Coffee News Recap, 21 Aug: Global Coffee Awards Europe set for October, Colombian coffee exports partially resume through Buenaventura port & other stories

Every Friday, Perfect Daily Grind rounds up the top coffee industry news from the week. 

Editor’s note

Two earthquakes, just ten days apart, remind us how exposed the coffee supply chain can be. In Colombia, the 10 August quake damaged farms, homes, and roads across Risaralda, Valle del Cauca, Caldas, Antioquia, Chocó, and Quindío. Buenaventura, the port that handles more than 60% of the country’s coffee exports, has reopened, but traffic remains intermittent.

Indonesia is also steadily recovering. A magnitude 7.7 earthquake on Flores island, known for its high-quality arabica and robusta, killed at least 70 people and displaced thousands. Local businesses began reopening this week, though debris still blocks streets and aftershocks continue. Because the quake’s impact on Indonesia’s coffee sector is largely unknown, roasters and traders should check in with partners on the ground.

Amid the disruption, the coffee industry continues to celebrate quality. The Global Coffee Awards, which recognise the world’s best roasters and producers, will host its European edition in October 2026.

As one of the world’s most diverse coffee-consuming markets, Europe plays a pivotal role in global coffee trade. According to the European Coffee Federation’s 2024/25 report, the EU27 bloc consumed an estimated 2.53 million tonnes of coffee in 2023, making it the world’s third-largest coffee market. It’s also incredibly fragmented and diverse: Nordic roasters champion ultra-clean washed coffees, Eastern Europeans are particularly curious and creative about flavour, and Southern Europeans value tradition.

With some of the world’s best roasters based there, the GCA Europe edition is expected to be one of the most dynamic competitions this year. In 2027, winners from Europe will compete against roasters from Africa, MENA, Asia, the US and Canada, and Latin America. A global champion will then be crowned at Producer & Roaster Forum Mexico in March 2027.

Top stories of the week

• Mon, 17 Aug – Magnitude 7.7 earthquake hits Eastern Indonesia. At least 71 people have been killed, and thousands have been displaced, according to Sky News. Businesses are slowly reopening in the aftermath, and the impact on the coffee sector remains unknown. (Ende, Indonesia)

• Tue, 18 Aug – Blue Bottle showcases excelsa in two limited-edition releases. The first is an anaerobically fermented Exceedingly Rare Vietnam Quang Tri 96B Excelsa Natural, produced by 96B in Vietnam’s Quang Tri region. The second is Beyond Arabica, a blend pairing excelsa from South India Coffee Company with robusta from Great Cherry in Vietnam. Exceedingly Rare Vietnam is available online and as a pour over at Blue Bottle shops, and Beyond Arabica is due to launch online and in-store on 1 September. (Oakland, California, US)

• Tue, 18 Aug – Coffee shipments partially resume from Buenaventura, Colombia, but the situation remains complex. Traders in areas not directly affected by the earthquake are also finding it difficult to transport coffee to ports other than Buenaventura, such as Cartagena, Santa Marta, and Puerto Antioquia, where contingency plans are being drawn up to increase shipping capacity. The National Federation of Coffee Growers (FNC) continues to carry out a damage assessment in the coffee-growing areas affected by the earthquake. (Buenaventura, Colombia)

• Wed, 19 Aug – World Coffee Research CEO Dr Jennifer “Vern” Long named to the Forbes 50 Over 50 list. The sixth annual 50 Over 50 list spotlights influential women across different industries. Dr Jennifer “Vern” Long has been recognised for her leadership in the coffee sector, uniting over 200 companies, 30 countries, and 11 governments around the coffee industry’s first globally coordinated variety development programme. (Portland, Oregon, US)

• Wed, 19 Aug – Nero Group announces new CFO following Compass acquisition. The group has appointed former Walmart executive Morten Schott Knudsen as its new Chief Financial Officer. The appointment sees long-serving CFO Ben Price transition to a new Chief Operating Officer role at the Caffè Nero parent company. (London, UK)

• Fri, 21 Aug – IDH launches regenerative coffee investment platform. The Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) says the programme is a pre-competitive investment platform designed to accelerate investment in regenerative coffee sourcing regions and reach 300,000 farmers by 2030. ALDI SÜD is the programme’s primary investor. (Hanoi, Vietnam)

