Originating in the early 2000s as an acronym to capture non-financial areas connected to business performance, the term ESG—short for “environmental, social, and governance”—has become significantly more visible over time. While the term now appears in mainstream outlets more often than it did a decade ago, many people are still unclear on what it really means, how it differs from or aligns with sustainability, and its potential relevance for their own organizations. KELLEM EMANUELE offers an ESG primer tailored for the coffee industry.
Read MoreThe word “sustainability” is everywhere, but do we really know—or agree on—what it means? Professor SARAH GRANT explains why, despite its difficulty, understanding “sustainability” as a framework is a worthwhile endeavor, especially in understanding culturally relative perspectives and the power relations inherent in the promotion of sustainable coffee.
Read MoreDr. JORGE BERNY and Dr. MARIO FERNÁNDEZ-ALDUENDA share initial results of a collaborative study examining how cuppers cup and exploring the potential impacts of a proposed component of the reengineered cupping protocol.
Read MoreProfessors CARLOS CARPIO, PhD and LUIS SANDOVAL, PhD worked with BRENDA MAMANI, MSc to ask: what are the living wages in El Salvador and Honduras, and how would current total costs and profitability of coffee production be affected if farmworkers were paid living wages?
Read MoreAssistant Professor CHRISTOPHER H. HENDON shares the theory underpinning an ongoing Coffee Science Foundation research project, supported by Simonelli Group, toward deepening our understanding of espresso extraction.
Read MoreCorresponding author MATEUS MANFRIN ARTÊNCIO shares the findings of a recent paper, “A Cup of Black Coffee with GI, please! Evidence of Geographical Indication Influence on a Coffee Tasting Experiment,” published in Physiology & Behavior, confirming the significant influence an extrinsic attribute like a geographical indication has on consumers’ tasting.
Read MoreIn late 2018, scientists rediscovered Coffea stenophylla— a species unrelated to either Arabica or robusta—in the wild in Sierra Leone, and later confirmed century-old reports of its high cup quality.
Read MoreOver the past 30 years, the concurrent internet-led waves of coffee and globalization have had a profound impact on our coffee consumption habits.
Read MoreWhile the use of wild coffees is still years away from commercialization, another coffee species already makes up 40% of coffee's global production: Coffea robusta.
Read MoreIn the face of climate change and advances in technology, what is “specialty coffee”?
Read MoreThe current coffee processing revolution offers us means to improve the live of coffee growers and processors not just through direct product improvement, but through a new, powerful narrative that can drive more respect, and value, back to producers.
Read MoreAs more consumers come to the coffee-laden table, our collective preferences haven’t just shifted; they’ve fragmented.
Read MoreMake a quick list of the countries you know are experiencing exponential growth of coffee consumption and a blossoming specialty coffee scene: does it include Israel? If not, it should.
Read MoreIn addition to being the world’s leading producer of robusta, Vietnam also produces more arabica than Kenya or El Salvador – so why don’t we talk about it more?
Read MoreWe may be familiar with Ethiopia as the birthplace of coffee, but what can we learn about who engages with coffee and when by more deeply exploring its coffee culture?
Read MoreAs specialty coffee reaches new markets—and the number of individuals making these choices increases—it becomes increasingly enmeshed with our sense of identity.
Read MoreAs a move towards the "functional" grips the beverage sector, how might this trend shape opportunities for specialty coffee products and consumers?
Read MoreSpecialty coffee, although often burdened by coffee's "commodity" status, still needs to compete in the premium market--but is there a way to move beyond?
Read MoreDespite (most) of our return to coffee spaces, coffee's unprecedented move online during lockdowns forced social media accounts to pivot from a tool to get people in seats to a destination in and of itself.
Read MoreDo we really understand the impact of the attributes-based definition of specialty coffee on what is now "specialty"?
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