the-go formats, and using splashy marketing highlighting how different they are from traditional beverages. The other will be to
double down on what they have always done with some tweaks to the marketing message.

It is likely that the coming years will see plenty of both. Products fortified with nootropic ingredients or even just extra caffeine and L-theanine (which brands like Bigelow have been experimenting with) will become more common. More importantly, the coffee and tea industries in general will become louder in the promotion of their products as already ideal for focus, leveraging its inbuilt advantages: a proven track record, widespread availability, affordable price points, and naturally occurring focus enhancing ingredients.

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The escalating prices prevent more active growth of the industry and lead to the change in preferences of many local consumers with more of them beginning looking for cheaper products. Euromonitor International analysts confirm this, noting that current negative economic factors may lead to stagnation of both tea and coffee sectors of Germany in the middle term.

Lina Sidorenke, a senior analyst with Euromonitor International, said, “[According to our data,] inflation, a prevailing concern in Germany, is exerting a considerable influence over consumer behaviour. The prices of daily essentials, including coffee, have witnessed upward spirals, prompting consumers to be more judicious in their purchasing decisions.”

She said that the impact of inflation is visible in coffee, where consumers are increasingly opting for cheaper brands and exploring discounters to address rising costs. “Rising prices have encouraged many brands and retailers to offer promotions and discounts to drive up volumes. Still, despite the increasing prices of food and beverages, German consumers remain loyal coffee drinkers, as coffee is part of their everyday routines, thereby supporting positive retail demand at present.” Euromonitor reports that sustainability in coffee remains a dominant theme both for consumers and brands. For example, single serve coffee capsules have come under scrutiny for their contribution to environmental waste. According to the global market research firm, several players have introduced compostable packaging solutions to address these concerns. Effectively communicating these sustainability features has become paramount, as consumers increasingly seek eco-friendly coffee products.

Sidorenke explained that “the demand for fresh coffee beans is on the rise in Germany and continues to pose a threat to coffee pods and/or capsule machines. There is increasing availability of fully automated coffee machines that can actually compete with single-serve solutions, both in terms of price and taste.” She said in the long term, an increasing number of consumers are expected to switch to fresh coffee beans, especially as they are perceived as offering a richer coffee experience.

Mintel, shares the same view, noting that due to cost issues more and more German customers prefer to consume coffee at home instead of visiting cafés. A recent report from the global market research firm states that given the current economic backdrop, the reintroduction of 19 percent VAT and the overall strained financial situation in Germany, many consumers are trying to bring the café feeling home.

According to Mintel, most local customers are turning to inexpensive products and blends that are based on barista-made coffee. Instant coffee and coffee blends are the perfect solution for coffee lovers who are careful with their money. Mintel analysts believe that in the short term, this ongoing financial pressure on households holds further potential for more cost-effective formats. Companies can take advantage of changing consumer behaviour. Younger target groups in particular respond to barista-made coffee drinks at home. Both analysts and local coffee companies said this may all be good news for coffee brands, but the situation is highly problematic for cafés.

Cafés had a tough time during the pandemic due to constant closures. And now they are once again feeling the pressure of rising living costs, which are being exacerbated by the reintroduction of 19 percent VAT in the hospitality industry of Germany.

At the same time, they are threatened by outlets that do not specialise in coffee. For example, percent of consumers actually buy their coffee from a bakery or retailer, not in a café. Due to ongoing income pressures, more local consumers have become disloyal to their coffee brands, which created serious problems even for some major local players. Furthermore, the market is highly competitive and highly fragmented.

Premium brands in particular have been hit hard. And even the market leader Nescafé, which continues to lead the instant coffee segment, has been faced with downward trend. Some leading representatives of the German coffee sector shared that the ever tightening regulations along with climate change may lead to the decline of production of some coffee varieties.

Thomas Eckel, coffee sommelier and owner of the Murnau Coffee Roastery, one of the largest roasteries in Bavaria, in an interview with German Meininger business paper, said the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which aims to keep products linked to deforestation off the European market will  oblige companies to prove that their supply chains do not contribute to deforestation and that environmental, labour and human rights are respected. That may create some problems for the industry, as all of the companies will require support from farmers.

Eckel has also expressed some serious concerns about the effects of climate change on the entire industry and German coffee producers. “Coffee is one of the agricultural products most affected by climate change. We should take this very seriously. In general, we will definitely not drink coffee the way we do today in 2050. Many cell-based coffee products are also coming onto the market. These will help to close the gap in coffee supply.”

The current market challenges are putting additional pressure on leading German coffee manufacturers and could be associated with serious losses for them already in the short-term. In contrast to previous years, they will be unable to increase prices for their products to compensate their losses due to recent
accusations in price fixing.

For example, at the beginning of the current year, the local trading company Bartels-Langness accused Melitta of having formed a Germany-wide coffee roasting cartel with competitors Dallmayr, Kraft Foods (now Mondelez) and Tchibo between 2002 and 2008, which agreed on coffee prices. During this period, Melitta is said to have charged prices that were around 11 percent too high. Most of the companies declined to comment, however all of them believe the pressure from regulators on the market will continue to grow in Q4 of this year and in 2025.

Tea Struggles but Shows Resilience

Euromonitor’s Sidorenke added that similar to coffee, inflation is impacting Germany’s tea sector. “As inflation drives up the cost of everyday essentials, including tea, local consumers are making thoughtful choices in an attempt to manage their expenses. One prominent shift is towards private label and
discounters, where cost savings become paramount. Established tea brands are
responding by offering competitive promotions and discounts to retain their share.”

She said that at the same time, it would appear that the medium-priced segment is struggling the most, as consumers either turn towards cheaper options or they can still afford their favourite premium brands. “Although the cost-of-living crisis is forcing many consumers to reduce their expenses, tea remains popular, especially as it is considered a natural remedy to strengthen one’s immune system or simply for staying hydrated throughout the flu season.”

Germany-based tea manufacturers also said the existing problems seriously complicate their further development. Dirk Wollenhaupt, managing director o, which imports and blends teas, said the current situation remains complex, however the company sees potential for its further growth that will be achieved by the rise of efficiency of

Due to escalating costs, more German consumers are drinking coffee at home rather than in cafés.  “The German tea market is currently restrained and challenging. However, we expect a positive development in the medium term. The market has changed and the challenges have increased. In order to meet these challenges, we have adapted our processes and implemented many measures to increase efficiency,” he said, adding that being a producer of tea blends, Wollenhaupt has pursued a strategy of operational excellence over the past few months and orientated all processes towards being able to optimally serve its customers.

“The aspect of rapid availability and reliable, punctual delivery is extremely important in the tea market. We have invested intensively in the training and development of our staff and optimised production processes. In addition to
these measures, we have strengthened our sales activities with a sales office in the USA for the North American tea market,” Wollenhaupt explained.

Despite the existing problems, in its latest report Tee Report 2024, the German Tea & Herbal Infusions Association (GTHIA) revealed that most of local players have been able to adapt to the current realities of complex economics. Per the report, most medium-sized and family-run German tea companies were able to
consolidate and some even expanded their economic success in 2023-2024. The GTHIA said this was mainly due to their high-quality and innovative range, which enjoys big demand both in the domestic market and abroad.

The report finds that even though per capita consumption fell slightly in 2023 versus 2022, tea manufacturers have been able to record increasing sales. The GTHIA believes that is a sign of the strength of the German tea industry, noting that new, innovative products such as cold brew teas or functional teas, manufacturers are arousing the desire, especially among younger target groups.

Optimism for Future Growth

Even with the tough economics, most local producers and analysts expect that both coffee and especially tea sectors of Germany will resume its growth in the mid-term. On the product side, Dirk Wollenhaupt said there is the ever increasing demand for functional teas, ie, teas with additives such as melatonin, minerals and vitamins, and have greatly expanded our range in this area. “Other trends that we are observing in the German tea market and can serve with our products are wellness teas, iced teas, milk teas and mocktails with tea. The demand for high-quality green teas is also increasing. Sales of matcha in particular continue to grow in Germany due to its wide range of applications. With our partner in Japan and an extensive, high-quality range, we are very well positioned and are now one of the largest suppliers in Germany.”

He added that even though tea consumption in Germany fell slightly in 2023 compared to 2022, it remains at a high level. “Due to numerous new applications as an ingredient, as a beverage base or as a cocktail, we firmly believe that tea consumption will continue to rise in the medium term.”

As for coffee, most of local analysts expect the segment of caffeine-free coffee will provide a serious impetus for growth for the entire German coffee sector already during the period of 2024-2025. Mintel analysts report that more than half of 16 to 24-year-olds would welcome a larger range of caffeine-free products and would also be willing to pay more for such alternatives. This offers companies and brands opportunities for innovation in the area of low-caffeine and caffeine-free alternatives, for example in thecdrinking chocolate and tea segment.

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After hitting a 50-year low in production in 2021/22,Costa Rica’s coffee output has been rebounding. The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agriculture Service estimates total production of approximately 1.44 million 60-kilogram bags of green coffee in 2023/24, which is up over 15 percent from two years ago. This increase is attributed to better plant management, positive initial flowering, and stabilised fertiliser costs.

Costa Rican producers have been actively innovating for the global specialty coffee market. For example, producers are responding to a trend towards increased product differentiation through microlots, which allow them to capture higher sales prices. The number
of coffee mills has increased from 184 in 2011/12 to 304 in 2021/22,with many new micro-mills
servicing small groups of farms.

Despite production increases, the number of coffee growers in Costa Rica continues to decline. As of 2021/22 (the most recent dataset), there were 26,704 farmers, down nearly 50 percent from 10 years earlier. Factors contributing to this decline include long periods of low coffee prices, aging farmers, and high land prices near urban areas.

The industry faces ongoing challenges with labour supply, particularly for harvesting. Most of the coffee harvest depends on large numbers of temporary foreign workers from Nicaragua and Panama. There have been concerns about changing immigration flows affecting labour availability.

Costa Rica’s economy is increasingly shifting towards services, with the tourism, pharmaceutical, and IT sectors growing rapidly. This economic diversification is providing more attractive employment options for the children of coffee farmers, potentially further impacting the future labour supply for coffee production.

The local Costa Rican currency’s depreciation has also negatively impacted the coffee industry.
The exchange rate has reached its lowest point in 14 years, reducing the competitiveness of Costa
Rican coffee on the international market and causing significant financial losses for exporters and mills.

Improving Resilience
Despite challenges, Costa Rica maintains its reputation for high-quality coffee. The country continues to participate in prestigious events like the Cup of Excellence, with some producers making it to the 2023 finals.

Climate change is threatening coffee-growing areas in Costa Rica, specifically the Coto Brus region. By 2050, absent adaptation measures, experts at the World Resources Institute (WRI) in Washington, DC maintain that climate change “will reduce the global areas suitable for growing coffee by about 50 percent.” An WRI study outlined key findings from this region, including some of the main challenges facing the coffee sector. It also examined existing factors that present opportunities to enhance climate resilience. The study recommends actions that can be taken to improve the sector’s climate resilience and long-term sustainability.
During the course of their research, the WRI’s team of researchers conducted a literature review, interviews, a workshop and field visits with coffee farmers, government ministries, funders, and other stakeholders.
Despite the study’s local focus, the lessons and experiences shared are relevant for other coffee-growing regions and countries: Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Vietnam, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Uganda, among others. These are the places where coffee producers are facing some of the harshest the effects of climate
change, and the researchers hope that it will serve as a tool and inspiration for accelerating adaptation action.

Despite the benefits of medium- and long term planning to accomplish the large-scale transformative changes, WRI’s experts concluded that the coffee sector will need to adapt to intensifying climate impacts. However, they found that most producers are integrating smaller, short-term, incremental adjustments that might not be sufficient in the long term.

WRI developed a program to assist Costa Rica’s government as it mapped out short-term, medium-term, and long-term adaptation pathways that are inclusive, equitable, and participatory. WRI developed a framework which underscores that, in some situations and locations, incremental adaptation measures will prove insufficient in the years to come to fully reduce growing risks from climate change impacts. In these situations, more fundamental, or transformative, changes – which may entail creating pathways toward new systems more suitable for changing climate conditions – will be needed to maintain the communities’ livelihoods in the long term. Such changes will often include shifting the mix of crops grown
and livestock raised in particular areas, employing substantially new technology at broad scale, and/or altering the production landscape from one type to another. The first year of WRI’s technical assistance
effort focused on stakeholder engagement, research, and in-country discussions via workshops to introduce the concept of transformative adaptation and establish a dialogue on climate adaptation, vulnerabilities, and impacts. These discussions were held with coffee producers, cooperatives, ministry
officials, research organisations, financing entities, and the private sector, among others.

Findings from these conversations are being used to inform the drafting of a national coffee strategy.
The focus of the second year of the project focused on the lessons learned from the coffee growing region of Coto Brus to better inform, guide, and finance climate resilience efforts for these communities, while extracting insights for other coffee-growing regions in the country.

Reviving Production in Coto Brus

The Coto Brus district, located in the Brunca region, is one of the country’s eight coffee growing areas identified by the Coffee Institute of Costa Rica (Instituto del Café de Costa Rica; ICAFE) and one of the smallest contributors to national production. Coto Brus was chosen by government counterparts in response to smallholder farmers’ requests for support and because this area has been experiencing a rapid decline in coffee production and is highly vulnerable to climate change. In the second year,
WRI conducted literature reviews, expert interviews, farm visits, and a full-day workshop in Coto Brus with key stakeholders.

By 2050,absent adaptation measures, up to half of the areas currently suitable for coffee cultivation in Coto Brus is predicted to become unsuitable across both low and high emissions
pathways scenarios. (For more details, consult the various research reports and studies published by Oriana Ovalle Rivera of the CATIE – Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza – which is located in Turrialba, Cartago, Costa Rica.) Central areas are projected to be more adversely affected while a few locations are projected to see an increase in suitability.

Efforts to increase Coto Brus coffee farmers’ resilience by addressing the most immediate climate change impacts have begun. However, few farmers incorporate adaptation into their planning and huge implementation gaps persist, despite a broad awareness of sustainable practices. According to interviewees, some farmers are further behind than others — especially smallholders with more limited
resources. Despite the benefits of medium-term and longer-term planning to accomplish the large
scale transformative changes the coffee sector will need to adapt to intensifying climate impacts, most producers and the sector are integrating smaller, shorter-term, incremental adjustments that might not be sufficient in the longer-term.

WRI’s study identified key recommendations to increase the short-term, medium-term, and long-term climate resilience of the coffee sector. The recommendations include:
• Promote adaptation options identified by local stakeholders, provide regular technical follow up, and support farmers in exploring additional medium-term and longer-term measures.
• Establish baselines and monitor the impacts of adaptation measures. Building the evidence of farms’ vulnerabilities while tracking the results of adaptation efforts can help maximise the allocation of limited resources over the short, medium, and long terms and inform where and when transformative pathways will be needed. Transformative pathways are coordinated sequences of short to-long-term actions or projects intended to prepare agricultural systems for unprecedented climate conditions.
• Map when and where coffee is likely to lose viability in the coming decades and explore transformative and equitable pathways toward climate resilience, with stakeholder participation (particularly relevant for MAG, ICAFE, and MINAE). At-risk farmers should be supported to experiment with different crops,
technologies, and even livelihoods like eco tourism that will serve them better over the longer term.
• Reinforce existing institutions and enabling factors to increase the uptake of adaptation measures and build greater resilience in Coto Brus. These include strengthening farmer associations and cooperatives, as well as farmer-to-farmer learning; promoting more strategic cross-sectoral alliances; and strengthening support for programs focused on sustainable practices.
• Develop farmer-tailored skills trainings and guidance to build farmers’ capacities to manage costs and access credit and financing, so they can more easily invest in adaptation measures.
• Create open communication channels within public and private entities to bridge crucial information flow gaps around climate risks, existing vulnerabilities, and options to support the implementation of adaptationmeasures. Providing producers with clear, complete, and practical information on different financing options is also essential.

• Gordon Feller, based in California, travels the world reporting about innovations that can change our economies and strengthen small enterprises. Since 1980 he’s been publishing
  reports and magazine articles about coffee/tea innovations on five continents. He is both an ABE Fellow – Japan Fdn and Global Fellow – The Smithsonian

The post Costa Rican Coffee Faces an Uncertain Future appeared first on Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

The coffee industry is not without its challenges, such as the presence of ochratoxin, a harmful mycotoxin that can contaminate coffee beans. This underscores the need for advanced solutions like optical sorting machines, as highlighted by Johanna Majer, product manager for the coffee portfolio at
Bühler AG, a German technology company. As she explained, Bühler pays great attention to shaping its optical sorting technologies, meticulously testing local solutions before allowing their mass use for the benefit of coffee processors and consumers worldwide.

