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Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee Raising Money to Buy Cows for Rwandan Farmers

Atlanta-based Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee is raising money to provide farmers in Rwanda with dairy cattle. The goal of the Grateful Together campaign is to raise $10,000 between now and the end of January to provide cows to families that the company partners with in the Kivu Lake and Ruli Mountain coffee-farming regions.

Disneyland Paris Signs 5-Year Coffee Deal with Lavazza

Disneyland Paris and Lavazza Group are entering a five-year partnership that will bring Lavazza and Carte Noire products to the popular European tourist spot. The partnership involves an emphasis on sustainability efforts and exclusive drink recipes for Disneyland Paris.

Re:co Symposium Heading to Portland April 19-20

The Re:co Symposium will be held in Portland, Oregon, on April 19-20, just ahead of the annual Specialty Coffee Expo. The event is offering two ticket types this year. Registration will begin in early January. 

Election of Barista Guild Leaders Underway

The election for the 2023-2025 Barista Guild Leadership Council is underway. According to the organization, this year sees the most geographically diverse slate of candidates to date. Voting closes Dec. 13. The Barista Guild is the global trade guild of the Specialty Coffee Association.

Anne Djerai Named CEO of Metropolis Coffee Co. 

Anne Djerai has been promoted to be the CEO of Chicago’s Metropolis Coffee Company. Djerai has been with the company for three years and has helped grow the brand, particularly in the capsule category. The roasting company was named Roast Magazine’s Roaster of the Year in 2007.

Neumann Kaffee Gruppe Rejoins Global Coffee Platform 

Green coffee trader Neumann Kaffee Gruppe has rejoined the Global Coffee Platform, a nonprofit organization designed to promote sustainability standards among many of the world’s largest coffee companies. The announcement comes as GCP launches a new strategy to focus on farmer prosperity. NKG recently collected applications for the second year of its NKG Partnership to Advance Coffee Equity (PACE) program.

Tulsa Coffee Shop Owner Buys Farm in Nicaragua

The owner of DoubleShot Coffee Company in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is now the owner of a coffee farm, radio station KRMG reports. Owner Brian Franklin said coffee being planted now at the small farm should be available at DoubleShot Coffee Company in about three years. The cafe and roastery in Tulsa is housed in a 170-year old wooden barn dubbed The Rookery.

Wojciech Tysler Named Brand Ambassador for Franke

Swiss coffee machine manufacturer Franke Coffee Systems has announced Wojciech Tysler as the first brand ambassador. Tysler is a 2021 SCA World Barista Championship finalist.

Trish Rothgeb Rejoins Coffee Quality Institute

Trish Rothgeb has rejoined the Coffee Quality Institute as a Quality Evaluation Specialist, the nonprofit has announced. The California-based organization that oversees the Q Grader accreditation program also recently announced three new members to its board of trustees.

DMCC Opens Global Coffee Lounge in Dubai

The new DMCC Lounge in Dubai will serve as a hub of specialty coffee and tea from around the globe. The lounge is located in the Almas Tower of the Jumeirah Lakes Towers district. The United Arab Emirates expanded Dubai’s place in the coffee market with the launch of the DMCC Coffee Centre in 2019.

Keurig Dr Pepper Announces New Chief Research and Development Officer

Beverage giant Keurig Dr Pepper has named Dr. Karin Rotem-Wildeman the new chief research and development officer. Rotem-Wildeman has held roles at Godiva Chocolatier and PepsiCo. This fall, Keurig Dr Pepper also announced Sudhanshu Priyadarshi was taking over as CFO. 

Colombia Must Decide on New York Stock Exchange

Colombia National Federation of Coffee Growers President Roberto Velez said Colombia must decide if it wants to continue having its price linked to the New York Stock Exchange or take the unprecedented step of setting its own fixed price, according to a Reuters report. The news comes as a global surplus linked to strong production in Brazil could drive down the New York price. The federation explored the removal of Colombian coffee from commodities exchanges in 2019 when prices were at unsustainable lows.

ICO Releases November Price Report

According to an International Coffee Organization report, the ICO Composite Indicator Price went down by 12.3% from October to November, but the price remains firm. The median value was US156.83 cents per pound for the month.

In Case You Missed It

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

Coffee plants growing. New EU regulations may have sweeping implications for coffee producers, traders and roasters.

EU Regulators Agree on New ‘Deforestation-Free’ Rules Affecting Coffee 

European legislators are working towards a landmark deal designed to cut down deforestation caused by products sold in or exported by the EU, notably including coffee. If finalized as expected, the new regulations would have sweeping implications… Read more

This Teabag-Like Decaf Pouch is Tackling Decaffeination One Cup at a Time

A Seattle-based company called Decafino is bringing a novel decaffeinating solution called the Decaf Pouch to coffee drinkers in the United States and Asia beginning this month. Whereas decaffeination typically takes place at the green (unroasted) coffee processing stage… Read more

Ethiopia Green Coffee Specialist Catalyst Trade Expands Into Peru, Kenya

Now in its fifth year of business, Oregon-by-way-of-Ethiopia-based coffee importing company Catalyst Trade is rolling out its first green coffee offerings from Peru. Founded in Portland by Emily and Michael McIntyre along with Ethiopia-based partner Zelalem “Zele” Girma Bayou, the company has also quietly expanded into Kenya… Read more

Bellwether, Sustainable Harvest and Fairtrade Meet ‘Living Income’ Price in Guatemala 

Electric coffee roaster maker and green coffee seller Bellwether Coffee has announced the implementation of a “living income” price for coffees sourced from Guatemala. The sourcing program involves participation… Read more

Technoserve Leading 5-Year, USDA-Funded Burundi Coffee Project

The international development nonprofit Technoserve is leading a five-year, $16.7 million program funded by the United States Department of Agriculture designed to boost the coffee sector of Burundi. Called the Burundi Better Coffee Initiative, the program is designed to help some 60,000 coffee-farming families… Read more

Understanding and Evaluating Labor Abuse Risk in the Coffee Sector

There tends to be more information on labor violations in countries in which governments invest more time and resources in labor inspections and are more transparent in sharing data… Read more

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