• Fri, 21 Aug – Global Coffee Awards and What’s Brewing? donate 100 kg of specialty competition coffee to the San Antonio Food Bank. The blend, which includes entries from the recent US & Canada edition, features coffees from 28 origins across South and Central America, the Caribbean, East Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Sami Chbeir, co-owner and head roaster at What’s Brewing?, led the blending work, alongside his son Dylan Chbeir. The final blend, valued at an estimated US$5,500, was donated to the San Antonio Food Bank rather than auctioned or sold at retail. (Houston, Texas, US)

Industry news

• Mon, 17 Aug – Small businesses forced to add significant blanket handling fees on shipping costs to US. Due to recent changes to US tariffs and import regulations, small businesses, such as Australia’s Brew Methods, must add blanket handling fees of up to 60% to shipping costs to navigate increasingly complex import requirements, such as more complicated HS codes, and to cover tariffs, duties, and clearance fees. (Melbourne, Australia)

• Wed, 19 Aug – Go Get Em Tiger announces new CEO. Under David Yardley’s leadership, the specialty coffee roaster will continue investing in quality, service, and sustainable growth across the business. (Los Angeles, California, US)

• Thu, 20 Aug – Specialty Coffee Association announces new 11 SCA Chapter Committees in Europe. SCA announces newly elected SCA Chapter Committees for Austria, Czech Republic, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. (Irvine, California, US)

• Fri, 21 Aug – National Coffee Association opens nominations for 2027 Awards Programme. The NCA is now accepting nominations for the 2027 NCA Individual Recognition Awards honouring professionals whose leadership, service, innovation, and dedication are helping shape the future of coffee. The deadline for nominations is 30 September 2026. (New York City, New York, US)

Businesses for sale

New launch

• Thu, 20 Aug – India’s Kruti Coffee launches London Café. The farm-to-cup venture serves Indian single origin coffees. The new location is hosting an immersive brewing tasting session led by co-founder Jeeta Mona, head roaster and barista Pabitra, and UK partner Kah Tan. (London, UK)

• Fri, 21 Aug – Rosslyn Coffee to welcome Coffee Collective at London Wall pop-up on 29 & 30 August. Coffee Collective’s co-founder Klaus Thomsen, the 2006 World Barista Champion and one of the most influential figures in specialty coffee, will be serving coffee behind the counter alongside the Rosslyn team. The pop-up will also feature the viral BMO, short for “bolle med ost” in Danish, or “bun with cheese”, baked by Forno using butter from The Estate Dairy. (London, UK)

Milestone

• Tue, 18 Aug – Manna Coffee raises funds to scale its automated kiosk business. The company has raised more than US$300,000 towards an open seed financing round that could reach nearly US$1.25m. It has also announced strategic partnerships with cryptocurrency ATM operator CoinFlip and payments company Netevia. (Wilmington, Delaware, US)

• Wed, 19 Aug – First Coffee closes second funding round. The Indian specialty coffee chain raised US$1.m, with plans to expand its presence into Tier-II cities, strengthen the corporate team, enhance brand visibility, and invest in product line development. The Japanese VC firm DG Daiwa Ventures led the round. (New Delhi, India)

Trade & production

• Wed, 19 Aug – Indian coffee growers must register on new app for EU exports. The Coffee Board of India has directed all coffee growers to register on its newly launched digital platform, the “Coffee App”, to export coffee to the EU and maintain EUDR compliance documentation. The app will help bypass third-party services charging up to US$35/tonne of exported coffee. (Bengaluru, India)

Research

Events & competitions

• Tue, 18 Aug – Hong Kong Food Expo concludes, spotlighting coffee and tea. More than 1,850 exhibitors from over 30 countries and regions participated in the Hong Kong Food Expo, with a special focus on coffees and teas from Yunnan, Myanmar, and Kona, as well as matcha. (Hong Kong, Hong Kong)

• Fri, 21 Aug – The 13th edition of Exigí Buen Café will take place on 13 & 14 September 2026. The event will be held at La Rural in Buenos Aires. More than 40 producers from Brazil, Colombia, and Africa will attend this year’s Exigí Buen Café. The event will also host over 50 talks, three barista competitions, 20 workshops, a wine and coffee programme, cuppings, live latte art demonstrations, and a coffee rave. (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Here are a few coffee news stories from previous weeks that you might find interesting. Take a look:

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Photo credits: Slow Pour Supply, Rosslyn Coffee