Every Friday, Perfect Daily Grind rounds up the top coffee industry news from the week.
Editor’s note
World of Coffee Brussels named three new champions over the weekend. Nas Jafaar from Malaysia took the 2026 World Brewers Cup title, Andy Philein from China won the 2026 World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship, and Benjamin Brassart from Belgium claimed the 2026 World Coffee Roasting Championship.
Nas’ win stands out for a specific reason: he is the first Malaysian ever to win the Brewers Cup. Asia continues to grow faster than any other coffee market in the world, and his victory will likely bring renewed attention to Southeast Asia’s innovative specialty coffee scene.
Looking more broadly, arabica prices jumped 6.71% on Tuesday, their biggest gains since 2022, as torrential rain hit Brazil’s main growing regions. Minas Gerais, the country’s largest coffee-growing area, received 1,956% of its historical average rainfall for the week, according to Somar Meteorologia, bringing harvesting to a halt and raising quality concerns.
Supply is tighter too. ICE arabica inventories fell to a 2.25-year low of 377,465 bags on Tuesday. Beyond the immediate weather disruption, traders are monitoring an emerging “Godzilla” El Niño, which could delay Brazil’s flowering rains in September and October and pressure next year’s crop.
Despite some signs of relief earlier in the year, price volatility and supply crunches look set to keep shaping the coffee industry through 2026.
Top stories of the week
- Mon, 29 Jun – New World Coffee Champs crowned at WoC Brussels. Malaysia’s Nas Jafaar is the 2026 World Brewers Cup Champion. Andy Philein from China is the 2026 World Coffee in Good Spirits Champion. Belgium’s Benjamin Brassart is the 2026 World Coffee Roasting Champion. (Brussels, Belgium)
- Wed, 1 Jul – FDA reviews petition on use of methylene chloride in coffee decaffeination. The FDA closed a reopened comment period that invited new information on a 2.5-year-old petition seeking to remove food-additive authorisations for four solvents, including methylene chloride, which is used in some commercial coffee decaffeination processes. (Washington, DC, US)
- Thu, 2 Jul – illycaffè partners with Westrock Coffee to strengthen US presence. The Italian brand signed a multi-year production agreement with Westrock to develop and package products for the US market, using a multi-site platform that will double the share of illy’s US-bound goods packaged on-site, mainly in the ready-to-drink segment. (Trieste, Italy)
- Fri, 3 Jul – Cup texture alters coffee taste perception, Japanese study finds. Ninety-two blindfolded participants drank black coffee served at 68°C in rough, sandpaper-textured sleeves and smooth, kraft-paper sleeves. Participants who touched the rough sleeve first rated the coffee in the smooth sleeve as less acidic, yet those who started with the smooth sleeve didn’t report the same shift when they moved to the rough one. (Tokyo, Japan)
- Fri, 3 Jul – Global Coffee Awards to host How to Compete in the Global Coffee Awards webinar on 8 July. The webinar will provide an overview of the competition process, including coffee selection, submission strategy, judging, scoring, and category selection. Attendees will also hear from top-performing roasters from the 2025 Global Coffee Awards, including Eric Garcia at Sur Coffee in San Diego, California, the GCA US & Canada Gold Flat White Alternative winner.
Industry news
- Mon, 29 Jun – SCA opens nominations for 2027-2029 Board of Directors. Three seats are up for election, with terms starting 1 January 2027. Nominations close on 10 July. The final ballot will be announced on 13 October, with voting from 1 to 30 November. (Irvine, California, US)
- Tue, 30 Jun – Balearic Islands ban aluminium and plastic coffee capsules. Paper pods and other compostable or easily recyclable ones remain legal. Capsules account for about one-fifth of Spanish household coffee consumption, with daily consumption at 65.5m cups. (Palma de Mallorca, Spain)
- Wed, 1 Jul – HRNS appoints Jens Sorgenfrei and Karen Hadem as Managing Directors. Sorgenfrei and Dr Hadem take over as Michael Opitz steps down after over 20 years. Opitz helped build the coffee-focused foundation before its formal establishment in 2005. HRNS works across seven countries and has an endowment of about €150m. (Berlin, Germany)
- Wed, 1 Jul – Rancilio Group releases 2025 Sustainability Report. The report, prepared in accordance with the European VSME standard, outlines the company’s efforts to integrate sustainability, social responsibility, and impact measurement into operations. Rancilio avoided 127,5 tCO2e of GHG emissions in 2025 and secured UNI/PdR 125:2022 gender equality certification earlier this year. (Parabiago, Italy)
- Thu, 2 Jul – Nestlé could lower prices as coffee costs fall. Axel Touzet, head of Nestlé’s coffee brands, said the company will take the decline into account when setting retail prices. Bean prices have generally trended lower this year after record highs in 2025. (Vevey, Switzerland)
- Fri, 3 Jul – PSG Café hosts La La Land residency in Paris. The Texas-born coffee brand takes over the Champs-Élysées venue from 1-12 July, serving signature and exclusive drinks including the PSG Latte. The collaboration extends to all La La Land US locations through July. (Paris, France)