“We are offering better transparency, including accurate data sets to allow processors to monitor the performance of their process and empower their decision-making. From tracking the percentage rejected to receiving detailed defect breakdowns, processors can enjoy peace of mind and keep uptime high,” Majer said.

Using the best optical sorting machines is the way to top quality in the coffee industry, stated Michela Pelliconi, head of sales, optical sorting at Cimbria, a Denmark-based manufacturer in the processing, handling and storage of grain and seeds and other industrial products. “Cimbria’s high-end optical sorters bring unmatched quality and reliability to coffee processing operations, she commented, adding that “we have achieved this thanks to close collaboration with coffee processing companies and coffee roasters from all over the world that have reciprocated our studies and commitment to their needs with satisfaction and gratitude for over 50 years.”

Pelliconi shared that the best sorter combines the ideal inspection systems and mechanics with the best software-based processing. Cimbria’s advanced and intuitive optical sorting technology revolutionises how coffee beans are selected and classified. This allows companies to achieve higher levels of efficiency in their sorting processes, resulting in maximum quality, improved productivity, reduced waste and increased profitability.

Satake USA, the North American division of Japan-based grain processing machinery manufacturer, Satake Corporation, has also been working on streamlining its product offering in the optical sorting machinery segment. “We have different types of optical sorters for coffee beans – green and roasted –
suitable for different customer requirements,” explained Pam Enriquez, marketing services manager with Satake.

Satake offers a range that could meet the requirements of customers dealing with product flows of different sizes. “Our smallest sorter is portable and cost-effective and can be used in laboratory or medium-sized production lines. We also have sorters for higher capacities with special features to minimise losses of good coffee beans and produce clean products,” Enriquez said.

Sticks and stones

Bühler’s Majer said that the optical sorting machinery has become a must-have solution for customers striving for higher quality standards. “This includes the defect trend of quaker beans, a classification of immature coffee bean with lower sugar concentration,” she said, adding that quakers do not caramelise during the roasting process and can be unpleasant to taste.

“Our new technology, installed at a first customer site, has very promising signs of effectively reducing
quakers, and we will continue to test quakers to ensure processors receive the maximum yield from
their supply,” Majer said. “Alongside new challenges, there are also ‘fundamental’ defects, including
sticks, stones, and insect damage. These same-colour contaminants provide a challenge that we are
constantly solving at higher levels of efficiency.”

“The introduction of the MerlinAi engine, now implemented in our SORTEX J and H SpectraVision
series, is an example of innovating coffee with higher levels of defect removal, helping both producing and importing countries to ensure coffee of the highest market quality,” Majer stated.

“In a world tending to the ‘cheap’, operators in the coffee sector are among those who stand out for
excellence in processing and quality. Now, coffee is appreciated all over the world more than ever, and
the focus on high-quality coffee is increasing in many markets,” Pelliconi said, adding, “even where
the harvest has faced some challenges, the best technology is requested and used to optimise the
quality of the final output product. Customers around the world [request] our advanced optical sorting technologies.”

To allow customers to enjoy a cup of coffee of excellent quality, a series of crucial decisions have been made throughout the process “from field to cup”, Pelliconi said, adding that starting from the harvest of berries, there are many skills in play throughout this value chain.

The choice of the optical sorter is one of the most important ones because the natural product, which
in nature needs constant temperatures, influenced by natural events, transport and many other factors,
always presents itself in need of being purged from beans that would give a taste not optimal to that
great cup of coffee.

“Coffee is a natural product [that not only varies by origin] but also always evolving,” Pelliconi said. “If all the processing lines are now equipped with mechanical systems to prevent stones and foreign bodies from being found in the product ready for market, a check with high-end optical sorters is necessary to be sure to eliminating the hidden or hard to recognise unwanted foreign bodies such as coconut fragments,” she said.

Majer explained that alongside quality, this is also a sustainability topic, as it results in less waste and fewer beans progressing to the roasting stage before being identified. “With stricter regulations and supply price volatility, it is more important than ever to make every bean count!”

An Era of Artificial Intelligence

Satake introduced several innovations in the coffee field recently, particularly focused on enhancing sorting accuracy and efficiency, Enriquez said. “Our latest advancements include improvements in optical sorting technologies that utilise advanced sensors, higher-resolution cameras, and AI algorithms to more accurately detect and remove defects, foreign materials, and inconsistencies in coffee beans.”

Additionally, Satake integrated X-ray technology into its sorting systems to complement RGB and infrared capabilities, allowing the company to better identify subtle differences in bean quality that were previously challenging to detect. “The addition of X-ray helps us spot internal defects and foreign materials that may not be visible through traditional optical methods, ensuring a more thorough and precise sorting process,” said Enriquez. “This integration enhances both the safety and quality of the final product, offering greater confidence to our customers in the coffee industry,”

Looking ahead, Enriquez noted that Satake plans to further streamline its technologies by focusing on automation and remote monitoring capabilities. “This will allow customers to access real-time data and analytics, optimise machine performance, and reduce downtime through predictive maintenance. We’re also exploring the use of machine learning to continuously adapt and refine sorting parameters based on specific customer needs and regional bean characteristics, which will improve processing efficiency and overall product quality,” she explained.

However, the key trend in optical sorting in the coming years will be the use of AI and advanced automation, Enriquez said.

This opinion is shared by Cimbria, which recently introduced a highly advanced control system in its top-range optical sorters, empowered with brand-new AI software, BRAIN TM. “Cimbria combines many years of solid knowledge and expertise with high technology and artificial intelligence,” Pelliconi said. “The result is the ability to easily create the most complex recipes for the best optical sorting ever.”

The combination of human operation and machine learning makes the precision sorting of any variety of coffee beans with impressive results.

“With BRAIN, we have revolutionised the way our top-range optical sorter operates. Our many years of experience and in-depth knowledge of what makes the best possible sorting are key in creating the ideal recipes for optical sorting,” Pelliconi said, adding, “This simplifies the manual operation of the machine
because the right settings have already been adjusted for an optimised outcome through artificial intelligence.” A complex algorithm of the BRAIN software enables the SEA.IQ PLUS optical sorter to identify elements even more precisely and distinguish colour, shape, size, and defects quickly and easily, saving precious time and manual workload.

Still, optical sorting is one of the technologies where perfection is unlimited. All market players acknowledge their commitment to continuing to refine their solutions.

“How do we intend to further improve our technology? Simply as you do in anything to be able to succeed: a lot of study, a lot of commitment, perseverance, and a bit of passion,” Pelliconi said.

• Vladislav Vorotnikov is a Batumi, Georgia-based multimedia B2B freelance journalist writing about the tea and coffee industries since 2012.

The post Making Every Bean Count appeared first on Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

The Camellia sinensis plant, from which matcha originates, was first cultivated for use in tea in China in the 3rd century BCE, but it wasn’t until the 7th to 10th centuries that the practice of consuming the leaves in the form of matcha was first documented. Matcha, unlike the infusion process of its black and green tea sisters, is made by finely grinding the tea leaves into a powder that is mixed with hot water and consumed in its entirety. It is thought that a Japanese Buddhist monk brought matcha to Japan
sometime around the 12th century, where it was considered highly valuable and coveted and therefore necessitated a careful preparation method, and so its consumption and preparation developed into a spiritual practice by the 16th century, the whisking of powdered green tea into hot water a meditative ritual. Since matcha began as a rare and premium product, the ceremony of its preparation became
entrenched in its consumption. In modern day Japan, matcha tea ceremonies are still widely practiced, and while it is no longer reserved for the elite or ‘ruling class’, it is still deeply ritualistic with specific implements such as the bowl and bamboo whisk, and even particular whisking motions or patterns.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in Japan, the matcha latte has become extremely popular, commercialised
and readily available, and co-existing alongside its traditional consumption in the country.

Matcha Migrates West

Western countries have long since been discovering and adopting Japanese culture and cuisine, and matcha is no different, with it seeing a marked rise, particularly in the US. Future Market Insights (FMI) reports that the matcha market in 2023 was worth USD $2.7 billion and is expected to reach $7.1 billion by 2033 — a CAGR of 10.2 percent. FMI attributes this growth to the interest in its health benefits, use in skincare and culinary applications such as confectionery. The latter of which is driving
its popularity in the Indian market, according to Fact MR , while the health benefits are driving the market in the US.

Japanese tea company, Ippodo, was founded in 1717, “when the [matcha] tea ceremony had begun to be enjoyed by other elites like warrior families and high-class townsfolk,” said Tomoko Honda, head of global operations, Ippodo. In 2001,Ippodo began selling its matcha overseas as the number of international visitors to its Kyoto shop had begun to increase.

The growing interest in matcha was also noted by Germany-based tea supplier, Wollenhaupt, which had previously only been including matcha in its catalogue as a ‘marginal phenomenon’, said Marco Sinram, head of tea trading and sustainability, Wollenhaupt, but recognised that demand was developing ‘dynamically’, and therefore now offer three different types of matcha to its customers.

“Ten years ago, very few people had heard of matcha and now the market is absolutely exploding. So many new matcha brands have popped up in the last couple of years and you can find matcha on menus in more cafés and restaurants. The UK is now following in the steps of places like New York and Los Angeles with matcha bars popping up across the country,” said Katherine Swift, founder and CEO
of OMGTea, a UK-based specialist matcha green tea company.

One such place is Blank Street coffee chain, which began in Brooklyn, New York, in August 2020, and now has locations across New York; Boston, Massachusetts; Washington, DC; and in 2022 debuted in London. While Blank Street serves an array of café and coffee shop offerings, some of its most distinguishable and popular products are its matcha beverages.

When Blank Street launched in London in Summer 2022 ,matcha wasn’t a widely accessible drink. There were limited places to get matcha on the high street, but most of those places offered either expensive or low-quality matcha. We wanted to disrupt the market by launching exciting flavour combinations that made a niche category into one that is more fun and accessible for everyone,” explained Ignacio Llado, UK managing director at Blank Street. “In Spring of 2023 we launched our Blueberry Matcha, joining the classic Matcha Latte on our menu. This drink was the first of its kind in London, and […] immediately caused a huge buzz, with TikTok and word of mouth helping it to quickly climb to become a Blank Street best seller.”

Matcha’s vibrant green colour affords it a social-media-ready aesthetic for consumers, fuelling its popularity among influencers and the younger generation. Blank Street has recognised this in its marketing strategy, making use of clear cups and contrasting colours to bring its matcha drinks to life.

While many of the high-street iterations of matcha lattes and frappés may be heavy on sugar or cream, matcha itself is considered a remarkable health food, with this being another, perhaps the largest, draw to the product for consumers. “Matcha aligns well with overall wellness trends and appeals to those looking for more specific benefits such as a healthier alternative to coffee or energy drinks, detox,
increased antioxidant intake, weight management, etc,” said Swift.

A Healthy Shade of Green

The way in which the Camellia sinensis plant is grown in order to produce matcha, allows for the accumulation of catechins, (−)-epigallocatechin-3 -gallate (EGCG) in particular is most abundant in matcha. It is these catechins that provide high antioxidant properties and give matcha its reputation as a health drink. It has been found that “regular consumption of matcha may have a positive effect on both physical and mental health,” according to the report Health Benefits and Chemical Composition of Matcha and Green Tea: A Review by Joanna Kochman, Karolina Jakubczyk, Justyna Antoniewicz, Honorata Mruk, and Katarzyna Janda, published on PubMed Central.

It is the health benefits of these antioxidants found in matcha that encouraged Swift to establish OMGTea. She began researching its benefits after her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, then both she and her mother began routinely drinking matcha green tea. Five years later, Swift launched OMGTea, and a year after that she founded The Healthy Life Foundation, a charity that funds research into age-related diseases, including cancer.

Swift emphasised, however, that the quality of the matcha consumed is essential to reaping its health
benefits. While matcha is generally considered a premium product, there are more affordable blends
available; these are the kind often used as ingredients in confectionery or desserts where the matcha taste need not be so refined. Matcha can be tested for its quality by examining the colour and texture, as well as the taste. She explained that they quality check their matcha regularly using the ‘finger/stroke test’, whereby matcha powder is placed on a white piece of paper and, using a finger, is pulled across the page to observe its colour and texture alongside others. The brighter the green colour, the higher quality the matcha, also the particle size of high-grade matcha ought to be between five and ten microns, as fine as baby powder, said Swift.

This essential colour and texture gauge all comes from the farming process, which has specific methods to ensure these attributes. “For around three weeks before harvest, shades are put over the tea fields to block out the sunlight, which increases the amount of flavourful, umami-rich components in the tea leaves. After the leaves are harvested in the beginning of May, the leaves are steamed, cooled and dried, baked, and sorted. […] The leaves are then ground with stone mills to produce the fine powder called matcha,” explained Honda. Shading the tea leaves is a traditional characteristic of matcha production, and is a method invented centuries ago in Kyoto, Uji, Japan, and is now widespread, she noted.

It is the shading that boosts the leaves nutrient levels, causing an overproduction of chlorophyll, contributing to its bright green colour, added Swift. The stone mills are also what produce the silky, fine texture of quality matcha, whereas lower grades are cut and blended using steel, which, she noted, reduces the flavour and bio availability of the matcha’s nutrients.

The location where the matcha is grown is also crucial to its quality and flavour. There are specific areas that are known for their matcha production, such Uji, Japan, “one of the most renowned regions for matcha growing in the world,” said Llado, and it is around this area that Wollenhaupt, Blank Street and Ippodo source their matcha. The region of Kagoshima, Japan, is also particularly suited to matcha production, benefitting from its volcanic soil and climate, commented Swift, and is where OMGTea sources its products.

Sustaining Production

With such specific regions and fastidious productions techniques, are matcha’s producers prepared to meet the surging global demand from the product, not just domestically in Japan, but as far away as the US and UK? Sinram explained that, while Wollenhaupt believes that the highest and most authentic quality of matcha can be found only in Japan, it is possible to source it from other producing countries,
depending on the requirements of the customer.

Meanwhile, Swift noted that in the Kagoshima region, practices are being undertaken to increase production in order to meet demand, “Farmers in Kagoshima have been adopting advanced agricultural techniques to enhance matcha. These innovations help increase yield and improve the quality of the tea leaves. Some tea farms are converting or expanding their fields specifically for the cultivation of tencha, the raw material used to make matcha. Local government initiatives and support for the tea industry have also played a role in encouraging the growth of matcha production in the region.”

Honda added that as global climates change, areas that are suitable for production are shifting and will continue to shift. “Areas where tea can be grown will likely change or expand as well, whether inside or outside of Japan. We are not sure what the future will bring, but it is key to plan for and adapt to changes.”

This growth in demand has created a broad market for matcha with varying requirements and uses. Where it has historically and traditionally been an exceptionally premium and ceremony-bound product, it is now a commercialised and accessible product for many consumers, posing the question of how far it can be removed from its origins and cultural significance? “While it’s great that matcha is going more mainstream, we want to make sure that it still feels special and comes with the holistic experience that has been central to Blank Street since we first launched,” noted Llado.

So where perhaps the ceremonial aspect of matcha may no longer be a necessity, it still can add something to the experience of consumers, if they engage with it, encouraging more mindful consumption, said Swift.

Honda added that, while consumers may not know of its ceremonial or spiritual origins, “during the tea ceremony and in Japanese society in general, when drinking matcha it is considered important to feel gratitude for the person who made the matcha for you and for those who produced it. We think it would be wonderful if that sentiment grew alongside the increasing popularity of matcha worldwide.” Therefore, its marketing is crucial, to not only offer consumers a brightly coloured health drink, but also a moment of reflection on both the beverage and the process that went into every sip.

• Kathryn Brand is an associate editor with T&CTJ, while still writing for several of Bell’s
  other magazines. She joined Bell Publishing at the beginning of 2022 after graduating from
  the University of East Anglia with a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.

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Consumers find value in organic food that is produced without the use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser or genetic engineering. To many, buying organic reflects their belief in sustainability, nutrition, and supporting a healthy environment. In an effort to protect the integrity of the organic supply chain and deter fraud, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) , which develops the rules for organic food in the United States, and the National Organic Program (NOP) created the Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) Final Rule (the Rule) , which went into enforcement on 19 March 2024. The expansive,80-page SOE Rule– USDA’s biggest change to organic regulations in several decades – aims to strengthen oversight and enforcement of the production, handling, and sale of organic agricultural products. Regardless of your company’s position of the coffee supply chain, the SOE Rule will affect
your operations. Failure to comply with the SOE Rule can result in significant consequences for your business, including consumer-fraud class action lawsuits, business-to-business litigation, the inability to market coffee as organic, breach of contract disputes with supply chain partners, regulatory enforcement through civil penalties and criminal liability — and a reputational hit for your brand and company.

