Part 3 of 5: Lee Safar examines who carries the greatest risk across the coffee supply chain during geopolitical disruptions.
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Part 2 of 5: Lee Safar explains how global shipping routes move coffee around the world and why disruptions in West Asia could impact the coffee supply chain.
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Part 1 of 5: In this solo episode, Lee Safar explores why geopolitical conflict can quickly disrupt coffee supply chains through energy markets, shipping routes, and global trade finance systems.
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Rebecca Zentveld discusses how research, new coffee varieties, and biosecurity are shaping the future of Australian coffee farming.
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Rebecca Zentveld explains how biological and regenerative farming practices influence soil health, crop resilience, and potentially coffee flavor.
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Rebecca Zentveld explains the structural challenges facing Australian coffee farmers, including land prices, labour costs, equipment investment, and the economics of producing coffee in Australia.
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Rebecca Zentveld explains how Australia’s volcanic soils, cooler subtropical climate, varietals, and processing conditions shape the flavor and identity of Australian-grown coffee.
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Rebecca Zentveld shares how Australian coffee farming re-emerged in the 1980s, how early growers established the industry, and why Australia became such an unusual coffee-growing origin.
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In the final episode of this series, Carol Salloum shares what makes cafés truly beloved and how systems, values, and cultural hospitality create longevity.
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In Part 4 of this series, Carol Salloum shares what café owners must prioritise to survive continued volatility in 2026.
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In Part 3 of this series, Carol Salloum shares what café owners should truly be nervous about in 2026 and why understanding customers and pricing strategy is critical for survival.
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In Part 2 of this series, Carol Salloum explores how rising costs and economic volatility are reshaping customer expectations and spending patterns in cafés.
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In Part 1 of this five-part series, Carol Salloum from 3Tomatoes reflects on how 2025 actually unfolded for café owners and what rising costs, staffing pressure, and industry shifts mean heading into 2026.
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This is Part 5 of a five-part series examining the lived experience of smallholder coffee farmers operating within volatile markets. In this episode, Ana Donneys reflects on whether there is a viable path forward in 2026 and beyond.
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This is Part 4 of a five-part series examining the lived experience of volatility for smallholder coffee farmers. In this episode, Ana Donneys discusses risk redistribution, generational change, innovation at origin, and the responsibility of the entire value chain to work together long term.
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This is Part 3 of a five-part series examining the lived experience of volatility for smallholder coffee farmers. In this episode, Ana Donneys explains why recent price levels have not translated into real profitability at farm level.
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This is Part 2 of a five-part series examining the reality of being a smallholder coffee farmer in volatile markets. In this episode, Ana Donneys explains the lived experience of direct trade — including capital requirements, delayed payments, and risk distribution at origin.
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This is Part 1 of a five-part series examining the reality of being a smallholder coffee farmer operating within volatile markets. In this episode, Ana Donneys from Cafe Primitivo in Colombia explains what volatility actually looks like at farm level, beyond the headlines about high prices.
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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.
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This is Part 4 of a five-part series, The 2026 Ethiopian Coffee Harvest, with Matthew Thornton, founder of Arkena Coffee Market.
In this episode, we examine the downside scenario: what happens if the harvest does not perform as expected, or if exporters miscalculate demand and pricing.
Matthew explains that while many farmers have already benefited from high cherry prices this season, exporters, especially specialty-focused unions and cooperatives, are operating in what he calls a survival year
Those who purchased aggressively without secured markets may be forced into secondary mills, accepting thinner margins or losses. Meanwhile, larger exporters with import businesses can absorb coffee losses because Ethiopia’s export system allows them to retain foreign currency, which can be leveraged in other import-based ventures
The conversation also turns to a deeper structural issue: the specialty industry often views itself through a quality lens, while much of origin trade operates through commodity and currency logic. When prices surge, farmers may deprioritize specialty differentiation. When prices fall, liquidity becomes the dominant concern.
This episode is about trade mechanics, currency incentives, and what truly determines survival in Ethiopia’s 2026 harvest.
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