Latino Representation, Brazilian World Barista Champion, and the Future of Specialty Coffee

• Why is Latino representation so important in specialty coffee?

  By Emilio Bonnet for Perfect Daily Grind

  “The specialty coffee industry prides itself on being inclusive of a diverse range of people - and so it should. Coffee professionals from around the world come from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures, and all deserve equal respect and representation. Unfortunately, however, this isn't always the case. Today, there are still ongoing implications of the coffee industry's colonial history. These disproportionately affect certain demographics, including Spanish-speaking Latin Americans.”

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• Competing is a personal journey - staying authentic is the key to success

  By Emi Fukahori for newGround

  “Every person deciding to compete should set their own goal; and it should not be 'I want to win,' especially for first-time competitors. Instead, your goals should focus on personal development: learning more about coffee; being able to present your favourite topic in front of an audience; challenging yourself to be able to work under pressure. It is a personal journey, shared with your team and your passion for coffee. Getting informed about how the scoresheets work is a great place to start. In charge of the scoresheets are judges, but I like to see them as customers with precise expectations.”

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• Savor your coffee; someone probably lost sleep over it

  By Nic Neves for “I'm Really Into” from NPR

  “Coffee in Minas is usually served sickly sweet, but never with milk, and never iced, even in the middle of summer. Once the stars came out, we'd soak them in until the air got cold, and then we'd squeeze ourselves by the wood stove with another cup and feel a warm certainty that the coffee thermos must be bigger on the inside.”

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• A Brazilian barista winning the WBC has been a long time coming

  By Benjamin Mitchell for Coffee Intelligence

  “Boram Um took home the historic victory with a theme based around the expression, 'Teamwork makes the dream work.' He emphasised the role that all supply chain actors play in elevating coffee quality. Boram used an anaerobically fermented Gesha from Janson Family Estates, Panama for his espresso course. This coffee was also used in his milk course, as a part of a blend which also included a natural Pink Bourbon from his family's farm in Brazil. His WBC victory marks a significant milestone for Brazil. Not only are they the largest coffee-producing country by a considerable margin, but this achievement also highlights their growing domestic consumption.”

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• Is the specialty coffee industry going backwards?

  By Jordan Montgomery for newGround

  “While specialty coffee continues developing new products, the sector's future looks strangely familiar. As coffee first began to be mass-produced and traded, convenience and accessibility were the primary drivers of what people considered to be the 'first wave' of coffee. As global consumption booms and consumer behaviours shift, the attention to detail and focus on premium products that have hallmarked decades of the specialty coffee industry are now being replaced by convenience, reminiscent of the previous waves of coffee.”

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