The SOE Rule strengthened many requirements and created several new ones for maintaining certified organic coffee. Some of the biggest changes to businesses (“operators”) working in organic involve:
• All operators who produce or handle (ie, those who sell, process, or package) organic products need to be certified by a USDA registered certifier;
• All handlers are required to implement a Fraud Prevention Plan (FPP) as part of the Organic System Plan (OSP) ;
• Implications for importers and exporters of coffee;
• The National Organic Program Import Certificate;
• Creation of the USDA INTEGRITY database for managing organic certification information;
• How changes to the SOE Rule affected operators who were already working in organic.

Scope
One of the biggest changes to the SOE Rule is that it has expanded the scope of coverage so that now
handlers of organic agricultural products, with a few exceptions, must have organic certification.
Handlers, such as traders and certain brokers (such as those who help assist sales of coffee between producers and exporters) must obtain certification through a USDA-accredited certifier.
The USDA identified these operators as those who were considered higher risk for committing fraud (looking across all organic agricultural products and not just coffee).

OSP and FPP
The NOP updated the requirements for what must be included in an Organic System Plan (OSP) . The OSP serves multiple functions — it describes an operator’s capacity for producing and managing organic agricultural products; it also functions as a planning tool for resource and budget determination, and serves as a contract between the certifier and the operator. An OSP also details compliance requirements for a manufacturing facility, a product formulation and its ingredients and suppliers, and other details of a manufacturing process. It can also assist auditors in verifying an operator’s compliance with organic regulations and in identifying cases of fraud or non-compliance. The SOE now also requires a Fraud Prevention Plan (FPP), which includes important information that verifies the organic certification and status of suppliers and organic products. This is especially important, since green coffee is often grown and processed by multiple producers and shipped together, and handlers can mistakenly co-mingle organic and non-organic coffee beans. An FPP includes steps a manufacturer or other operator should take at critical points in the supply chain to avoid organic fraud.

Certification

The SOE Rule also requires that importers and foreign exporters to the US obtain organic certification from a USDA-accredited certifier. It is important that the certifier be USDA accredited, as equivalency programs may not always be up to date. The importer or foreign exporter must also get an NOP Import
Certificate issued from its certifier prior to shipping any organic coffee. These are potentially big changes for the supply chain, and importers and exporters should factor in the time necessary to obtain an Import
Certificate when estimating the time needed for shipment and delivery to the customer. The NOP has also recently revised data fields in the Import Certificate. The USDA created the Organic INTEGRITY Database, which contains important certification and contact information on certified operations and which a certifier uses to issue an Import Certificate. Those businesses that were already working in certified-organic coffee prior to the SOE Rule will need to update their OSP to include an FPP and to comply with the revised Import Certificate.

Exemptions
While a goal of the SOE is to reduce likelihood of fraud by requiring higher risk operators to become certified, some operators remain exempt from the new requirements:
• Retailers that only process and/or sell organic products at the final point of sale;
• Operations that handle less than 70 percent organic ingredients;
• Warehouses that store organic products in tamper-evident packaging;
• Customs and logistics brokers;
• Transporters that only transport organic products.

Some operations, such as warehouses that handle bulk organic products, are not exempt from the SOE Rule. This overview of the new SOE rules is a summary – the full body of rules are complex and have many additional implications for coffee. It’s crucial, if you are handling organic coffee, that you carefully review the rules and navigate these complexities – or review the recently released NCA coffee-specific SOE Guide, which will take you step by step through the rules. Safeguarding the integrity of organic will
help protect consumers and businesses – including yours – and help ensure a credible organic supply chain well into the future.

Mark Corey, PhD, is director of Scientific & Regulatory Affairs at the National Coffee Association (NCA) of the USA and staff liaison to the Science Leadership Council (SLC). Prior to joining the NCA, Dr Corey worked in Research & Development roles in coffee for Keurig Dr Pepper, Inc. and Heartland Food Products Group and is a former Chairperson of the NCA’s SLC. He is trained as a food scientist, and his academic research focused on functional foods and human health.

• Mark Corey, PhD, is director of Scientific & Regulatory Affairs at the National Coffee Association (NCA) of the USA and staff liaison to the Science Leadership Council (SLC). Prior to joining the NCA, Dr Corey worked in Research & Development roles in coffee for Keurig Dr Pepper, Inc. and Heartland Food Products Group and is a former Chairperson of the NCA’s SLC. He is trained as a food scientist, and his academic research focused

The post New Compliance Requirements for USDA Organic Certified Coffee appeared first on Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

“The production environments are changing so fast that what we do today is not going to work 30 years from now,” said Hannah Neuschwander, director of communications and strategy, World Coffee Research (WCR). “So, you must have a pipeline that is continuously responding to those changes; the way of doing things in the past where the breeding program dissolves after you get one or three good varieties is no longer going to work.”

By 2030 ,WCR will release 100 new varieties. Currently, there are 119 registered varieties, including Arabica and Canephora varietals. However, there is the capacity to release an additional 100 every three years. “We are continuously taking the best and ditching the worst,” said Jennifer (Vern) Long, CEO of World Coffee Research. The pipeline that we have now activated includes nine government partners. It is going to change the narrative completely.” World Coffee Research has recently introduced speed breeding to allow farmers to add seeds instead of seedlings to their production, significantly reducing transportation challenges that some of the farmers faced with hybrids. The method of speed breeding accelerates the seed cycle, tweaking environmental factors, such as water, light, and temperature, to get a plant that flowers as soon as possible. “We will be releasing 100 candidates
in 2030 that will be available for trialling,” said Long. The intent is to provide farmers with several options to help determine which varietal they want for their production.

Dr Steffen Schwarz, director and founder of Coffee Consulate in Germany, is a passionate collector of coffee species and varietals. Currently, he has over 320 different varieties, from several species of coffee, that he cultivates with colleagues and over 120 in a living collection in a greenhouse in Germany. When exploring coffee, Dr Schwarz stressed the importance of understanding both the industry’s challenges and potential, which includes looking into the possibility of integrating a variety of coffee species into commercial production.

“The challenge we have, which impacts all agricultural crops, is climate change,” said Dr Schwarz. “Anything we’re using now has been adapted to other situations.” In coffee, most of the discussion about resiliency is centred on Arabica. However, he stressed that the coffee industry must also consider the challenges that Canephora faces. “Canephora has 90 percent of its roots in 30 centimetres of the soil, which means it’s super narrow, and if there’s a drought, there is no reservoir that Canephora can connect to.”

The changing climate impacts the microbiome and nutrients in the soil. The different environmental conditions, whether wet, dry, hotter or cooler, change which plants can live in that space. “Plants are not simple organisms. They have an active transport that goes by the microbes and bacteria that move into
it and carry the substances and nutrients into the plant,” Dr Schwarz explained, stressing that by investing the time to understand the various species, and in particular the root system of these plants, the industry can learn both about the resiliency of the plant, while also gaining insight into the flavour profile.

He pointed out that Canephora has a much more narrow, aromatic feel than the Arabica, whose roots go much deeper. “And Liberica’s roots go even deeper, which is why it comes out with wild notes that are incredible, but because it has so much sugar, it ferments,” shared Schwarz, adding, “so if you don’t control it after harvest, ideally within 30 minutes from picking, then you may end up with a coffee that has these strange wild flavours that are due to the uncontrolled fermentation.”

Root research can deepen the understanding of the various coffee species themselves and bring to
light the potential of bringing two species of coffee together through grafting. “One of the reasons we’re interested in root research is we see some really positive benefits from grafting Arabica and Robusta onto Excelsa because of its extensive root system,” said Aaron Davis, senior research leader, Crops and Global Change, Kew Gardens, Sussex, United Kingdom. “If you can swallow the costs of doing it, then grafting could be a viable and useful option for many farmers.”

Digging into Wild Species: Liberica, Stenophylla and Excelsa

Challenges with Robusta and Arabica crops, including pests, disease, and overall resiliency, have resulted in other countries looking at alternative species, specifically Excelsa and Liberica, both of which were planted as border crops to draw out pests. When coffee wilt devastated the Robusta plants in Uganda, shared Davis, the farmers discovered that the Excelsa species were resistant. In India, farmers also found that Excelsa appeared to survive drought episodes. There are several trial plots of Excelsa in Uganda, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, and India. “They needed something that is going to be viable, particularly when they’ve witnessed the drought episodes in Uganda in the last couple of years,” said Davis. “Farmers recognised that these species could help bridge production volumes.”

Excelsa’s growth has been rapid, with Davis’s team working with approximately 250 farms. In Uganda, an additional 100 farms, including cooperatives, are either growing or inquiring about acquiring Excelsa, and the government supports these investments. In South Sudan, approximately 1000 hectares are dedicated to growing Excelsa.

“People are flipping the script when it comes to Excelsa, shifting it from a cheap filler to a priced commodity with the potential of becoming a specialty coffee,” said Michael Mazzotta, co-founder, Excelsa Coffee, San Diego, California. “It’s finally getting the image that it deserves.”

Excelsa Coffee’s online shop, which launched earlier this year, immediately garnered consumer interest and quickly sold out the product. However, it has also resulted in several Excelsa producers from across the globe reaching out, hoping to export their products to America. “One of our biggest challenges is simply lack of consumer awareness and understanding,” said Olin Patterson, co-founder, Excelsa Coffee. “We’ll keep networking, having events and drinking Excelsa every day. We love it, but the reality is it will take several years for the market to understand that there are nuances in coffee.”

Excelsa Coffee can be purchased through several online channels in the United States, including Amazon, Walmart, and social media platforms, with plans to open its retail shop in early 2025. Patterson and Mazzotta are also working with producers in Central America and South Sudan and researchers at UC Davis and the University of Florida to deepen their understanding of Excelsa and its potential as a commercial product.

“Coffee is a very sophisticated field, with so many different varieties, said Dr Carmen Ablan Lagman, researcher and professor at De La Salle University, Manilla, Philippines. “But we are focusing on one group, Arabica, because that’s the high value item.

“Lagman stressed that Liberica, with its unique flavour profile, has the potential of moving into the specialty sector. “What we have to do now is convince [producers] that quality is very important,” said Lagman. “It’s difficult to get from normal to specialty, but then the ROI from that is a huge difference.”

Today, there are at least three substantial producers of Liberica in Malaysia, with production expanding
in the Philippines and India. “In the Philippines, we are not up against coffee versus some other plant or product; we’re talking about coffee versus subdivision or store fronts,” said Lagman. “We have to be strategic in a way that we develop coffee so that the return from doing this is bigger than people buying the land for subdivisions.” This includes considering both the benefits that these species provide, and their limitations.

Understanding the Alternate Species

“There are several intrinsic limitations with Liberica because of the biology of the plant; it has a very thick pulp, it also has very large seeds, and the out-turn from fresh cherry to clean coffee is very low,” said Davis. Left on their own, these plants can grow over 30 feet tall, making it difficult to harvest. Although there are several similarities between Liberica and Excelsa, Davis shared that next-generation sequencing methods confirm that these are, in fact, two distinct species. “They’re different not just on the molecular side, but also on the basic characteristics in terms of seeds, fruits, flowers,” he said.

Kew Research currently has three research projects on Excelsa and Liberica, including one large project focused on genotyping and DNA sequencing work. “I think there will be gains in breeding for both
Arabica and Robusta, with some being more resilient than others.” Davis wants to ensure that farmers have access to other species of coffee, especially when Canephora and Arabica may no longer be an option.

Understanding the story of these alternate species is vital to unearthing the possibilities in coffee and rewriting the coffee landscape. However, the future coffee story does not need to be an ‘either/or’ option; instead, the industry would benefit by considering how these species can become a part of the experience. “What’s really heartening and exciting is that people are really excited about the wild species,” said Neuschwander, “We want all of these species to be explored and utilised, to continue to provide that diversity that makes coffee interesting and an important livelihood option for many people.”

• Anne-Marie Hardie is a freelance writer, professor and speaker based in Barrie, Ontario. She may be reached at: annemariehardie1@gmail.com

The post Broadening the Vision of Coffee Through Alternative Species appeared first on Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

There are, however, some extensions into the subtropics and some tea gardens even pushing further into the temperate climate zone, such as the hilly area around Rize in Turkey; the prefecture of Saitama, north of Tokyo, in Japan; the Black Sea slopes of Georgia; the Azore Islands as Portugal’s outpost in the Atlantic; and also the recently developed tea estates in continental Europe and in the UK.

In the ancient and long-established tea producing countries like China, Laos, and Burma, where tea has been grown for millenaries, and for centuries in Japan, Korea, India, and for decades in East-Africa, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, etc, the tea gardens were set up in areas that were well-suited for weather patterns, which allowed them to thrive after a period of rest and replenishment or after the rains. Although unforeseen weather events did occasionally occur, these remained exceptional and were usually compensated for by improved harvesting in the weeks after.

In recent and untraditional locations, the tea bush varieties that prosper have been able to adjust their agricultural requirements to the specific local climate and topography, and hence, gradually fit into growing conditions that allow to develop a valid tea economy, thus demonstrating proudly how flexible and resilient tea can be as a pioneer crop.

The growing awareness about the green house effect, the temperature calculations creating the fear of global warming, and the ever-increasing frequency of formerly unusual weather incidents, like torrential rains, sudden cold spells, long dry spells, delayed monsoon rains, and warm winters etc, have generated a need for stock taking. This first step intends to investigate ways and means to adapt, cope and respond to the adverse effects of climate change. Whilst tea farmers are used to adjusting their
ways every year according to the ups and downs of the weather, these fluctuations have become
more erratic, more intense and more frequent recently, generating concern about the short term outlook, fearing that the traditional seasonal patterns will no longer occur in a reliable way.

Considering Possible Adjustments

Since the concerns are caused by the manifold incidents of abnormal weather due to climate changes, the impacts of such unorthodox weather on tea cultivation are under close scrutiny. Whilst these meteorological incidents vary greatly from one tea region to another, they all result in adverse effects on volume and quality, and of course, on producer income and livelihood, which is particularly dramatic in
smallholder villages, where tea is often the main cash crop, namely in China, India, Kenya, and Indonesia, but also in other countries.

Professor Han Wenyan, from the Chinese Tea Research Institute in Hangzhou, underlines that the high temperatures and long-lasting draughts during the summer may finally result in a shifting of the southern tea growing areas to higher altitudes and higher latitudes, moving towards the subtropical climate zone. China is furthermore actively developing more heat resistant cultivars. The torrential rains that hit Assam in 2022 produced such an intense proliferation of pests attacking the leaves, that the bushes were severely damaged down to root systems, which most adversely affected the harvest. In Kenya’s high altitude tea-growing areas, the occurrence of unusual and long lasting cold spells, that resulted in frostbite and made the leaves unfit for harvesting, spurred research into creating more resilient and cold
resistant varietals.

Florent Weugue, a French premium tea retailer, who operates in Tokyo, Japan, underlines that warmish winters are one of the major problems in Japan: the Chinese tea varietals, which are grown here need four cold months of dormancy, which allow them to replenish their stock of nutrients from the soil, in order to flush with the arrival of warmer temperatures in the spring. Without a true cold season this does not happen and the result is that the bushes produce less buds and the leaves are lacking flavour intensity, which becomes highly detrimental to harvesting volume and to cup quality.

If there is enough space available, moving the tea fields higher up or further north is an option. Without available space, it’s the bush that needs to be adapted in order to thrive in hotter or colder, rainier or dryer climate by being more resilient. Both approaches need long term planning and in-depth research,
which will take several years before yielding any tangible results, bearing in mind the costs as a heavy financial burden. Many believe that such huge modifications and transfers should be taken to a dedicated international platform for sharing information and also obtain some government support in order to be processed successfully.

In the meantime, there are some practical and more readily available technical means, like more irrigation in dry areas, more shading in hot areas, setting up fans in the fields to break frost, more terracing to evacuate heavy rains, better weed control to keep away nasty insects, more fertilising to give the bush resistance, tight pruning to stimulate budding, more pest control to avoid massive infestation, adjusted picking rounds to preserve budding capacity.

All these aforementioned quoted measures can be carried out and be applied relatively rapidly, yet at significant costs and with the help of an available workforce. However, for many smallholders, the money and labour will require coordination and financial support from national authorities like Tea Boards or
Ministries of Agriculture.

