Why Coffee Businesses Should Rethink Risk in 2027 (Lee Safar) | EP1717 Part 2 of 5 (Map It Forward)
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Episode Description
This is part 2 of a new 5-part solo series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar. In this series, Lee examines why 2027 could be an exceptionally challenging year for the global coffee industry and what businesses can do to prepare for uncertainty.
In this episode, Lee challenges the increasingly popular mindset that businesses need to take big risks to achieve big rewards. She explains why understanding financial exposure, reducing unnecessary risk, and strengthening relationships across the coffee supply chain could be essential to surviving 2027.
Drawing on the Benecke Coffee insolvency, Lee explores the vulnerabilities within coffee's commercial structures, including bank financing, margin calls, credit terms, delayed payments, hedging, insurance, working capital, and contractual obligations.
She explains how financing and risk are frequently passed between businesses across the supply chain, from importers financing green coffee to roasters extending credit to cafés, and why financial distress at one point can have consequences for everyone connected to that business.
Lee also encourages coffee professionals to understand the financial health of their customers, suppliers, and other commercial partners, recognise early signs of distress, and carefully review contracts and financing arrangements.
Central to this discussion is Map It Forward's philosophy of conspiring to each other's success. Lee explains why building transparent, mutually supportive business ecosystems, sharing risk responsibly, and prioritising cooperation over destructive competition could be among the most important strategies for navigating 2027.
The episode closes with a caution about pursuing business growth without substantial financial reserves in an uncertain market.
Connect with Lee Safar and Map It Forward:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leesafar/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leesafar
Map It Forward: https://mapitforward.coffee