World of Coffee 2023 Recap, Upping Organic Enforcement, and Developing Specific Flavor Profiles

• What you missed at World of Coffee 2023

  By Benjamin Mitchell for newGround

  “The industry's biggest competitions, best products, and most innovative brands all gathered in Athens at the end of last week for the World of Coffee 2023. There were approximately 10,000 people and 400 companies in attendance. For everyone there, it was an opportunity to explore the very best of specialty coffee. Guatemalan Coffees held a large welcome on the morning of June 22nd. This was followed by an official ribbon-cutting ceremony to inaugurate the event. With a jam-packed schedule across all three days, we highlighted the standout moments of this year's World of Coffee Athens.”

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• How Brazil's cooperatives could disrupt the specialty coffee status quo

  By Peter Gakuo for Coffee Intelligence

  “Coffee cooperatives in Brazil are a beast like no other. And while many have historically grown commodity-grade coffee, more and more in recent years have shifted to specialty. The fundamental purpose of a coffee cooperative is to group producers together in order to leverage economies of scale. Together, producers can benefit from shared farming costs, such as bulk purchasing of fertilisers. Cooperatives also provide greater marketing opportunities, and they can facilitate access to finance for smallholders who might find it challenging to secure loans individually. Coffee cooperatives can be found all over the producing world. However, in no other country do they operate on a scale as large as Brazil.”

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• Strengthening Organic Enforcement: Changes to the USDA Organics Regulations

  By Silke Fuchshofen for Roast Magazine

  “Long-anticipated changes to the National Organic Program (NOP) went into effect on March 20, 2023, expanding the oversight and enforcement of the production, handling and sale of organic products. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) rule amends organic regulations to protect the integrity of the organic supply chain and improve farm-to-market traceability. The changes seek to provide a level playing field for organic farms and businesses.”

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• How can producers & roasters develop specific flavour profiles for specialty coffee?

  By Zoe Stanley-Foreman for Perfect Daily Grind

  “In today’s ever-changing specialty coffee sector, there are many different variables which affect a coffee’s flavour profile. From altitude and harvest time to processing technique and roast profile, more and more industry professionals are finding new ways to tweak these variables to alter flavour, aroma, and mouthfeel in coffee. Across the industry, this level of innovation in coffee flavour development has been the most apparent at the World Coffee Championships, especially the World Barista Championship. During their routines, competitors will often explain in detail how they worked with producers to develop a specific flavour profile.”

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