And Still There is a Global Oversupply

All international reports state that there is a continued status of global oversupply, with tea consumption lagging behind. Although hampered by adverse climate incidents, international freight problems, trade
disruptions due to sanctions and political conflicts, ever-increasing costs of fertilisers and serious labour shortage, the annual world production of tea keeps increasing year on year. The market is dominated by China – the leading producer – supplying 49 percent of the world’s teas, and the other globally traded teas represent less than 30 percent of the world’s tea output. Although there is awareness about the
adverse impact of climate change in most national markets, there is not yet much effort deployed to investigate the challenges in a coordinated manner. The file is however under close scrutiny in the fields, in tea research laboratories, and in research institutes on national level mainly.

• Barbara Dufrêne is the former secretary general of the European Tea Committee and editor of La Nouvelle du Thé. She may be reached at: b-dufrêne@orange.fr.

The post The Impact of Climate Change on Tea Production & Quality appeared first on Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

Although cold brew coffee is often viewed as a contemporary trend, its origins can be traced back several centuries. The earliest known use of cold-brewing methods is believed to have originated in Japan during the 17th century. Dutch traders are credited with introducing the concept to Japan, where it
became known as ‘Kyoto-style’ coffee, named after the city where it gained popularity. This slow-drip method, now referred to as cold drip, became a staple in Japanese coffee culture, producing a delicate, aromatic coffee, distinct from the hot brews popular in Europe. In the United States, cold brew found its first significant commercial application in the 1960s with the introduction of the Toddy cold brew system, developed by Todd Simpson. This method, involving the steeping of coarse coffee grounds in cold water over extended periods, laid the foundation for the cold leach technique commonly used today. However, it was not until the early 21st century that cold brew truly surged in popularity, driven by a growing consumer interest in specialty coffee and innovative brewing methods.

Global Market Development

The global rise of cold brew coffee has been nothing short of remarkable, particularly over the last decade. In the United States, the cold brew market experienced explosive growth between 2011 and 2016, with sales increasing by over 580 percent. This surge was fuelled by factors such as the burgeoning specialty coffee movement, a shift towards healthier, less acidic coffee options, and the appeal of cold brew as a refreshing alternative to traditional hot coffee. In Europe, cold brew began gaining traction in the mid-2010s, particularly in the United Kingdom and Germany. Initially driven by
specialty coffee shops and roasteries, the trend gradually spread to larger chains and supermarkets. The European market has seen a steady increase in cold brew offerings, with consumers attracted by its unique flavour profile and versatility. In Germany, for example, cold brew is increasingly available in bottled form, catering to a growing demand for convenience. Asia has also embraced cold brew, albeit at a slightly slower pace. In countries like Japan, where cold brewing methods have a long history, the modern cold brew trend has been seamlessly integrated into the existing coffee culture. In South Korea and China, cold brew has become particularly popular among younger consumers who appreciate its smooth taste and lower acidity. The market in these regions has seen significant growth, with both
local cafés and international chains offering cold brew options.

Cold Brew: Beyond a Beverage

Cold brew is often mistakenly seen merely as a chilled coffee beverage, but in essence, it is a sophisticated extraction technique. Unlike hot brewing methods that rely on heat to quickly extract flavours and compounds from coffee grounds, cold brew relies on time and lower temperatures. This process results in a coffee that is noticeably smoother, sweeter, and less bitter, due to the reduced solubility of certain acidic compounds at lower temperatures. Cold brew can be categorised into three
primary extraction methods, each offering unique operational advantages and flavour profiles:

• Cold Leach (Maceration): This method involves steeping coarsely ground coffee in cold water for an extended period, typically between 14 and 26 hours.
• Cold Drip: This technique slowly drips cold water through coffee grounds using gravity,
with the entire process typically taking 3 to 12 hours.
• Cold Press: This method uses pressure, either positive or negative, to enhance the extraction
process, often reducing the required time significantly.
Cold Leach: The Art of Patience and Depth Cold leach, or maceration, is the most widely used
cold brew method. It involves immersing coarse coffee grounds in cold water and allowing them to
steep for a period ranging from 14 to 26 hours. This extended extraction time enables a thorough
dissolution of coffee solubles, resulting in a rich, full-bodied coffee with minimal acidity and bitterness.

Practical Tips for Cold Leach
• Coffee-to-Water Ratio: The standard ratio suggested by the study is 50-100 g/L. Adjust the ratio based on your desired strength and the specific characteristics of the beans.
• Grinding: Use a coarse grind to prevent overextraction. The particle size is crucial in the extraction process; too fine a grind can lead to an overly intense brew.
• Temperature: Extraction should ideally occur at refrigerator temperatures (around 8°C) to inhibit microbial growth while allowing sufficient extraction of flavours. Room temperature extraction (20°
C) is also common but may require stricter controls on extraction time and storage.
• Extraction Time: The study indicates that most extraction occurs within 7 hours but extending
the time to 14 -26 hours can enhance flavour without significantly increasing bitterness.
Exceeding 26 hours may lead to over-extraction, where unwanted bitter compounds become
more prominent.

Taste Profile

Cold leach typically yields a coffee with a fullbodied, smooth taste and lower acidity. The prolonged steeping time extracts a higher quantity of lipids and oils, contributing to a rounder, more velvety mouthfeel.

Cold Drip: Precision and Clarity

Cold drip, also known as Kyoto-style coffee, is more labour-intensive than cold leach but offers a unique flavour profile characterised by clarity and brightness. This method involves slowly dripping cold water over coffee grounds, with gravity driving the extraction. The drip rate is critical, as it directly influences the extraction process. The entire process can take anywhere from 3 to 12 hours, depending on the setup and desired flavour intensity.

Practical Tips for Cold Drip:

• Equipment: Invest in a reliable cold drip tower or system that allows precise control over the drip rate. This equipment can also serve as an attractive focal point in your coffee shop.
• Drip Rate: Aim for a drip rate of about one drop per second. Faster rates may result in under-extraction, while slower rates could lead to over-extraction and a more bitter flavour.
• Coffee-to-Water Ratio: Start with a 1:10 ratio, adjusting based on the desired strength. Cold drip tends to highlight the more delicate and nuanced flavours of the coffee, so using high quality beans is advisable.
• Monitoring: Regularly check the drip rate and water temperature to ensure consistency throughout the extraction process.

Taste Profile

Cold drip coffee is known for its clarity and pronounced acidity. It has a lighter body compared to cold leach and often exhibits more complex and subtle flavours, making it an excellent method for highlighting the unique characteristics of single-origin beans.

Cold Press: Speed and Intensity

Cold press extraction methods, such as using a French press or an AeroPress with cold water, employ pressure to speed up the extraction process. This method can reduce the time required to make cold brew to as little as two to four hours. The use of pressure enables the extraction of more intense flavours and higher caffeine content, making it a popular choice for those who prefer a stronger brew.

Practical Tips for Cold Press

• Pressure Settings: Whether using a French press or more advanced equipment, ensure even and consistent pressure throughout the extraction. This helps avoid over-extraction, which can lead to bitterness.
• Coffee-to-Water Ratio: Start with a ratio of 1:7 to 1:9. Cold press methods often produce a more concentrated brew, which can be diluted to taste or used as a base for other coffee beverages.
• Grind Size: A grind size slightly finer than that used for cold leach but still coarser than espresso is recommended to facilitate better extraction under pressure.
• Temperature: Cold or room-temperature water can be used. Cold water is generally preferable as it results in a more balanced extraction, while room-temperature water may introduce more acidity.

Taste Profile

Cold press produces a concentrated brew that is bold and intense, with a rich and syrupy body.
The use of pressure can extract more robust flavours and higher levels of caffeine, resulting in a brew that is strong yet smooth. This method is ideal for creating coffee concentrate that can be served as-is or used in various creative beverage applications.

Understanding Extraction and Time: Key Compounds

The extraction time significantly impacts the concentration of key compounds in cold brew coffee. In one of our studies, we provide detailed insights into how these compounds behave over time:
• Chlorogenic Acid: This compound, which contributes to bitterness and astringency, continues to increase up to about 120 minutes. However, its extraction largely stabilises after this point.
• Caffeine: The caffeine content increases steadily during the first 140 minutes of extraction but remains relatively stable thereafter.
• Acetic Acid: Acetic acid, which adds to the acidity of the coffee, shows minimal changes after 40 minutes of extraction.
• Lactic Acid: Lactic acid stabilises quite early, within just 40 minutes, contributing to the coffee’s acidity and smoothness.
• Trigonelline: This compound, known for its role in the formation of flavour and aroma, ceases to increase significantly after around 40 minutes.
• 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF): The presence of HMF remains relatively constant throughout the extraction process, indicating its stability. These findings suggest that, while the majority of extraction occurs within the first few hours, extending the time allows for the complete dissolution of specific compounds, which can enhance the overall flavour profile.

Ensuring Quality and Safety: Shelf Life Considerations

One of the key challenges in cold brew production is ensuring the product’s safety and shelf life. Unlike hot brewed coffee, which is typically consumed immediately after preparation, cold brew is often stored for later use, making it susceptible to microbial contamination.

Our studies found that improper handling and extended storage times can lead to the growth of spoilage organisms, including Bacillus cereus, which can pose health risks.

Best Practices for Shelf Life & Safety:

• Sanitisation: Thoroughly clean and sanitise all equipment before each use, including storage containers, grinders, and utensils. Cold brew’s long extraction time and lack of a heating step make it particularly vulnerable to contamination.
• Water Quality: Use filtered or bottled water to minimise the risk of contamination. Soft water is often preferred for cold brew as it prevents mineral build-up that can affect the flavour.
• Storage Conditions: Store cold brew in airtight containers and keep it refrigerated at all times.
The study indicates that cold brew should ideally be consumed within 24 to 48 hours.
Beyond this period, the risk of spoilage increases, and the flavour may degrade.
• Batch Testing: Regularly test batches for pH and microbial activity. A pH below 4.6 can inhibit the growth of many pathogens, making it a good benchmark for ensuring safety.
• Shelf Life: While some commercial products may claim longer shelf lives through pasteurisation or other preservation methods, for freshly prepared cold brew, limiting storage to a maximum of three days under refrigeration is advisable. Any signs of off-flavours or changes in aroma should prompt immediate disposal of the product.

Enhancing the Customer Experience

In addition to perfecting your cold brew techniques, consider how you can enhance the overall customer experience:
• Education: Educate your customers about the differences between cold brew methods. This can create a more engaging and informative purchasing experience, fostering customer loyalty.
• Tasting Flights: Offer cold brew tasting flights, allowing customers to compare different methods or single-origin cold brews side by side. This not only showcases the versatility of cold brew but also highlights the distinct characteristics of your offerings.
• Seasonal Variations: Experiment with seasonal cold brew variations, such as adding spices in
winter or citrus in summer. Nitro cold brew, with its creamy texture and visual appeal, is another excellent option that can attract attention and set your product apart.
• Sustainability: Incorporate sustainability into your cold brew offerings by using lower-grade beans or leftover coffee grounds for certain methods, thus reducing waste. Offering refillable bottles for regular customers can also align with the growing demand for eco-friendly practices.

Elevating Your Cold Brew Craft

Cold brew is more than a trend: it is a sophisticated coffee extraction technique which, when executed well, can elevate your coffee shop’s offerings and help you stand out in a crowded market. By understanding the nuances of cold leach, cold drip, and cold press methods, and by implementing rigorous quality control and safety practices, you can create a cold brew coffee that not only meets but exceeds customer expectations. Whether you are perfecting a traditional cold brew, introducing the precision of cold drip, or exploring the intensity of cold press, success lies in the details — from grind size and water quality to extraction time and storage conditions. By focusing on these elements and continuously refining your process, your cold brew can become a signature offering that sets your business apart and keeps customers coming back for more.

Dr Steffen Schwarz is the director of the Mannheim, Germany-based Coffee Consulate, which he founded in 2005 to meet the increasing demand for training. In addition to extensive workshop programmes, the company is engaged in research and product development, and manufactures
barista tools, teaching and analytical materials.

• Dr Steffen Schwarz is the director of the Mannheim, Germany-based Coffee Consulate, which he founded in 2005 to meet the increasing demand for training. In addition to
  extensive workshop programmes, the company is engaged in research and product development, and manufactures barista tools, teaching, and analytical materials.

The post Mastering Cold Brew: A Practical Guide for Small Roasteries and Coffee Shops appeared first on Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

Why Private Label Tea?
Those who decide to develop private label tea often do so for several reasons. Private label tea can help build new customers. A coffee shop, for example, might see two friends come in together, one ordering a cup of coffee and the other ordering tea. If that tea is not under the coffee shop’s label, the tea-drinking customer did not experience a full encounter with the shop’s brand, but instead got a product they may be able to get from any number of other providers. One of the two friends (the coffee drinker) interacted
with the brand, creating a richer opportunity to build brand loyalty. The other friend did not.
Private label tea also offers convenience to existing and loyal customers. Consider how a bakery or pastry shop might add a line of private label teas to their offerings, knowing that teas and desserts are often enjoyed together. Building on this theme, their private label tea selection could include teas specifically created to pair with their desserts. Now the customer has one less stop on the shopping trip to find food and beverage that deliciously complement each other.

Format
For private label tea, format more often refers to whether the tea is loose leaf, teabag, or ready-to-drink (RTD). There are other formats, like stick packs for instant tea powders, or options for foodservice, but loose leaf, teabag and RTD are the most common. Choice of format should match the preferences of the end customer. Does the customer want a quick and easy cup of tea with less messy clean up? If so, a teabag would be a good fit. Is the customer a more experienced tea connoisseur who wants more control over the amount of leaf used and individual style of preparation? In that case, a loose leaf format
would do well. Is the customer concerned about sustainability and reducing packaging? Does the
customer base have particular lifestyle activities (athletics, gaming, etc) that align with a bottle
tea format? These are all examples of how private label tea format needs to fit with the brand and
the needs of the end user.

Flavour
The reason mainstream tea retailers offer Earl Grey tea is because mainstream tea customers
recognise and buy Earl Grey tea. When choosing tea flavours for a private label line of teas, it is
important to anticipate what flavours will be the bread-and-butter teas that will do more of the
heavy lifting in sales volume. Since there is no universally standardised recipe for teas like Earl
Grey, a private label customer is free to offer their “take” on this and other classic teas. For example,
the black tea that serves as the base of Earl Grey can come from China, India, or any other
origin (or combination thereof). Since bergamot flavouring can slightly vary in flavour and
aroma, even classic teas can differ in profile from one brand to the next. Functional ingredients
may also be added to a blended or flavoured tea in order to highlight certain health benefits. Private
label tea offers each brand the opportunity to create their own unique version of their teas.
Additionally, a private label tea line allows for the creation of seasonal tea options (another
pumpkin spice anyone?) and the development of signature teas that cannot be found elsewhere.
These unique offerings provide interest and variety that attract tea drinkers to check back to try new teas along with their steady repeat purchases.
An important point worth noting in creating tea flavours and blends is the choice of ingredients. Be wary of choosing ingredients that are seasonal or otherwise more difficult to procure. Not only do these ingredients increase the cost of the blend, but they can also create problems in managing consistent supply over longer periods of time. Your private label partner can provide guidance in this area.

Packaging
Packaging creates the first impression of your tea product, so a well-designed package that resonates
with your customers is an important component. The process of designing product packaging can
be time consuming but is usually worth it to make an attractive statement. Aside from package aesthetics, functional considerations should also be reviewed. Printed zip-top pouches are economical, lightweight, and help keep the tea fresher after opening. However, a box or tin may be easier to stack neatly on a retail display shelf. Tins are durable, can be reused, and provide sturdy protection for the leaf inside. But tins can be easily dented, scuffed, or damaged during shipping to a customer’s home (à la online retail) unless they are sufficiently protected.

Choosing a Private Label Partner
The first step in creating your private label tea is finding a suitable partner. Among other things, partner(s) will be responsible for: sourcing ingredients and packaging materials, blending, packing, regulatory compliance, and preparing your products for shipping from their facilities.
The process of vetting potential partners will likely reveal their relative strengths. Not all partners are set up with the machinery to run all product formats. They may have certain advantages in procuring ingredients from particular origins. Additional considerations include minimum production volumes and
production scheduling/turnaround. Any reputable private label provider should also be able to provide guidance on necessary certifications and compliance, including standard practices for things like ingredient listing on packaging, nutrition labelling, best by dates, certifications (including kosher, organic, and the like), COAs (certificates of analysis), and information on their food safety practices.
Other aspects may fall outside the scope of your partner, and they may ask the client to be more involved in product design and procuring packaging. Package design can be a time consuming process, involving packaging producers, designers, and the manufacturer. Specialty packaging, or packaging that your partner may not regularly purchase, may also be the responsibility of the client to arrange. The
private label partner may have some suggested designers or package providers to work with. If
your private label teas will include health claims, legal services can help determine what product
statements are permissible according to legal guidelines. Creating a successful private label line of teas
requires time, thoughtful consideration, and the help of a capable private label partner. In the areas
of flavour, format, and packaging, trade offs will be necessary to find the optimal intersection of
aesthetic, function, and value. When done well, private label tea attracts new and repeat customers
while enhancing a business’s brand.