- Fri, 3 Jul – Starbucks reassesses 2030 climate goal as emissions rise. Its latest impact report shows a reset of sustainability targets, with the 50% absolute reduction pledge now under review. The company also reports distributing 100 million coffee trees and over US$100m in farmer loans, while delaying its deforestation-free commitment to end-2026. (Seattle, Washington, US)
- Fri, 3 Jul – Colombia declares coffee its national beverage. Congress passed the law on the 98th anniversary of the FNC, supporting over 557,000 families. Colombians consume about 2.5kg per person annually, with production reaching 13.9m bags by April 2024. (Bogotá, Colombia)
Businesses for sale
- Thu, 2 Jul – Berjaya Food exits Paris Baguette Malaysia joint venture. The company sold its 50% stake to Paris Baguette Singapore for RM1. Its RM20m investment was fully impaired, with accumulated losses of RM67m. The move allows Berjaya Food to focus on core brands, including its licensed Starbucks business. (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
New launch
- Mon, 29 Jun – PJ’s Coffee launches three Craft Sodas. The Peach Strawberry, Blue Raspberry, and Coconut Banana drinks are available until 3 August. To kick off Independence Day celebrations, PJ’s Coffee is also introducing its Firecracker Lemonade, available until 5 July. (New Orleans, Louisiana, US)
- Wed, 1 Jul – Nuova Simonelli launches refreshed Appia Viva. The updated design gives the machine, originally released in 2005, a more dynamic and refined appearance. In the coming months, Nuova Simonelli will showcase the revamped machine at key industry events in the UK, Belgium, France, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, and Taiwan. (Belforte del Chienti, Italy)
- Thu, 2 Jul – Lavazza enters the refrigerated RTD category with a partnership with Müller. The four dairy-based drinks, inspired by Italian recipes, are already available in Germany, Italy, and the UK. The launch will be supported at Wimbledon, where Lavazza has also launched the first-ever Strawberries & Cream Latte, now available at the Lavazza Flagship Store. (Turin, Italy)
- Fri, 3 Jul – TUNI launches the E2 Gen3 espresso machine. The compact semi‑automatic, designed for home baristas, features a 58mm brew system, a series of dual-boilers for thermal stability, a 20‑bar Italian ULKA pump with a pressure gauge, and a dedicated cold-extraction mode. (Rancho Cucamonga, California, US)
- Fri, 3 Jul – Bamboo Forever launches wooden coffee stirrer. The company behind the Wooden Coffee Stirrer claims it offers a plastic‑free alternative to combat pollution. Made with a starch‑based adhesive and a polylactic acid binder, the product withstands temperatures up to 700°C. (Zhuanghang Town, Shanghai, China)
Milestone
- Mon, 29 Jun – Miko named Fairtrade Frontrunner for fourth year. The Belgian coffee group generated nearly €770,000 in Fairtrade premiums from overseas sales in 2025. Its Puro brand, sold in over 30 countries, has helped protect almost 1,000 km² of natural habitats via the World Land Trust. (Brussels, Belgium)
- Thu, 2 Jul – Nothing Before Coffee revenue jumps 53% to US$10.8m. The Jaipur-based chain, which targets Gen Z in Tier II and III cities with its signature ‘Shrappe’ drinks, already operates 109 stores across 45 cities and is aiming for 170 outlets overall. (Jaipur, India)
Trade & production
- Wed, 1 Jul – Kavre emerges as Nepal’s coffee-growing hub. Farmers are shifting from maize and millet to coffee, driven by provincial incentives. Mahabharat municipality’s annual coffee output is valued at about US$900,000, with production set to rise from 70 to 80 tonnes. Farm-gate parchment sells for around US$8.27 per kg, with households earning US$1,130-1,500 per year. (Kathmandu, Nepal)
- Fri, 3 Jul – Coffee exports from Espírito Santo reached 2.03 million bags in May. Shipments increased 97% in May 2026 compared to the same period last year, with a 122% increase in robusta and a 91% increase in arabica. The Vitória Coffee Summit 2026 will be held on 20 & 21 August, focusing on themes including consumer trends, sustainability, climate challenges, geopolitics, tariffs, and the growing role of robusta/conilon in meeting global demand. (Espírito Santo, Brazil)
Research
- Thu, 2 Jul – WCR members cup new arabica variety candidates for future release. The 15-company group, with 18 cuppers and 215 combined years of experience, evaluated 65 samples from the Innovea network. The data will be combined with yield and disease resistance data to identify new varieties for release. (San Salvador, El Salvador)
Events & competitions
Here are a few coffee news stories from previous weeks that you might find interesting. Take a look:
- Thu, 25 Jun – Gurobi launches Gurobean coffee shop optimisation game. The free educational game teaches nonlinearity and decision-making under uncertainty. Players manage pricing, staffing and inventory. It follows the Burrito Optimisation Game, which has been played over 85,000 times. (Beaverton, Oregon, US)
Photo credits: World Coffee Championships, Specialty Coffee Association, Beantropy, Mavick Media, Shane Gallagher
Sign up to our weekly coffee news recap to get a summary of all the biggest stories in the sector, delivered straight to your inbox every Monday.
Want to keep up with current affairs in the coffee industry? Check out last week’s coffee news stories.
