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Weekly Coffee News: Coffee Theft Rising + New Social Brewing App

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Reuters Report: Green Coffee Theft Rising with Prices

As green coffee bean prices surge to all-time highs on the commodities market, a new wave of thieves appear to be targeting truckloads of coffee, according to a recent Reuters report from Marcelo Teixeira. In an effort to protect shipments, several importers have begun affixing tracking devices to their coffee bags, Reuters reported. 

ICO Releases February Global Coffee Market Report

Speaking of all-time commodity price highs, the International Coffee Organization (ICO) released its global coffee market report for February. The group’s Composite Indicator Price for coffee was 14.3% higher than the January price, with exports down 14.2% from the same month last year. See the full report in English here.

San Franciscan Roaster President Bill Kennedy Launches Podcast

Carson City, Nevada-based coffee roaster manufacturer San Franciscan Roaster Co. announced the launch of the Coffee Roasting Legends Podcast, hosted by San Franciscan president Bill Kennedy. The series is described as a “podcast by roasters, for roasters.”

With Starbucks Foundation Support, Nonprofit Bean Voyage Renews Smallholder Education Program

Costa Rica-based nonprofit Bean Voyage announced the expansion of its 12-month Farmer School for Resilient Communities Initiative, with support from the nonprofit Starbucks Foundation, for its fourth consecutive year. This program equips women who are smallholder coffee producers in Latin America with funding, knowledge, resources, skills and training. 

Acid is a New App for Tracking Espresso Settings 

Swiss coffee lovers Philipp Barth and Rafaela Kalbermatten recently unveiled a coffee-focused app called Acid, designed to help home baristas track coffee preferences and dial in grinding and brewing and roast settings. The AI-powered app allows users to scan any coffee bean packaging label to learn more about the roast’s origin, tasting notes and other users’ ratings.

German Coffee Market 2024 Report: Consumption Returns to Normal

The German Coffee Association‘s annual domestic coffee report for 2024 showed that home consumption finally returned to pre-pandemic levels following a multi-year surge. The report also found significant growth in three distinct segments: instant coffee; whole bean coffee; and sustainably certified products. 

Comeback Coffee Closing Cafe in April

On March 10, Memphis, Tennessee-based Comeback Coffee announced it is closing its cafe, with the last day coming April 11. Co-owners Amy and Hayes McPherson said on Instagram that financial challenges remain from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the cafe’s sibling company, Comeback Beverage Co., will not be closing, they said. 

Westrock Coffee Reports Mixed 2024 Results and Optimistic 2025-26 Outlook

Westrock Coffee Company reported its fourth quarter and full 2024 year results this past week, showing mixed results. The Arkansas-based company said it expects significant growth in 2025 and 2026 via its volume expansion and expense savings, with plans to rapidly scale its ready-to-drink (RTD) production.

Expocacer Appoints First Woman as Board Chair

The Cerrado Coffee Growers Cooperative (Expocacer) in Brazil recently elected Mariana Velloso Heitor as chair of the board, making her the first woman to occupy the position. “We, women, have made a difference in the history of coffee farming, and we will continue to do so for future generations,” Velloso Heitor said in an announcement from the group. 

Barnie’s Coffee in Orlando Names Two New VPs

Orlando, Florida-based Barnie’s Coffee & Tea Co. announced two VP promotions, naming Alexis Rodriguez vice president of production and distribution, and Shannon Wolfgang vice president of marketing and design.

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Here are some of DCN’s top stories from the past week…

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Daily Coffee News photo by Nick Brown

Brazilian Coffee Traders Atlantica and Cafebras File for Bankruptcy

Brazilian coffee exporting companies Atlântica Exportação e Importação SA (Atlantica) and Cafebras Comércio de Cafés do Brasil SA (Cafebras) — both part of the Montesanto Tavares Group — have filed for bankruptcy… read more

Coffee Shop Software Provider Odeko Nears $300 Million in Funding

New York-based business operations software provider Odeko, which specializes in the coffee shop and cafe solutions, said it raised $96 million through its latest Series E funding round… read more

New Jersey Co-Roasting Business Gridworks Takes Guesswork Out of Coffee

A new co-roasting business in New Jersey called Gridworks Coffee is helping startup roasters take the guesswork out of the daily grind, offering access to roasting equipment and professional expertise… read more

Cold Brew Research: Temperature and Time Less Impactful than Roast Level

Traditional full-immersion “cold” brewing may not demand as much time as it often receives for optimal sensory results, according to relatively new research from a team at the University of California, Davis… read more

B2B Specialist Farmer Brothers Launches Sum>One Coffee Brand

Business-to-business (B2B) coffee specialist Farmer Brothers Coffee is releasing a new branded coffee line under the name Sum>One Coffee Roasters… read more

Three Questions with Carolina Peralta of Florencia y Fortunata in Cusco, Peru

When Carolina Peralta, the founder of Florencia y Fortunata Café in Cusco, Peru, celebrated good news or received a good grade in school as a child, it was always over a cup of coffee… read more

Belgian Industrial Roasting Solutions Company CEE Expands to Americas

CEE, a Belgian company focused on fossil-fuel-free industrial production solutions for roasting and drying, is expanding into the United States and Canada… read more

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