• Jason Walker is marketing director of Firsd Tea North America. Prior to his work with Firsd Tea, Walker served in a variety of roles in tea and beverage business capacities. His experience includes business services for small tea companies, a top-ranked online destination for tea consumer education and co-founding a coffee business. His insights draw upon his diverse range of experience in sales, operations and management in the tea world. He may be reached at: jason.walker@firsdtea.com

The post Is now the time to private label tea? appeared first on Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

With 100,000 cups of its teas drunk every hour, globally, Traditional Medicinals shares its herbal remedies and teas with two million people a day, providing itself the opportunity to inform, to be transparent, and to raise issue of importance, as well as bringing them each a little bit of nature in every cup.

Traditional Medicinals’ story begins more than 50 years ago, when Drake Sadler who co-founded the company with Rosemary Gladstar, met in the woods of Northern California where they were both living in the late 1960s. Gladstar collected plants and was teaching students and young people about the herbs and formulas that had been passed down through her family.

“Her great grandmother was a herbalist from Armenia [who taught her daughter], [who in turn, taught her daughter]. All this knowledge was passed down, as it always has been, in an oral tradition with women from generation to generation. They were the ‘medicine women’ in their communities and Rosemary was the medicine woman in her community,” explained Sadler, chair of Traditional Medicinals. Gladstar had a small shop and people would come to see her seeking remedies for their ailments.

Meanwhile, Sadler came from a background of social development. He worked for the US government on what was called the War on Poverty, setting up social programmes in poor communities. At this time, Gladstar wanted to further educate the community about herbal education, so she started packaging her herbal formulas and inserting inside information she had written to provide further explanation about the herbs they were using to treat the illnesses. This was the founding purpose of Traditional Medicinals – herbal education – and why the pair decided to launch it as a business.

The second founding principle came as Sadler and Gladstar began to visit the countries and communities from which they were sourcing plants. There they discovered that the herb and spice communities were quite impoverished. “This then triggered the evolution of the company’s second purpose,” said Sadler, “which was to build sustainable communities where these plants came from.”

Traditional Medicinals Throat Coat packaging circa 1980. Image: Traditional Medicinals

When Traditional Medicinals began, it offered nine products, each chosen to meet specific consumer needs and address ailments people had come in for, such as sore throats, problems sleeping, digestive troubles or morning sickness. “But that quickly expanded. I think within the first two or three years we had about 20 products,” commented Sadler. “People were like, why can’t I get this? What about that? So, Rosemary was formulating remedies that people needed. We weren’t trying to come up with the latest flavour or something, it was all about consumer needs.” Now Traditional Medicinals has more than 60 products (teas, lozenges, and capsules), which still change according to consumer needs and the ingredients they are interested in, such as dandelion, raspberry leaf or hibiscus.

These trends and demands also vary by region; Joe Stanziano, newly appointed CEO of Traditional Medicinals (see the announcement in People News) added, “according to industry data, the stress/relaxation segment has the highest regional share in California and has the lowest regional share in the mid-south; whereas the immunity segment has the highest regional share in the mid-south and lower in the northeast [of the US].”

Sustainable from the start

The majority of these products are distributed across the United States, but its market generally covers Central and North America. “The products are in a lot of countries I visit, but we don’t have a strong foreign strategy,” said Sadler. “There’s only so many places we can be and be there successfully […] There’s a limit: there’s a limit to these plants, there’s a limit to our capacity to produce […] We’re not trying to be the biggest, we’re just trying to be the best.” This notion is something integral to the workings of Traditional Medicinals.

Sadler spoke about how both he and Gladstar were interested in Buddhism during the origins of the company, one of the principles of which is ‘right livelihood,’ which he said they have always strived to embody within the company. “The notion of right livelihood is how business, or how people, should conduct themselves when they’re doing business. And the fundamental of right livelihood is to do no harm. So, conducting business in a way that helps people and does no harm, no harm to the environment, does no harm to each other, does no harm to the community.” This is something Sadler said distinguishes Traditional Medicinals from many other businesses.

This ethos also guides the company through purchasing and working with organic and fair-certified suppliers. Traditional Medicinals made a commitment to using quality and efficacious ingredients to deliver tangible health benefits. Its first certified organic products were in the late 70s, and then fair-certified ingredients began in the 90s. “The company has a real commitment to its stakeholders from these supply communities all the way through our trading partners […] We operate from a place of integrity,” said Sadler, and sustainability has always been a part of this, whether it is environmental or social.

When Sadler and Gladstar first started visiting their source communities, they would find children working in fields and not going to school, because their parents needed them to work and often there weren’t schools for them to go to. “So, then the next time that we would come back to those communities, we would bring books; we’d bring books written in the language of that country, school books. And we’d ask, ‘Can we hire a teacher and have children learning in the evenings? Would you give them room to study? We will hire the teacher and bring the books,’” recounted Sadler, explaining how the company’s opportunities for scale of impact have expanded since its founding. “Now we build schools. We have five schools in one remote area of Rajasthan [India], five schools just in this little remote area and there’s 2,000 kids going to school there every day.”

Traditional Medicinals now works in 43 countries through fair certification projects and partnerships. Its community projects in these regions impacts tens of thousands of farmers and collectors and their families, in areas such as health, hygiene, education, economic development, food and water security and women’s empowerment, the latter of which is especially crucial, said Sadler.

Historical Traditional Medicinals packaging. Image: Traditional Medicinals

Since the beginning of humankind, people have been experimenting with plants for food and medicine, for clothing and for shelter. Now in modern times, 50 percent of the world’s medicine contains plants, 80 percent of which are not farmed and must be collected in the wild, Sadler shared. It is in these remote areas that they grow and are collected by indigenous people, the vast proportion of which are women. This is why “we want to work on projects that empower them, raise their voices in the community, educate them better. And make sure that their daughters are going to school.”

While these practices have been embedded in the company since its founding, Sadler noted that there has been a strong increase in demand for sustainable activities from consumers, particularly young consumers who are wanting more information about the products they buy. “Young consumers really want education, they want to know what they’re consuming, they want to know about the ingredients, they want to know where those ingredients come from, they want to know who’s involved in the production of those ingredients, whether they’re farmed or collected, and how they’re manufactured and under what conditions,” he said. “They really demand transparency and this is wonderful. This is the way it should be. We should be knowledgeable about the products that we’re using and under what conditions they’re produced.”

Not business as usual

Integrity, right livelihood or transparency, however Sadler’s Traditional Medicinals’ ethos manifests itself, it is all under the umbrella of sustainability, and safeguarding resources and people’s livelihoods for the future, a pressure that is becoming increasingly urgent, something Sadler feels keenly. “There’s no more business as usual. We’re done with business as usual. I’m fed up with business as usual. I’m fed up with corporate America. I’m fed up with billionaires who are acquiring wealth,” he emphasised.

“That’s not the answer for the future. That’s not how we’re going to survive as a species. It is my belief that business has not only an opportunity, but an obligation to lead in the evolution of business as a platform for social change.”

Sadler said he is now focused on creating a structure of ownership within the company that ensures this purpose “is embedded in the company’s operating system, it’s part of its daily governance. So that it can’t be disrupted,” long after he is no longer there to steer it.

Newly appointed CEO, Stanziano, is taking up this mantle, and explained how he hopes the company will continue to evolve. “Traditional Medicinals has built a strong legacy as a leader in herbal wellness and as a Certified B Corporation, deeply rooted in sustainability and social responsibility. As we look to the future, my vision is for Traditional Medicinals to continue advancing its mission-driven approach, placing people and the planet at the forefront of every decision we make, even as we adapt to the evolving market landscape and changing consumer needs.”

Stanziano said that in the next 20 years, he sees Traditional Medicinals “solidifying our position as a global leader in herbal wellness by broadening our market presence and diversifying our product portfolio. We’ll achieve this through our strategic partnerships and collaborations with local communities and suppliers, ensuring that our sourcing and production practices remain sustainable and transparent.

Our commitment to environmental stewardship is unwavering, and in 2023, we took a significant step by aligning with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), setting ambitious goals to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 42 percent by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050,” he said, adding, “looking 50 years ahead, I envision Traditional Medicinals sharing more of its leadership position to inspire – empowering global communities and consumers to embrace the healing power of plants and live in harmony with nature. Our focus will be on innovation, continuous improvement, and expanding our impact, ensuring that we remain a trusted source of wellness for generations to come.”

Over the last 50 years, from its roots as Rosemary Gladstar’s homemade herbal remedies, passed down through generations, and shared with her community, to a far-reaching company, who’s impact stretches even further than it’s teas, Traditional Medicinals has managed to maintain its founding ethos and principles throughout.

This is something that Sadler articulates accordingly, “People think we’re a tea company. We’re actually not. We’re a tea company, but the tea company is actually the means to an end. It’s the work in those supply communities and educating people about herbal medicine, that’s really what we do and the products are the means to an end. They’re what financially support the purpose. It’s not the other way around.”

• Kathryn Brand is an associate editor with T&CTJ, while still writing for several of Bell’s other magazines. She joined Bell Publishing at the beginning of 2022 after graduating from the University of East Anglia with a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing. She may be reached at: kathryn@bellpublishing.com.

The post From herbal roots to global impact: Traditional Medicinals celebrates its 50th anniversary appeared first on Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

In recent years, business was tough for tea growers in Caucasia, comprised of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The importance of tea production at the world’s most northern plantations is even recognised at the state level, but in the face of stiff competition with imports, this is still not enough to help the industry out of its current predicament.

The Caucasus region has a rich history in tea production, which might surprise many. In the 1970s, this area was a significant contributor to the global tea industry, with an impressive output of nearly 140,000 metric tonnes (mt) of tea. Georgia played a major role in this, accounting for 60 percent of the total production. At its peak, Georgia’s tea production alone reached an impressive 95,000 mt per year.

Caucasus tea largely met the demand of the tea market on one-fifth of the world’s land surface. It was also exported across countries of the socialistic camp, as well as to Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Mongolia, and some African states. In the 1980s, the Soviet Union was the fourth largest tea producer, following India, China, and Sri Lanka.

Those days are long gone now. In the 2020s, Caucasus tea accounts for only around 0.05 percent of the global production, as estimated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. The transition to a market economy has been brutal for the tea industry in the Caucasus. Over 90 percent of cooperative farms involved in tea production have gone bankrupt, leaving behind vast swathes of abandoned tea plantations across the region.

Now, Georgian tea is even losing the domestic market, as estimated by Tengiz Svanadze, head of the Georgian Tea Association. In fact, Georgian tea meets only 25 percent of the local demand, while the rest is covered by imports.
Despite the bleak situation, there are glimmers of hope. In 2016, Georgia launched a tea industry revival programme, aiming to rejuvenate 7,000 hectares (ha) of abandoned tea plantations. A similar initiative was undertaken in Azerbaijan in 2018, with a goal of increasing tea production eightfold by 2027 to 8,500 mt.

However, these efforts have yet to pay off. Svanadze estimated that as of 2022, Azerbaijan manufactured between 500 and 1,000 mt of its own tea. A substantial share of the tea imported on the Georgian market comes from Azerbaijan, he admitted, adding that those were not locally grown products.

Georgian tea brand. Image: Friends in Georgia

Over the last several years, Azerbaijan heavily invested in several tea factories, which import tea leaves from Asia, instead of cooperating with local farmers.

In Armenia, the tea industry has a much smaller scale and is primarily concentrated in several high mountain areas nearly 1,700 meters above sea level, where farmers focus on herbal tea production. As reported by a local news outlet, Mir, Armenian mountain herbal tea is exported to Russia, Europe, and North America, though in small quantities.

In fact, tea growing has never been popular in Armenia – a country of coffee lovers. For example, BusinesStat, a local think tank, calculated that sales in the domestic tea market between 2018 and 2022 dropped from 370 to 346 mt, and the trend is likely to continue. The analysts emphasised that, on the other hand, Armenia has some of the highest coffee consumption levels per capita in the entire post-Soviet space.

A hard-to-forget bad name

It has been over three decades since the Soviet Union ceased to exist, but Caucasus tea growers still blame it for the ruined reputation of their brands.

“They [Soviet managers] tried to pump up Georgia to produce large quantities of tea to cover the Soviet’s needs for the drink. But this was an impossible task for a small country,” commented Andrey Skidan, tea production technologist. As a result, the quality of Georgian tea at that time was poor. Tea leaves were mixed with pieces of wood and other components, sometimes of unknown origin. “In the end, the drink was poorly brewed; its taste was dull and unsaturated,” he said.

Similar practices were introduced in Azerbaijan, but poor-quality tea is primarily associated with Georgia since it was the largest tea manufacturing republic at the time.

“We tried to break out to the Russian market with our tea, but the memories of Soviet-era quality are still blood-curdling,” a manager of a Georgian tea company revealed, admitting that some Russian importers still refrain from working with Georgian tea suppliers, though there are signs of improvement in this field.

Unfortunately, official figures suggest that the Georgian tea industry revival programme has gone sideways. In 2023, the country exported 1,522 mt of tea, worth only USD $2.2 million. Exports have been steadily shrinking during the last five years, plummeting by 27.5 percent during this time. In monetary terms, sales to foreign customers are halved compared with 2019, when they generated $4.4 million for the Georgian tea companies.

Georgian tea exports are shrinking but prospects are bright. Image: Organict Store

Svanadze insisted that the downward dynamics are not a sign of a crisis. He explained that the drop in sales is primarily attributed to a gradual switch of Georgian farmers towards manufacturing better quality products, which entails a temporary decline in output. “Georgian firms have switched to the production of high-quality tea. Everyone wants to brew high-quality tea, while the low-quality tea production, in practice, is no longer profitable, and accordingly, the harvest has shrunk.”

Svanadze said the change in quality helps Georgian tea better compete with imports on the domestic market, and the share of locally grown products has been steadily growing in recent years.

Some Georgian firms have reported a burgeoning tea-export renaissance. Tornike Shekiladze, director of tea manufacturing company, Gezruli Tea, disclosed that the company exported 400 kg of tea last year, primarily to the European Union (EU). Nearly 60 percent landed in France, 30 percent in the Czech Republic and the rest in Germany.

There might be other reasons for the negative production dynamics. Recently, Georgian farmers growing tea have faced fierce competition for land with other agricultural manufacturers and even investors from other economic segments. An ongoing boom in solar power generation in the country promises to drive the cost of land even higher, meaning that only high-margin businesses can sustain the rising costs.

Organic tea potential

Shote Bitatdze, founder of the Association of Georgian Organic Tea Manufacturers, is one of the enthusiasts struggling to give a new life to the local tea production. Bitatdze, who was engaged in successful business in China until 2006, moved back to his country where he saw a potential in growing high-quality ‘specialty’ tea.

Organic tea production perked up to 30 mt in Georgia in 2023, Bitatdze estimated. He added that this figure has a potential to grow to 200 mt if there is sufficient demand in the global market. Since 2009, the Chinese government has supported organic tea production in Georgia, helping to train local farmers and their personnel, Bitatdze said. “As practice showed, there are no preconditions for the development of mass tea production in Georgia,” he said, adding that at the end of the day, production costs at Georgian tea plantations appear to be higher than that of those from countries with tropical climates.

Exports in the spotlight

Analysts believe exports will largely determine the future of the Caucasus tea industry.

Natalya Zhukova, director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) Agribusiness Department, for example, expressed confidence that the region can benefit from its strategic location, close to the big markets of the post-Soviet space and the EU. However, he emphasised that to grasp its opportunities, the tea industry should play its cards right and not repeat the mistakes of the past.

“The international tea market continues to develop, with trends showing strong demand for a variety of quality tea products such as oolong and white leaf tea. By ensuring improved product quality and efficiency throughout the supply chain, as well as diversification of production, Georgia and Azerbaijan have much to offer tea lovers,” Zhukova said.

High quality Caucasus tea is on demand on the global market. Image: TeaTerra

Georgia, with a population of 3.7 million, Azerbaijan, with 10.1 million, and Armenia, with 2.8 million, are markets not comparable in size with the nearly 200 million Eurasia Economic Union and 450 million EU populations.

Dodging the reputational damage, Azerbaijan’s tea industry, in recent years, has been successfully utilising the export-oriented development model. In fact, there is more high-quality Azerbaijani tea abroad than in Azerbaijan itself, Rauf Garayev, a local agricultural economist, said. “For example, if you buy Azerbaijani tea in Russia, you will see that it is of higher quality and tastes better than what is sold here.”

