EP 1535 – Part 5 of 5: Ethiopia’s 2026 Harvest — Buying Strategy & Dollar Risk - Matthew Thornton

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Episode Description

This is Part 5 of a five-part series, The 2026 Ethiopian Coffee Harvest, with Matthew Thornton, founder of Arkena Coffee Market.

After examining harvest outlook, pricing structures, stakeholder dynamics, and exporter fragility, this final episode turns to strategy. If you are sourcing Ethiopian coffee in 2026, preparation matters more than optimism.

Matthew explains why specialty prices may feel uncomfortable this year and why buyers should be prepared for sticker shock. We discuss how regional shifts in production affect purchasing decisions, how western volumes may offset eastern tightness, and how quality management risk changes in a bumper crop year.

The conversation also widens to currency exposure. A weakening US dollar, foreign exchange controls, and Ethiopia’s pricing architecture create structural complexity for international buyers. We explore how macroeconomic forces, including speculation in commodity markets, could add volatility to coffee pricing this year.

This episode closes the series by connecting origin realities to global financial dynamics. If you buy, trade, import, or roast Ethiopian coffee, this discussion is about positioning yourself intelligently for 2026.

Guest links
Arkena Coffee Market: https://arkenacoffee.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkenacoffee/