Weekly Coffee News: Questioning Coffee’s Future + New Look for CQI
Daily Coffee News Staff | October 3, 2025
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Daily Coffee News photo by Nick Brown.
NPR: What Lies in Coffee’s Future?
An NPR story this week
explored the mounting challenges facing coffee growers, including
rising temperatures, shrinking arable land, droughts driven by climate
change, financial pressures, generational labor shortages, international
market volatility and over-reliance on arabica production. “Most
immediately, the Trump administration’s tariffs, which threaten their
sales, add to the ongoing challenges of pests and diseases for coffee
production,” the piece states. “In the longer term, experts say the
coffee industry can’t continue with business as usual.”
The Coffee Quality Institute Unveils New Look for International Coffee Day
The Coffee Quality Institute unveiled its new logo and website
on International Coffee Day with a palette designed to “evoke coffee’s
origins” while marking a new phase for the organization as it cedes the Q Grader program to the SCA.
The new look also reflects the group’s expansion of its post-harvest
processing program (PHP), including a new cohort of 14 instructors.
Ratio Four Series 2 Available for Pre-Order
After its first production run sold out in less than a year, coffee equipment maker Ratio Coffee has launched the Ratio Four Series 2 for pre-order, with shipments beginning in early November.
Best of Yemen Auction Sets World Record for Third Consecutive Year
The annual Best of Yemen auction
set another record with its top lot fetching $1,878 per kilogram ($852
per pound), marking the third straight year of record prices. The
auction is led by trader Qima Coffee in collaboration with the Alliance
for Coffee Excellence.
CECAFÉ President Warns Brazil Coffee Exports to U.S. Will Fall Further With Tariffs
Marcio Ferreira, head of Brazilian coffee exporters council CECAFÉ, told Reuters that Brazil’s coffee exports to the U.S. will continue declining if the 50% tariff remains.
Starbucks Closes its Seattle Reserve Roastery For Good
Following the recent news from Seattle-based coffee giant Starbucks that it will be laying off 900 U.S. corporate staff members, a MyNorthwest report noted that the company’s first-ever Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood was closed.
World Coffee Portal Releases 2026 U.S. Market Report
Allegra’s World Coffee Portal released its Project Cafe USA 2026 market report, which provides market data, consumer research and competitive strategies regarding the coffee shop retail market.
Sur La Table Introduces its Coffee Foundry
Kitchen equipment retailer Sur La Table has launched a “Coffee Foundry,” a consumer site that includes coffee brewing and equipment guides and direct-to-consumer coffee sales.
Cuisinart Rolls Out New Grind & Brew Single-Cup Coffee Maker
Home appliance maker Cuisinart launched its Custom Grind & Brew Single-Cup Coffee Maker, a pod-free grind-and-brew machine with six brew sizes and hot and iced capabilities.
The National Coffee Cooperative Union and Dimitra Partner to Support EUDR Compliance
Global AgTech leader Dimitra has partnered with Kenya’s National Coffee Cooperative Union
(NACCU) to advance a nationwide system integrating carbon accounting,
environmental compliance assessment and ESG practices throughout Kenya’s
coffee value chain to help farmers comply with the looming EUDR enforcement.
ICYMI
Here are some of DCN’s top stories from the past week…
Report: U.S. Coffee Shop Coffee Prices Are Rising
Hot coffee and cold brew prices on U.S.
coffee shop menus are rising rapidly, according to new private
point-of-sale data spanning tens of thousands of cafes… read more
SCA Officially Launches Q Grader Courses Tied to the CVA
The United States- and Europe-based Specialty Coffee Association
(SCA) officially opened enrollment for the new Q Grader program, saying
courses will roll out across regions and languages in the coming months…
read more
Starbucks Cutting 900 Non-Retail Jobs and Closing More Stores
Seattle-based coffee giant Starbucks is planning to lay off 900 U.S.
corporate staff members tomorrow morning, according to an open letter
from CEO Brian Niccol… read more
2027 World of Coffee Asia and World Barista Championship Set for Tokyo
The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) announced that Tokyo will host
the World of Coffee Asia trade show and the World Barista Championship
(WBC) in 2027… read more
Nespresso Names Alfonso Gonzalez Loeschen Global CEO
Swiss food giant Nestlé appointed Alfonso Gonzalez Loeschen as the
next global chief executive of Nespresso, effective Nov. 1, 2025… read more
Second Shot Market Launches for Used Coffee Gear
Coffee equipment seller Prima Coffee Equipment last week launched
Second Shot Market, an online marketplace for pre-owned or open-box
coffee equipment… read more
Science Recently Delivered This Shocker: Morning Coffee Improves Mood
Scientists in the UK
and Germany have officially confirmed what most coffee drinkers feel
intuitively every single day: coffee in the morning puts you in a better
mood… read more