Remarkably, tea consumption in Azerbaijan has jumped by nearly 50 percent over the past decade. However, local customers are still unwilling to pay extra for high-quality tea, while in Russia and the EU, Azerbaijani tea is perceived as a premium exotic product.

“We can sometimes hear from our citizens that the [locally grown] tea is impossible to drink, while foreigners who bought our tea in their countries [report] that it is of excellent quality,” Garayev said.

Azerbaijani tea companies are confident that some measures are needed to help them regain their market from importers. Uncontrolled tea imports into the country reportedly threaten the industry, including its premium segment. “In the near future, Azerbaijan can become a net tea importer instead of a tea manufacturer. And no steps are being taken to prevent this from happening,” Garayev stated.

Tea exports are now on the agenda even in Abkhazia and South Ossetia – breakaway unrecognised regions of Georgia. The Abkhazian government has purchased and installed a line for processing premium tea products from China for $22,000 million. Thanks to these investments, several tea plantations were revived in the country, securing an output of eight metric tonnes of tea. A part of this volume is due to be exported to Russia.

It is unlikely that the Caucasus tea industry will ever again achieve the Soviet-era production performance. However, by focusing more on quality and less on quantity, local growers have every chance of finding a comfortable niche in the global market.

• Vladislav Vorotnikov is a Batumi, Georgia-based multimedia B2B freelance journalist writing about the tea and coffee industries since 2012.

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Decaf coffee is gaining popularity in global markets as more and more customers follow the current wellbeing trend, considering it as a healthy alternative to common coffee.

In contrast to Western markets that already have large numbers of decaf coffee consumers, the popularity of coffee without caffeine (or with a small content of it) is just gaining momentum in several emerging nations, many of which can provide significant growth opportunities for players operating in this market segment.

The existing big potential of the decaf coffee market is confirmed by research data. According to predictions of international research agency, Skyquest Technology, over the next seven years, the decaf coffee market will grow by six to seven percent annually, reaching USD $28.86 billion by 2030. By comparison, in 2022, this figure was $19.5 billion. The growth will be observed both in developed nations and emerging countries, where such growth rates are expected to be higher.

As for developed nations, it is expected the United States will be a major driver of growth for decaf coffee in years to come as the demand for coffee with less caffeine among local consumers remains high.

The National Coffee Association (NCA) of the USA reports that more consumers across the country are adopting healthier lifestyles, which may also be associated with increased coffee consumption, since scientific evidence continues to strengthen and shows that both decaffeinated and regular coffee are associated with decreased risk of multiple cancers and chronic diseases.

Speaking with T&CTJ, William “Bill” Murray, president and CEO of the NCA, said decaf coffee has already become an integral part of life for many Americans. “Like regular coffee, decaf is a mainstay in Americans’ lives, and we expect that to continue. Signs point to growth for decaf with Americans over the age of 40, and opportunities for decaf to adjust to consumers’ tastes and interests are abundant.”

Murray further noted that consumers are more interested in health and wellness than ever before and that “there is growing awareness that decaffeinated coffee is associated with decreased risk of multiple cancers and chronic diseases.”

In accordance with NCA’s Spring 2024 National Coffee Data Trends (NCDT) Report, seven percent of Americans had decaf coffee in the past day, and past-day decaf consumption is increasing among Americans ages 40-plus.

Per the NCDT report, past-day decaf consumption is highest for Americans in the 60-plus age group, ten percent of whom had decaf in the past day – up by 11 percent since July 2023. At the same time, past-day decaf consumption has also increased for Americans ages 40-59, with six percent drinking a decaf in the past day – up by 20 percent since July 2023.

Consumption grows in Scandinavia

In the European Union, the biggest growth in demand and consumption of decaf coffee has been observed in certain Nordic states – the countries which are known for their record coffee consumption in general.

One such country is Finland, where sales of decaf coffee have been rapidly growing since the beginning of the 2020s.

Löfbergs instant decaf coffee. Image: Löfbergs

Marleena Tanhuanpää, director of the Finnish Food and Drink Industries´ Federation, said that in recent years there has been a positive trend and continuous sales increase for decaffeinated coffee in Finland. “It is definitely trending at the moment as [there has been an increase in the number] of new locally roasted products, [along with] increased visibility and assortment availability, which is raising consumer interest [in decaf coffee].” Tanhuanpää further noted that decaf coffee innovations coming from local roasteries such as filter coffee with good taste profiles that meet the local needs and preferences are helping drive growth.

“The absolute user amount is still limited in the market but the potential for further growth is there,” Tanhuanpää explained, adding, “especially with the younger (under 35 years old) urban demographic, and women, in particular, are interested in decaffeinated coffee – they want to enjoy the taste of coffee, but regular coffee is not always the most suitable option.”

In neighbouring Denmark, the demand for decaf coffee also remains high, although the share of the segment in the overall Danish coffee market is small.

Henrik Frellsen, the chairman of the Danish Coffee Association and CEO of Frellsen Kaffe, one of the biggest local coffee producers, said decaf coffee currently makes up a small share of the coffee market in Nordic countries. “In Denmark, it accounts for less than one percent of the volume, [which is] constant and has historically remained at this level.”

He does not expect a sharp growth of the segment in years to come despite believing in its huge future potential. “We foresee no significant development at this level. In recent years, coffee has transitioned from a product perceived as less healthy to one that naturally fits into a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, caffeine no longer appears to be harmful,” Frellsen explained. “However, increased awareness of the importance of sleep for health pulls in the opposite direction. In Nordic food culture, there is a loyalty to pure raw materials. Hence, [those] with this concern would choose an alternative beverage later in the day rather than a decaf coffee.”

Some analysts report that the estimated potential of decaf coffee is too exaggerated and does not correspond to some current realities. Referencing the most recent edition of Euromonitor International’s Voice of the Consumer: Health and Nutrition Survey, Matthew Barry, insight manager, Food and Beverage at Euromonitor International, said that self-reported interest in drinking less caffeine or none at all reached a new record high, at 46 percent of respondents. “You could interpret that to mean we were at the verge of an explosion in decaf. After all, that is nearly half of adults in the world saying they want to drink less caffeine. But I don’t see things that way. The reality is that caffeine is just too important for people to get through their days so this represents an aspiration more than anything else. I think this signals that people recognise that they need to take actions to mitigate some of the negative side effects of excess caffeine consumption.”

Barry noted that the data absolutely shows there has been a real explosion of products with calming, relaxing, or sleep-promoting claims across food and beverage in recent years. “Essentially, rather than switch their morning coffee to decaf, consumers are sticking with the regular coffee and looking for something in the evening to calm them down and help them sleep. People want to have it all,” he said.

The decaf coffee market is also of great interest to the global majors, many of which have significantly strengthened their positions in it in recent years. For example, illycaffè, the Italian coffee producer, considers the decaf coffee segment a priority.

Francesco Bosso, chief commercial officer of illycaffè, said the company offers decaffeinated coffee in its range with all preparations to satisfy the taste of all consumers. In recent years, he said, the

illy’s low caffeine coffee, Idillyum. Image: illycaffè

demand for such coffee has significantly increased, noting that “usually, decaffeinated coffee is preferred by one out of four consumers and mainly as an alternative to coffee in the evening.” Bosso said that illy coffee is a blend composed of 100 percent Arabica beans of the best quality, which by its nature contains a lower amount of caffeine than Robusta coffee. “In addition, for consumers who are looking for a preparation with a very low caffeine content, we also propose Idillyum, a coffee composed only of the fine Arabica variety called Laurina, grown specifically for our company in El Salvador. This product naturally has a very low caffeine content, less than one percent (a third less than the classic Arabica varieties and less than half of Robusta).”

Bosso expects the demand for decaf coffee will continue to grow, while the growth of the segment will be comparable to the dynamics of the entire coffee market.

Regarding further market prospects, most of the interviewed analysts and producers believe the demand for decaf coffee will continue to grow in years to come, as more and more customers will position it as a heathy alternative to traditional coffee. That will be primarily observed in such countries as Russia, which has low decaf coffee consumption.

Tanhuanpää believes that decaffeinated coffee will continue to increase its share driven by the wellbeing trend that has for many years already been present in many food and drink categories, for example, driving growth of non-alcoholic beer. “The need for relaxation without compromising the enjoyment of coffee is one driver for decaffeinated coffee consumption,” she said. “And according to our research, the usage situations for decaf coffee can be varied, not only limited to evening use. One motivation can be the stomach friendliness of decaf coffee.”

• Eugene Gerden is an international freelance writer who specialises in covering the global coffee, tea and agricultural industries. He works for several industry titles and may be reached at gerden.eug@gmail.com.

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For as long as people have been drinking coffee and tea, they have been developing new blends. Even in an age of renewed interest in single origins and specialty products, there will always be new brews balancing the strengths and weaknesses of different varieties. Indeed, for many aspiring tea and coffee brands, blends offer an accessible entrance into the market to produce distinctive and popular signature products without having to develop growing and processing capacity.

However, this low barrier to entry also applies to your competitors, who can reverse-engineer your blend and sell a knock-off product. Far worse, they can sidestep the lengthy process of developing the blend, and the considerable pain of tasting sub-par blends, by simply imitating a proven product. Whilst imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, blend-masters need to think about protecting their precious blends from imitators. One way to stop the “copycats” in their tracks is to build a robust IP (intellectual property) portfolio around the core of the business.

The strongest form of IP protection available is afforded by patents. After filing, these provide a monopoly that prevents competitors offering the same and similar products. However, these are not always well-suited for protecting tea and coffee blends. Firstly, the barriers to patentability require that the invention is both new and non-obvious in a surprising or unexpected way. For many blends of coffee or tea, combining known origins or varieties is unlikely to meet this standard. Additionally, applying for a patent involves disclosing how the invention can be put into practice, effectively meaning that to the extent the patent isn’t enforceable, the recipe is now in the public domain. Finally, obtaining patent protection is a slow and costly process, easily running into the tens of thousands of dollars/euros/pounds and taking three to five years. This is not always suited to fast-moving development schedules for consumer goods. Whilst there may be some use-cases, for instance, concerning new processing steps, artificial flavourings, or ways of determining bean qualities, these rights will generally form a small part of the IP portfolio for a blender.

Although patent protection is challenging, there are other avenues available to protect the recipe for a proprietary blend. Chief amongst them, trade secrets are practical, and legally enforceable, rights that can be very powerful for protecting recipes. After all, the archetypical trade secrets are the Coca Cola “secret formula,” and “Colonel Sanders’ 11 Herbs and Spices.”

In the world of coffee and tea, there is a clear parallel, where the sources and amounts of various origins produce the signature flavour yet are difficult (if not impossible) to reverse-engineer from the product on the shelf. To benefit from trade secret protection, it is necessary to take steps to identify the underlying information and actively keep it secret. However, if this can be achieved, a monopoly over your blend can be maintained indefinitely.

The “secret recipe” strategy

In the world of food and drink, trade secrets can also be an effective marketing tool independent of the qualities they impart on the products. A large part of the value of the “secret recipe” lies in the mystique – the idea that there is something special, heritage, or unique about the blend – and canny blenders will trade on this part of their brand story.

Of course, when thinking about tea and coffee brands, the first form of IP that comes to mind is trademark protection. Relatively cheap, robust to enforce, and potentially indefinite in scope, no IP portfolio around a blend can afford to go without at least one, if not several, trademarks around the name, logos, and trade dress of the product.

There are some drawbacks to this approach, chiefly that the recipe itself cannot be trademarked. Whereas patents and trade secrets might prevent third parties replicating your blend, trademarks serve to identify those who do as cheap imitators.

However, clever use of trademark protection can provide even broader protection around the reputation and goodwill in the brand, marking you out as the originator in a sea of cheap imitators. For example, Earl Grey is such a powerful and evocative blend that customers would know to expect something similar from a blend called “Earl’s Delight” or “Imperial Grey.” In contrast, they probably would not expect to taste bergamot and citrus in “Campfire Noir” or “Jaipur Breakfast.” Strong and evocative marks can cast a broad shadow in a similar way, invoking your branding in the minds of customers even when they buy products from competitors. Trademark holders can also assert their rights against confusingly similar marks, providing a legal remedy against attempts to ride the coattails of a brand.

Developing a new blend of coffee or tea that tastes great involves balancing the strengths of different estates and origins to produce something greater than the sum of its parts. Much like the products themselves, it is a blend of hard and soft IP rights, providing overlapping layers of protection around aspects of the product, packaging, and branding, which will help secure and maintain a place on the shelves. Taking a holistic approach, integrating IP capture and strategy into the brand and product development, is the secret recipe for success.

• Andrew Tindall is a patent attorney at Potter Clarkson, a London-based IP firm. His expertise lies in helping innovators develop and execute their patent strategy across a broad range of biotechnologies. Tindall has a special interest in the technologies shaping the futures of food and agricultural sciences, combining his background in plant sciences with a passion for smallholding, but works across technical areas including antibody therapeutics, digital health, and precision oncology.

The post All in the mix – IP for protecting blends appeared first on Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

Packaging changes may involve adopting materials that are recyclable, compostable, and source-reduced/lightweight, based on renewable sources, and/or made with recycled content. There also are efforts to reduce the use of plastics, especially single-use plastics and plastics that aren’t likely to be recycled.

Compostable packaging is expected to be one of the fastest-growing formats, according to the Packaging Compass report and infographic, produced by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, and AMERIPEN. Compostable packaging has made significant inroads for tea and coffee products that rely on pods or capsules and has diverted millions of spent units from landfills. Some roasters offer compostable pods or capsules, including Nespresso and two Canada-based firms, Club Coffee and Neighbourhood Coffee Company.

Image: Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee

A new pod option, expected to be certified as backyard compostable, is being developed by Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP). The K-Rounds plastic- and aluminium-free, pressed-coffee pod will be available in different sizes and marked with a code that the Keurig Alta brewer automatically reads to determine the pressure and extraction profile needed for the coffee beverage being brewed. A proprietary, plant-based coating preserves the coffee’s flavour and aroma and the puck-like shape of the pod. The product is moving through beta testing to determine what shelf life is needed and to balance barrier properties between the K-Round pod and its secondary packaging, which will be recyclable.

Moving to multi-serving products, some plastic-based packaging is being replaced by paper-based options. For example, Club Coffee packages ground and whole bean coffee in canisters formed from flat paperboard/foil laminate blanks, even though it necessitated installing new equipment on two lines, one for smaller canisters holding less than 450 grams (15.9 ounces) and one for larger sizes.

Made of renewable fiber from sustainably managed forests, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, the canisters are classified as “widely recyclable” by the How2Recycle labelling programme. This means the canister is acceptable in at least 60 percent of curbside recycling programmes in the US and Canada. Canisters also feature a one-way degassing valve, easy-peel membrane, and induction-sealed base. A patented, built-in, hinged reclose feature preserves freshness at least as well as steel cans with plastic snap-on lids.

According to Club Coffee, the paperboard canister releases 91 percent less carbon into the atmosphere per year compared to steel cans. It also reduces the use of plastic by 50 percent compared to bags, and by 43 percent compared to injection-molded plastic cans. In addition, transport emissions are 90 percent lower than with traditional metal or plastic cans since the paperboard canisters are shipped flat and erected on-site. The canister package has been well-received by consumers and won in the Product Innovation Category in the 2023 Reuters Responsible Business Awards.

Another Canada-based firm, Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee, relies on the same in-house canister-forming technology and has achieved similar results. Offered in sizes from 10 to 48 ounces, the paperboard-based canister reduces inbound shipping to three trucks versus 56 trucks for pre-formed cans. It also cuts plastic use by at least 50 percent, compared to the bag format it replaces. The company is expanding its use of the format and expects equipment being installed at its operation in Fort Worth, Texas, to be running before the end of 2024. “Our new packaging solution is a win for the planet, for our customers and their consumers,” said Kim Cunningham, chief commercial officer at Mother Parkers. “It offers a recyclable packaging option with less plastic, without sacrificing any of the freshness, consistency, or quality that Mother Parkers-produced coffee is known for. For retailers with private-label coffee programmes, it’s a way to show innovation, gain share, and drive shelf and transportation efficiencies, all while supporting their sustainability objectives.”

Refill/reuse is the sustainability tactic chosen by Nestlé UK & Ireland, which now offers a resealable refill pouch for Nescafé Gold Blend and Nescafé Original instant coffees. Once emptied, pouches can be dropped off at more than 5,000 stores across the UK and are accepted by curbside recycling programmes in Ireland. Compared to existing 200-gram glass jars, the refill pouch costs less and is 97 percent lighter. It also contains roughly 60 percent less plastic than the glass jar’s lid. Prominent, front-panel graphics encourage consumers to “Refill your jar and recycle me.”

Someday, it might be possible to make biodegradable coffee packaging from coffee grounds. Research by Srinivas Janaswamy, an associate professor at South Dakota State University, indicates the lignocellulosic fibers in coffee grounds can be extracted and processed to produce films that biodegrade within 45 days in soil, possess high tensile strength, and offer barrier properties to ultraviolet radiation and oxygen.

• Tom Egan serves as the vice president of Industry Services for PMMI, the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. He joined the PMMI staff in 2003 following more than 20 years in the packaging industry during which he was also an active PMMI member. Egan’s previous work experience includes tenures at Eaton Corporation, and as vp, marketing & sales, for Hoppmann Corp. He has an MBA from Baldwin-Wallace College, and a BEE in Electrical Engineering from Villanova University. The latest sustainability solutions will be on display at PACK EXPO International (3 – 6 November 2024, Chicago, Illinois).

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With 1.4 billion people and 128 million hectares of arable land, China faces the daunting task of producing nearly half of the world’s tea while also providing food security for 20 percent of the world’s population. The Peoples Republic of China has been able to attain its current level of success in part due to the application of pesticides and fertilisers. However, over reliance and misapplication of these agrochemicals has raised production costs, contributed to environmental pollution, and created instances of agricultural products with unacceptably high levels of chemical residues. Chinese officials have put a strategy in place that has already begun to curtail the over dependence on conventional agrochemicals by using bio-pesticides that are seen as safer alternatives.

China has become the world’s largest consumer of agrochemicals, at one time using about 30 percent of total fertilisers and pesticides. These pesticides include herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides. In order to combat agricultural production costs while also reducing environmental damage and impacts on human health, China initiated the “Action Plan to Realize Zero Growth in Pesticide Use by 2020” in 2015. Pesticide use in China peaked around 2014 and has been declining since 2016. As a result, goals for curbing growth in pesticide use were achieved ahead of schedule. In fact, some projections estimate that China may be able to completely eliminate its use of chemical pesticides by 2050.

When it comes to China’s tea industry, attaining chemical pesticide-free agriculture may be an especially important goal. About 60 percent of the world’s tea is grown by smallholders. China tea farms do not operate on the plantation models found in places like Sri Lanka and India, so smallholder farms of two hectares or less are very common. In fact, joint research from the Universities of Melbourne, Zhejiang, Fudan, Wuhan, and Stanford have found that smallholder farms in China tend to use agrochemicals less efficiently. This not only results in greater financial costs for the farmer, but also contributes to increased pollution of the soil and water.

China’s tea industry has likewise been shifting away from chemical pesticides towards bio-pesticides. Examples of bio-pesticides that are gaining more widespread use include:

• Beauveria bassiana: B. bassiana is a fungus that naturally occurs in soils and is a parasite in various insects. The spores enter the insect’s body and spread into a fungus, thereby killing the insect. B. bassiana is used against moths and caterpillars that feed on tea leaves. Current studies have not shown any harmful impacts of B. bassiana applications on animals or humans, so there are few regulations or MRL (maximum residue level) guidelines in place when it is properly used.
• Metarhizium anisopliae is another fungus-based insecticide found in soils around the world that is also parasitic in insects. M. anisopliae has been shown to be harmful to reptiles in some conditions. There are also a few regulations or MRL guidelines when M. anisopliae is properly applied.
• Pyrethrins are compounds found in chrysanthemum and have been known to kill or drive off insects since the Chinese began spreading chrysanthemum powders as a bug deterrent as far back as 1000 BC. Pyrethrins are considered safer insecticides when they are applied locally to tea and other crops because UV light and changes in pH break pyrethrins down into harmless chemicals within a relatively short time frame. Studies of variations of pyrethrin, including higher concentrations, exposure to synthetic pyrethroids (like cypermethrin) and pyrethrins combined with piperonyl butoxide (PBO) have shown potential harm to humans and animals. Effects included allergic reactions and potential carcinogenic effects. As such, pyrethrins are regulated and MRLs exist.
• Matrine is an insecticide derived from the Sophora flavescens plant that is native to various countries, including China, India, Japan, and Russia. Sophora flavescens is used in some Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) applications. Matrine breaks down relatively quickly in nature. It can be toxic to aquatic animals and should not be used during flowering in order to protect bees. Some MRLs (Maximum Residue Level) are in place for matrine in tea and in some botanicals.

China pesticide
consumption levels from 1991 to 2021. Graph credit: Frontiers in Plant Science (frontiersin.org)

Challenges to bio-pesticides

While bio-pesticides do offer a potentially safer, more sustainable alternative to harmful chemical pesticides, challenges do remain. One of the first of these challenges is cost. Some insecticides, like pyrethrins and matrine can begin to break down within days of application. This may make multiple applications necessary to sufficiently control a pest outbreak.

Successful chemical pesticides often have a track record of remaining active for longer periods of time. Access to, and consistent quality of bio-pesticides has also been a concern for researchers measuring the effectiveness of bio-pesticides on Chinese tea production. In some cases, bio-pesticides need to be combined with chemical pesticides to provide sufficient potency.

Bio-pesticides can also be combined with other green forms of pest control, including:

• Pheromone traps: These traps contain synthesised sex pheromones of targeted insects, thereby attracting and killing tea pests like moths and caterpillars. Pheromone traps have been studied on a small scale of tea production, but results have shown potential for combining pheromone traps with other pest control methods. Pheromone traps provide the benefit of targeting the intended insect without harming beneficial insects.
• Light traps: Seasonal use of light traps has also shown potential as a supporting practice of pest control. Solar-powered lights can be activated after sunset during the growing season to attract moths like the tea looper.
• Sticky traps: The placement of improved sticky traps after spring pruning was shown to capture leafhoppers while trapping fewer beneficial predators, like spiders and wasps.
• Traps and green pest control, along with the proper and timely application of bio-pesticides represent aspects of the pedestals of integrated pest management, namely prevention, monitoring, and intervention.

China’s advance towards reducing its dependence on chemical pesticides and adoption of safer, greener bio-pesticides shows potential for the tea industry at large. Smallholder tea farmers across the globe now have increased options to more efficiently use chemical pesticides while also testing better and safer bio-pesticides that benefit human health, the environment, and economic growth.

• Jason Walker is marketing director of Firsd Tea North America. Prior to his work with Firsd Tea, Walker served in a variety of roles in tea and beverage business capacities. His experience includes business services for small tea companies, a top-ranked online destination for tea consumer education and co-founding a coffee business. His insights draw upon his diverse range of experience in sales, operations and management in the tea world. He may be reached at: jason.walker@firsdtea.com.

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Every year, the conversations around sustainability increase, and the pressure is ever-growing from consumers and stakeholders for brands to truly act to futureproof our coffee and tea industries, as well as the planet itself, for future generations. This special section of our annual Sustainability Issue highlights some of the work and projects tea and coffee brands are undertaking to enact long-lasting change and impact. By Kathryn Brand

Efforts at origin

Clipper Teas is the United Kingdom’s first and longest-standing Fairtrade tea partner, values which have been intertwined with the brand since its inception. Clipper shares its mission with Fairtrade to raise awareness of the benefits of sustainable farming for people and the planet, informing its decision to also be certified organic. This year, Clipper launched its There’s Tea, Then There’s GOOD Tea campaign across Europe, aiming to highlight its brand story and show that it takes more than just taste to make good tea, specifically ethical and sustainable growing practices. At Clipper, this means supporting tea estates and smaller farms to become more sustainable, while paying workers fairer wages, including the Fairtrade Premium, which communities can spend in areas they decide are most needed.

Recently, Clipper’s Fairtrade Premium was used to fund an ambulance for a Mozambique tea estate. Over the past three decades, Clipper has contributed an estimated GBP £6.8 million to the Fairtrade Premium, and much of the tea bought by Clipper today is the same as 25 years ago, since when Clipper has supported the farms to become biodiverse and wildlife-friendly. Long-standing support and nurtured relationships with tea farmers is essential to their sustainability.

Sustainability at origin is not only crucial for the continuation and success of tea production, but for the people in the tea growing communities. This is evidenced in DavidsTea’s Nepal Water Project. The Canada-based tea brand recognises that clean water is not just a fundamental human right, but the essence of its product, from nurturing the Camellia sinensis plant, to brewing a cup of tea. DavidsTea has aligned itself with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6, which aims to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. DavidsTea has joined forces with Jun Chiyabari, a key partner from which the company sources its Organic Nepal Black Tea, to tackle the clean drinking water issue in Jun Chiyabari Tea Garden in Nepal’s Dhunkuta district. The local government schools, crucial for the education and well-being of the community’s children, suffer from a lack of clean drinking water. This not only hampers the health of the students and staff but also affects their overall educational experience.

The collaboration began during DavidsTea’s 2020 Giving Week, in which it dedicated five percent of all loose leaf tea sales on 28 November to find clean water initiatives in Nepal. Jun Chiyabari then matched DavidsTea’s contribution, allowing it to expand the project to encompass not just three but four schools. In August 2021, Phase 1 was completed: the installation of sustainable water filtration systems in four schools, impacting over 3,200 children and staff. In March 2022, DavidsTea continued its commitment to the project, directing one percent of the proceeds from its Organic Nepal Black Tea to the mission, allowing it to begin Phase 2 in March 2024, through which it is aiming to bring clean water to two additional schools. This latest phase is expected to reach a further 862 students and staff across six schools in seven buildings.

Last year, illycaffè launched the first coffee produced through 100 percent regenerative agriculture. Brasile Arabica Selection Cerrado Mineiro is Regenagri certified, a third-party programme that certifies regenerative agriculture claims. It supports farms and organisations to transition to holistic farming techniques that increase soil organic matter, encourage biodiversity, sequester CO₂ and improve water and energy management. Italy-based illycaffè believes investing in the people who grow coffee is just as crucial in protecting the ecosystem and so funds a number of initiatives that further this goal:

• The Seeds for Progress Foundation helps to build new schools and offers training for teachers in Nicaragua;
• Reforestation in Colombia works to restore native vegetation, clean groundwater and improve the living environments for coffee growers;
• Farmer Field School is supporting women in Rwanda since 2019 when illycaffè financed the acquisition of a coffee plantation and planted around 2,500 certified-quality coffee plants to function as a Farmer Field School for 40 women coffee producers;
• Viveiro de Atitude programme helped build nursery housing for over 100 plant species in Brazil, preserving biodiversity and water resources as well as promoting environmental education in the country.

illy is investing in quality research and collaborating with a research project to: sequence the genome of Arabica coffee to help coffee growers adapt their plants to the changing climate conditions; it is building long-lasting relationships with growers based on knowledge-sharing and sustainable growth; and implementing a new certification protocol for coffee procurement, monitoring supply chains, guaranteeing the quality of the product, and protecting the environment and worker safety.

Pact Coffee has been fundraising reforestation projects and working only with farmers that follow sustainable practices for years, but in 2020 launched Cenicafé 1, a coffee variety developed over 20 years by the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC). As the world heats up, many Arabica coffee varieties struggle to grow. These warmer temperatures also bring a higher likelihood of disease to coffee plants, plus the conditions that plant-killing pests thrive in. It’s a problem that’s forcing farmers to go higher up into the mountains, causing deforestation and economic hardship. Cenicafé 1 is resistant to a number of fungal diseases, can be grown all over Colombia, and offers a high density of coffee cherries, giving farmers greater harvests on small amounts of land. It has quickly achieved high cupping scores and this year Pact launched its first limited edition Cenicafé 1 from the Buenos Aires farm. UK-based Pact is working to widen the recognition of Cenicafé 1 to increase demand for the variety worldwide and show Colombian farmers that there’s a profitable future in a sustainable variety on their existing farms.

To assess and improve conditions across the global community of coffee growers, Peet’s Coffee has partnered with Enveritas. The non-profit organisation uses technology combining AI and satellite imagery with on-the-ground surveys to: conduct 20,000 sustainability audits of smallholders each year; invest in over 30 different impact projects spanning Central America, South America, and the Indo-Pacific; work with World Coffee Research to provide funding for genetic conservation of coffee; have 24 countries verified by Enveritas for responsible sourcing; and, as part of JDE Peet’s, work towards fully validated science-based targets to contribute effectively to the fight against climate change and be at the forefront of deforestation prevention and restoration.

California-based Peet’s engages with Enveritas each year to evaluate the impacts of its projects: in Guatemala, the company has partnered with TechnoServe to train smallholder coffee farmers in overcoming agronomic and economic hurdles impeding their businesses and livelihoods; in the biodiversity hotspot, Finca Don Bosco, Panama, Peet’s collaborates with Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center to protect migratory songbirds by ensuring canopy cover, tree height, and biodiversity; and Peet’s has constructed the Butterfly School Papua New Guinea Bunum-Wo Estate, serving as educational enrichment and health care learning for nearly 200 young children of the farm’s workforce and the surrounding community.

Despite challenges such as climate change and economic instability, over the past year, 99.7 percent of Traditional Medicinals’ herbs were certified organic, and 30.1 percent were fair-certified. The California-based company advised on the creation of the FairWild standard and Foundation, which sets standards for sustainable wild collections of medicinal plants, ensuring that plant material is harvested ethically, sustainably and transparently. Traditional Medicinals has set a goal of sourcing 80 percent fair-certified herbs by 2030, to which its Fair for Life certification marks significant progress. This year, the company has reinvested over USD $174,000 in fair premiums into source communities, a 10.6 percent increase from the previous year. Traditional Medicinals has invested a further $2 million to origin community projects, local non-profits and certification standards. In Zimbabwe, 4,000 people gained access to safe drinking water, 510 farmers in Madagascar were trained in sustainable agricultural practices, and 2,300 women in Egypt participated in health education.

In-House and the community

Birchall Tea has opened its brand-new fully solar-powered tea factory in Wiltshire, England. Its roof-top solar installation features more than 460 solar panels, which are capable of generating all the clean renewable electricity for its on-site operations. The purpose built, state of the art tea factory generates so much energy, that it even puts power back into the National Grid. In addition to this, in May 2020, Birchall achieved the Carbon Neutral International Standard, which means that all of its products are 100 percent carbon neutral.

Similarly, Equator Coffees has reduced its carbon emissions by 80 percent per roasted coffee batch through its investment in energy-efficient Loring Smart Roasters. Other sustainable practices Equator undertakes in its roastery include donating its burlap coffee bags to local farms, composting its chaff locally, and upcycling coffee excess with Extrafood. For its cafés, the California-based company is always looking out for partnerships and resources to improve its sustainability efforts. In 2023, Equator launched its Too Good To Go programme in five of its cafés, aiming to fight food waste by providing surplus food to customers at a reduced price. Equator plans to expand the programme across as many of its retail locations as possible. It continues to encourage its customers to get their drinks in for-here serve ware and use their own reusable cups in its cafés, offering a USD $0.25 discount for customers who bring their own cups, both of which have seen a significant use increase since 2022. The to-go cups and containers that Equator does offer are 100 percent compostable.

Sustainable packaging has long-been a priority for illy. Its cans and tins are made from recyclable metal, and it has recently launched its new certified ESE compostable coffee pods which come in illy’s three blends: Classico, Intenso and Decaffeinato. illy was also the first Italian coffee company to obtain a B-Corp certification.

Little’s is addressing packaging sustainability by becoming the first instant coffee company in UK supermarkets to go 100 percent plastic free. Its coffee pods and ground coffee bags are fully recyclable while its jars are of UK-made glass and aluminium lids. In 2022, Little’s moved its coffee capsule manufacturing from Europe to the UK so that all Little’s roasting and pod manufacturing is done in its on-site roaster, meaning it can both reduce its carbon footprint and be certain of good practices. As a result, the brand is on its way to being carbon neutral.

Since July 2023, Pact Coffee pouches have all been 100 percent recyclable. By being made from a single material, the bag is much easier to recycle into new plastics, and its low-density plastic design using a high proportion of recycled materials ensures it uses as little new plastic as possible. These bags also fund the ‘this bag saves’ project, which stops plastic bottles from entering our oceans. For every kilogramme of packaging purchased, ‘this bag saves’ recovers and recycles the equivalent of two plastic bottles from Asian rivers. Pact explains it chose this option over ‘compostable’ alternatives because around 90 percent of people in the UK do not have the means to compost at home, and compostable packaging can take years to break down, meaning most ends up in landfill or food waste, where it blocks the recycling process. Pact’s carbon footprint is then offset by SeaTrees, a project which protects and regenerates coastal eco-system by planting and restoring aquatic plants that are highly effective in absorbing carbon.

