The March/April 2020 issue of Roast has been released, with in-depth articles on the process of working with the government, and requirements for coffee roasters when it comes to permits and emissions; how buyers and roasters can communicate with producers about green coffee evaluation; and the current price crisis.

The issue also includes coverage of the decaffeination process, the recent Roast Summit, a sustainability update from the Coffee Roasters Guild, as well as new products and the latest industry news.

Subscribe to the print edition of Roast to receive upcoming issues, or purchase the print version of the March/April issue here. Roast print subscribers also receive complimentary digital access to the issue.

Inside This Issue

Tracy Allen of Brewed Behavior examines the process of establishing, expanding or relocating a coffee roasting business and what it takes to pass local air-quality regulations and obtain a permit in the article, “Working with the Government: Permits and Emissions Requirements for Coffee Roasters.” Through real-world examples, Allen provides guidance on how to develop and execute a plan to get your coffee roaster up and running smoothly.

There’s no way around it: If you’re putting particulate matter or fumes in the air, you need a permit to do it. What goes for cooking equipment and exhaust in a commercial kitchen also goes for commercial coffee roasters. Whether you’re expanding or relocating your existing roasting business or just launching a micro-roastery, most cities and/or counties will want to know if your roaster setup passes local air-quality regulations. If it does, you’ll be granted a permit.

In “Feedback Loop: A Dialog Between Roasters and Producers on Green Coffee Evaluation,” Trish Rothgeb of Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters summarizes a series of conversations between herself, Luis Rodriguez Ventura of Caferium, and a handful of other coffee professionals. They explore some of the challenges that come into play when it comes to providing feedback about green coffee to the producer, and how to ensure that buyers and sellers are speaking the same language when it comes to expectations around quality.

The coffee world is changing, whether it’s due to climate change, processing trials, or new hybrid varieties. While change is exciting and brings new challenges and discussion to the table, we may find that the form the discussion takes needs an adjustment as well. Are we making progress when it comes to giving and receiving feedback between producers and buyers?

And in “Can the Coffee Crisis Be Fixed? The ‘Price’ of Coffee, History and the Situation Today,” historian and author Robert Thurston provides an overview of the state of the coffee industry and explains the fundamentals of the New York “C” Market price. Thurston also takes a look at the various factors that have contributed to the current price crisis and some of the proposals to address it.

Since many coffee contracts are written around the “C” price, a low figure encourages hard-pressed farmers to abandon coffee altogether; to switch from arabica to robusta, as is happening in various countries; or to grow narcotic plants, such as khat in eastern Ethiopia or coca in Latin America. With this basic picture in mind, a number of groups and individuals offered proposals last summer and early fall to end the coffee crisis.

Features

Working with the Government
Permits and Emissions Requirements for Coffee Roasters

Feedback Loop
A Dialog Between Roasters and Producers on Green Coffee Evaluation

Can the Coffee Crisis Be Fixed?
The “Price” of Coffee, History and the Situation Today

Columns