Every Friday, Perfect Daily Grind rounds up the top coffee industry news from the week.
Editor’s note
After two years of unprecedented price surges, there are signs of relief for the coffee industry. Arabica prices have been falling steadily through 2026, reaching an 18-month low in recent weeks, driven largely by expectations of a record harvest in Brazil.
Crop forecasting agency Conab projects the country’s 2026 coffee harvest will climb 17% year-on-year to a record 66.7 million bags, with arabica production rising 23% to 45.77 million bags. A new USDA report estimates an even higher figure of almost 72 million bags. Rabobank, meanwhile, predicts the global coffee market could record a surplus of 7 to 10 million bags in the 2026/27 season, which could bring prices down further.
For roasters and coffee shop owners, who absorbed years of compressed margins, the timing is welcome. Some market analysts expect arabica to fall towards US$2/lb in the coming months, but risks remain. Concerns about a “super” El Niño disrupting Brazil’s flowering season for the 2027/28 harvest could push prices higher.
The situation warrants cautious optimism. Supply conditions look favourable for now, but coffee has caught markets off guard before.
Top stories of the week
- Mon, 1 Jun – Nigeria unveils ten-year coffee cultivation revival plan. The initiative will cover 14 states, focusing on farm rehabilitation, improved seedlings, processing infrastructure, and export expansion. Nigeria currently grows around 100,000 tonnes per year. (Abuja, Nigeria)
- Wed, 3 Jun – 2026 Good Food Awards Coffee winners announced. This year’s winners include Ohio’s Crimson Coffee, Oregon’s Keia & Martyn’s Coffee, California’s Equator Coffee, and New York’s Driftaway Coffee. (San Francisco, California, US)
- Fri, 5 Jun – World of Coffee Europe 2027 to take place in Lisbon. The event is set for 17-19 June 2027 and will host the World Latte Art, World Coffee in Good Spirits, and World Cezve/Ibrik Championships. This will be the first WoC event in Portugal. (Lisbon, Portugal)
Industry news
- Mon, 1 Jun – Starbucks ties tech workers’ bonuses to AI usage. A quarter of bonuses for most tech staff are linked to department-wide goals, including AI adoption, according to an internal document. Software developers must use an AI assistant at least once a week to comply with the requirement. (Seattle, Washington, US)
Businesses for sale
- Thu, 4 Jun – BWG buys O’Brien’s Cafe, Abrakebabra, and Bagel Factory in a €15-20m deal. The Spar operator, Ireland’s largest convenience retailer, acquires 72 locations, employing 2,500 people, including eight Oasis of Taste food halls, and plans to open 25 new sites by 2030. (Dublin, Ireland)
New launch
- Tue, 2 Jun – Award-winning Origin Coffee brings cold brew production in-house. The B Corp roaster, which was awarded Europe’s best roaster at the 2025 Global Coffee Awards, now manufactures its Cold Brew Espresso Concentrate at its purpose-built Cold Brew Brewery. Origin also relaunched its home-compostable capsule range. (Cornwall, UK)
- Thu, 4 Jun – Terra Kaffe launches Aero frother for milk and matcha. The Bauhaus‑inspired device has four modes, including a dedicated matcha whisk, and works with all types of milk. It heats to 60-71°C (140‑160°F), with a 190ml (6.7oz) capacity. (New York City, New York, US)
Milestone
- Thu, 4 Jun – Airo Vision+ bottom‑up espresso machine wins Compasso d’Oro 2026. Developed by Axess Industry, the anti‑gravity percolation model was also added to the Historical Collection of Italian Design. The coffee maker cuts energy use by up to 60% at 500‑600W, has fewer moving parts, and reduces limescale, according to the brand. (Milan, Italy)
- Fri, 5 Jun – I Love Coffee celebrates a decade of creating employment opportunities for the Deaf community. The company has created more than 500,000 Deaf working hours (equivalent to 65 years of continuous employment), while providing sustainable career opportunities, producing award-winning baristas, and expanding into the UK market. I Love Coffee is also the first South African coffee business to employ a majority (above 60%) Deaf workforce across its network of in-office cafés. (Cape Town, South Africa)
- Fri, 5 Jun – Clean Cups completes multi-year home-compostable coffee capsule development project. The project, carried out by M-Plastics B.V., Hemcell Resins B.V., and Euro-Caps B.V., identified opportunities to create innovative packaging solutions aligned with the growing demand for circular materials and sustainable product concepts. In addition, extensive practical testing demonstrated that large-scale production is feasible using CCM technology, representing an important step toward industrial implementation. (Oldenzaal, the Netherlands)
Trade & production
- Mon, 1 Jun – Kona coffee farms face water crisis after earthquake. The 6.0-magnitude earthquake damaged water systems for hundreds of small farmers, who rely on rainwater tanks. Two local suppliers have so far received about 400 calls for help. (Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, US)
Research
- Wed, 3 Jun – Coffee concentrate market to reach US$5.9bn by 2035. Rising demand for premium, convenient RTD products and the expansion of café culture drive growth. Retail holds 71% of distribution, and East Asia leads regional growth. (Newark, Delaware, US)
- Fri, 5 Jun – Hidden water and limescale costs push UK hospitality to breaking point, study says. New data from BRITA shows that 82% of businesses lose service time to water issues, 70% say unreliable equipment costs them staff, and 57% warn that unplanned downtime damages long-term reputation. (London, UK)
Events & competitions
- Wed, 3 Jun – MIFB 2026 to host Malaysia Coffee Championship in July. The trade fair runs 15-17 July at KLCC, co-located with Malaysia Café Expo and MyFoodTech. MNCC will crown four champions to represent Malaysia at the World Coffee Championships. (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
Here are a few coffee news stories from previous weeks that you might find interesting. Take a look:
- Mon, 4 May – Coffein Compagnie doubles decaf production capacity. The Bremen-based company cites rising global demand for high‑quality decaf as the reason for the expansion. The brand says its water‑based Hanseatic Process method uses only pure water, preserving each coffee’s original character and traceability. (Bremen, Germany)
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