Fostering a better balance between nature and people is something Traditional Medicinals is working towards, with its Traditional Medicinals Foundation. The mission of the foundation is to help people live consciously connected to nature through two pillars: making herbal education accessible and fostering a mindset of stewardship through interacting with nature and conserving resources.

In 2023, Traditional Medicinals aligned with the Science Based targets initiative (SBTi), aiming to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 42 percent by 2030, and achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The company also conducted a natural capital impact assessment that enabled it to identify, measure, and value direct and indirect impacts and dependencies on natural capital. The framework is crucial for understanding the dynamic relationships between organisations and the health of the natural world, which critically informs decision-making.

BioSense capsule. Image: AluSense

Suppliers commit to a greener future

As with the brands and companies they work with, suppliers to the coffee and tea industry are also passionate about utilising sustainable practices throughout the supply chain. This dedication to sustainability is reflected in multiple ways such as ethical sourcing, environmental protection, climate adaptation, energy efficiency and waste reduction. Below is a sampling of coffee and tea suppliers, which through their sustainable practices, are contributing to a healthier planet and a more sustainable future. By Aubrye McDonagh Leigh

IMA Coffee is committed to increasing sustainable practices to reduce roasting emissions and test alternative packaging materials, implementing advanced eco-friendly solutions throughout the industrial process to rise to the challenge of coffee sustainability. Over the past few years, IMA’s approach to sustainability has led to the design and adaptation of packaging technologies to effectively handle compostable materials, in collaboration with important partners in the field.

Recently, Italy-based IMA Coffee, in partnership with Minnesota-based NatureWorks, a leading manufacturer of polylactic acid (PLA) biopolymers made from renewable resources, developed a new compostable coffee pod solution compatible with Keurig brewers for the North American market. For the rigid capsule body, NatureWorks was able to combine non-compounded, highly crystalline, and heat resistant Ingeo PLA grades with a refined single-stage thermoforming process to achieve production rates comparable to incumbent polypropylene (PP) capsules. The rigid thermoformed capsule was then combined with a non-woven filter and multi-layer top lidding solution, also made with Ingeo. The use of one primary material through all three components of a coffee pod is more cost effective and offers greater consistency when heat sealing the components together, thus preserving the taste and aroma of the enclosed coffee.

The collaboration between NatureWorks and IMA, bolstered by IMA OPENLab, the group’s network of technological laboratories and testing facilities, laid the groundwork for a new market-ready coffee pod solution. Multiple studies and tests on the new compostable material and its performance throughout the packaging process have led to the proper configuration of IMA’s coffee-pod filling and sealing machines, enabling them to handle the rigid capsule, filter, and multi-layered top lid made of Ingeo PLA biopolymer with high precision. This will facilitate the easy setup of new production lines, thereby offering a turnkey compostable and sustainable solution at high production speeds, ensuring high-quality brewing.

With the world’s largest production capacity for empty Nespresso-compatible aluminium coffee capsules, AluSense products are distributed in over 80 countries. The Belgium-based company offered the first capsule made from 80 percent recycled aluminium, boasting CO₂-neutral accreditation to ensure zero environmental impact.

AluSense’s latest innovation, BioSense capsules, are 100 percent bio-based and compatible with all Nespresso Original Machines. These empty capsules mark a significant step towards sustainability without compromising on quality. The mono-body design and custom dome shape of BioSense capsules allow for packing over 20 percent more coffee into each capsule, the highest volume in the home-compostable market. These capsules also provide exceptional protection against oxygen and moisture, ensuring coffee retains its rich flavour.

BioSense home-compostable coffee capsules are made entirely from second-generation end-use bio-based materials, free from PLA, plastic, oil, bisphenol A, or fossil fuels. Their fully compostable nature is validated by the OK compost HOME certification. BioSense also holds certifications from Hansecontrol, SGS, TUV, ISSC, and CO₂ Neutral.

Descafeinadores Mexicanos (Descamex)’s sustainability strategy is based on three main pillars: the community, the environment and the people. Its sustainable practices include:

• Certifications: Since 2007, Descamex has been certified by the Rainforest Alliance and Bird Friendly. With these, it directly and indirectly employs better agricultural practices.
• Social Responsibility Badges: Since 2005, the company has maintained the ESR badge (Socially Responsible Company), seeking to promote social responsibility and is one of the three SMEs in Mexico that has had the badge the longest. In 2024, Descamex finalised its SMETA four pillars audit and is now 100 percent compliant.
• Planting of trees: Through its volunteer programme, Descamex planted 135 fruit trees between April 2023 and April 2024.
• Energy efficiency: Descamex uses the energy storage system obtained with cleaner generation methods (hydroelectric) with a monthly impact that stops the emission of 27.6 tons of CO2, equivalent to planting 1,660 trees.
• Waste management: At the end of 2023, Descamex’s recycling rate was 87 percent, the coffee powder generated is donated as fertiliser to the coffee plantation, which improves the soil quality.

Mexico-based Descamex also supports World Coffee Research, which unites the global coffee industry to drive science based agricultural solutions to urgently secure a diverse and sustainable supply of quality coffee today and for generations to come.

Kloth & Köhnken Teehandel GmbH offers fine teas, sophisticated formulations and flavoured/scented tea innovations and has espoused sustainable values since its formation. The Germany-based company believes that sustainable actions cannot be decreed, rather it is a learning process. FairBioTea is a private sector initiative focused on the development of healthy and sustainable, fair and ecological tea production operations and industry. Through its FairBioTea development partnerships, Kloth & Köhnken actively supports Chinese tea farmers who are growing sustainably and improving their quality management.

Since 2007, together with selected tea gardens, Kloth & Köhnken has been helping to make farming more ecological, transparent and sustainable. The company is especially proud of its long-standing cooperations in tea-producing countries where its partners dictate the pace at which they adopt environmentally friendly practices. Through FairBioTea, Kloth & Köhnken establishes a fair and reliable framework for transparent, sustainable tea production, culminating in a premium product.

Most teas Kloth & Köhnken purchases are certified (Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade, organic and Fairbiotea). Its certified products exceed the EU organic regulations, and their cultivation also encompasses land use and nutrient cycles, which in the long term will help preserve soil fertility.
Additionally, for more than three years, Kloth & Köhnken’s sustainability team has been working to implement all requirements for the new German due diligence law and for the European regulations to come. This includes the Code of Conduct, which defines internal company requirements as well as minimum standards for environmental, social and ethical obligations. The Code of Conduct is the basis for developing a business relationship with Kloth & Köhnken, which supports companies that take care of their business sustainably, treat their employees well and protect the environment.

Furthermore, under the motto ‘K&K Goes Green’, the topic of sustainability will become more of a focus for Kloth & Köhnken and internal processes will be optimised and made more efficient. This includes asking all employees for suggestions and ideas and raising awareness for a more sustainable way of living.

As the world faces unprecedented environmental challenges, the importance of sustainable agricultural practices cannot be overstated. Australian Native Products (ANP) promotes sustainability through its cultivation and processing of lemon myrtle. The Australia-based company’s efforts are not just about meeting market demands but also about ensuring the health of our planet and the well-being of future generations.

ANP’s Environmental Management Policy underscores its commitment to optimising quality produce while enhancing the sustainability of natural agricultural resources. This policy is built on several key pillars:

• Resource Efficiency: Implementing precision farming techniques, optimising irrigation practices, and striving to minimise energy consumption by utilising renewable energy sources whenever possible. Soil conservation measures such as mulching and utilising waste stream materials in composting are also employed.
• Biodiversity Conservation: ANP creates wildlife habitats, maintains natural ecosystems, and minimises the use of pesticides and herbicides that may harm non-target species. Its agricultural practices are designed to support, rather than hinder, biodiversity.
• Waste Reduction: Strategies to reduce, reuse, and recycle farm waste are integral to ANP’s operations, such as composting product waste and minimising packaging waste.

ANP has also implemented a Climate Adaptation Strategy, which involves:

• Climate-Smart Practices: Utilising climate-smart agricultural practices to ensure sustainable production. This includes the use of organic and biodynamic principles to maintain plant health and soil fertility, minimising the need for chemical inputs.
• Carbon Sequestration: ANP farms contribute significantly to carbon sequestration. Its Lemon Myrtle trees absorb substantial amounts of CO₂ annually, helping to mitigate its carbon footprint.

ANP has achieved the Union for Ethical Biotrade (UEBT) and Rainforest Alliance (RA) ingredient certification for its Lemon Myrtle leaf products. Furthermore, ANP ensures that all its organic products meet the highest standards, maintaining the expectations of consumers and complying with a range of organic standards.

Looking ahead, ANP is committed to implementing its Biodiversity Action Plan, exploring adaptable cultivars, and investing in innovation for better processing mechanisms.

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Cold brew coffee has been a hot product for innovation for many brands and retailers seeking to refresh their product offerings and to dabble in the ready-to-drink (RTD) space. The cold brew category, which had a market size of USD $401 million in 2021, is projected to grow by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.7 percent between 2023 and 2030, per Skyquestt. Many businesses recognise this and want to capitalise on the increased consumer interest. As companies in the sector are ramping up for peak cold brew season, many consumers will have already been drinking theirs – 16 percent of Americans drank at least one cold brew in the past week, according to the January survey of the 2024 National Coffee Data Trends report.

Consumers like cold brew’s great taste, convenience, and health benefits. Americans under 40 years old are driving the consumption of cold brew, and this versatile and trendy beverage is especially popular with Gen Z as an afternoon pick-me-up. This adds an even greater incentive for operators to get involved in the cold brew and cold coffee space.

As manufacturers and retailers are learning more about cold brew, it is important that they become familiar with cold brew food safety and the regulations and considerations underpinning this area. Coffee continues to be one of the safest foods in America – but as with any evolving area, science, facts, and expert advice can help assure that operators comply and use best practices in their business. As such, the purpose of this article is to detail some of the current challenges around safety and compliance for cold brew manufacturers and retailers.

What is cold brew coffee?

Between 2016 and 2017, several leading experts from across the coffee industry came to the National Coffee Association of USA, Inc (NCA), concerned that the lack of a common definition of “cold brew coffee” could lead to a range of different products being labelled or represented as cold brew coffee. This was important, as the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) require product and marketing claims to be “truthful and not misleading.”

Since the FDA does not have any formal definition or Standard of Identity for cold brew coffee, the stakeholders put their heads together and, through much debate, developed a baseline description for cold brew: a product made with roasted coffee grounds and brewed with room temperature or cooler water (NCA Cold Brew Safety Guide for Manufacturers). To avoid limiting future innovation in the cold brew space, the description is relatively broad and serves as a guide, so that operators working with cold brew can develop great-tasting products and feel good knowing they are serving authentic, safe products. Knowing how cold brew is made, prepared, and/or processed also helps identify potential safety risks and determine how it should be regulated.

How cold brew is made

Cold brew is traditionally made by ‘cold brewing’ roasted and ground coffee beans from Coffea arabica (Arabica coffee), or a blend of Arabica and Coffea canephora (Robusta), with filtered water. It can take some trial-and-error to find the right bean blend, roast, and grind that works with a cold brewing process to get a desired taste profile. Brewing water is typically room temperature or cooler, and steeping times for brewing can vary tremendously, from as little as a few minutes to 12 to 18-plus hours overnight. Brewing can be done at a retail shop using a five-gallon, full-immersion method or on an industrial scale in a manufacturing plant. Nowadays, all types of basic to very advanced technologies are available for cold brewing.

Once the cold-brewing step is complete, cold brew coffee can be served immediately at a retail shop or be heat-processed with a cook step and packaged in a container with an air-tight seal at a manufacturing plant. Cold brew can also be distributed in airtight kegs, bottled, or held with nitrogen gas to make nitro cold brew. There are too many bottling, distribution, and serving scenarios to account for here, but having detailed knowledge of how the cold brew is brewed, processed, and/or packaged, held, and served will help determine what food safety risks and regulations might apply to a product and to the operator.

Cold brew coffee can also be manufactured or served with additives like dairy or plant-based milks, spices, and herbs, or formulated with ingredients for functional health, novelty, and taste appeal. Because added ingredients have the capacity to introduce new food safety risks to the equation, this article focuses solely on unsweetened, plain cold brew. A manufacturer/retailer should always work with a food safety and compliance professional who can help oversee and provide guidance on navigating overly complex and nuanced food safety approaches needed for cold brew coffee.

Manufacturing rules

Historically, there have been a few instances of food recalls for manufactured RTD cold brew due to a lack of manufacturers’ awareness over FDA’s food safety and compliance rules. Cold brew that has been brewed and bottled in a manufacturing plant with an air-tight seal, whether as concentrate or single-strength (drinkable strength), needs to be processed with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), heat-treated with a cook step, and packaged following FDA’s low-acid food regulations (21 CFR § Part 113). This is done to prevent the pathogen Clostridium botulinum, or C bot for short, from growing and producing toxins that could cause botulism. A manufacturer needs to work with a licensed low-acid food processing authority and have their process filed with the FDA.

Rules for retailers

For retailers, the regulations have been unclear, for several reasons. The FDA publishes the Food Code every few years, which sets a model for the safe handling of food in a retail setting. Federal, state, and local health departments can then decide how to interpret and enforce the Food Code in their own areas. However, health inspectors are often uncertain how to interpret the Food Code, which has created inconsistent enforcement and confusion amongst coffee shop retailers. One challenge for inspectors has been to determine how to regulate cold brew prepared, held, and served at retail, such as when brewing at room temperature for a prolonged time, or holding nitro cold brew in airtight kegs. The Food Code can offer multiple options for enforcement, one of which considers cold brew’s physical and chemical properties, like pH and moisture content.

Cold brew has a pH, or a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a substance, which is considered low acid. A low acid food can, under certain circumstances, allow pathogens to grow or toxins to form, and cold brew coffee has a lot of moisture, conditions which, in theory, could potentially allow the growth of pathogens.

The Food Code recognises that in instances of a low acid pH and high available moisture content (measured through water activity aw), a food or beverage may be considered a time/temperature control for safety (TCS) food. A TCS food could, as the name implies, require specific holding temperatures and times, or require a heat-cook step.

However, the Food Code also allows that such TCS measures may not be required if certain conditions are met, such as the provision of safety data showing that a food or beverage can be produced safely under the desired conditions. Such safety data can be submitted to the health inspectors in the form of a challenge study or Product Assessment (which are scientific ways of evaluating the safety of a food).

Retailers are fortunate in that plain, unsweetened cold brew lacks nutrients for most organisms to grow, and many industry members would tell you that in their own privately run studies, cold brew seemed to prevent pathogens from growing. While the jury is still out as to what the exact mechanism might be, there seems to be some aspect of cold brew coffee that has antimicrobial properties.

Health inspectors often need to rely on science-based evidence like a challenge study or Product Assessment to determine how pathogens can grow in a food or beverage in order to make risk-based decisions. Recently, the NCA published a challenge study white paper on retail cold brew food safety, which evaluated concentrated cold brew prepared by the full-immersion method and single-strength cold brew packaged in a bag-in-box (which is often then inserted into a chilled dispenser at retail). The cold brew was purposely tested with known amounts of E coli, Salmonella, Listeria, C bot, Bacillus cereus, and Staph. These are different pathogens that are representative of common sources of food-borne illness and infections. The cold brew was stored at 85°F/29°C in conditions with air and no air for up to 11 days. The researchers found that neither pathogenic growth nor toxin formation occurred in the tested cold brew. These findings are crucial to help inform health inspectors on the safety of cold brew – and provide a strong scientific basis to demonstrate the safety of cold brew coffee.

What the future holds

While the research and resources that have been created are important steps for protecting this category, there is more work to be done to make sure that everyone is on the same page.

The NCA is currently working elbow-to-elbow with health inspectors, FDA scientists, and allied industry members with the Conference for Food Protection (CFP) in the Council III, Retail Cold Brew Coffee Safety & Compliance Committee. The committee aims to provide guidance to the CFP and ultimately health inspectors and retailers on how to interpret and enforce the Food Code for safety and compliance of retailers’ cold brew coffee programmes.

By being proactive, retailers, industry stakeholders, and health departments can work collaboratively to determine a common interpretation of the Food Code that most inspectors can get behind and retailers can comply with. Once guidance is developed through the CFP, the information can be shared with retailers and inspectors nationwide, followed by training and education to bring everyone up to speed on serving safe, compliant, and great-tasting cold brew.

• Mark Corey, PhD, joined the NCA as director of scientific and government affairs in February 2018. Previously, he worked in research and development roles in the coffee industry for ten years and was volunteer chairperson of the NCA’s Scientific Leadership Council for five years.

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