Global Coffee Research Articles

Implications of Digital Operations Management Strategies for Chinese Retail-based Service Companies A Case Study of Service-oriented Companies Starbucks

Under the impetus of digitalization, China's retail service industry can no longer achieve higher development through traditional operation and management modes, so it is necessary to explore digital operation and management strategies that are suitable for China in the wave of the development of digital economy. This paper takes Starbucks, a global coffee chain, as an example to explore the favorable reference and inspiration provided by the digital operation management strategy to Chinese retail service enterprises. By analyzing the main reasons that motivate Chinese retail-based service enterprises to undergo digital transformation, and using Starbucks' digital transformation strategy as a case study, this paper concludes that Chinese service-oriented retail enterprises have to follow the development mode of integrating online and offline in digital transformation. China's retail-based service industry can mainly start from four major aspects in the process of digital transformation, namely, the inclusion of digital technologies, optimisation of supply chain management, innovation in marketing, and establishment a new talent training model. To promote the continuous development and innovation of the enterprise through the adoption of concrete and implementable measures.

Fractional order for the transmission dynamics of coffee berry diseases (CBD)

Abstract Coffee berry diseases (CBD) pose significant threats to coffee production worldwide, affecting the livelihoods of millions of farmers and the global coffee market. Fractional calculus provides a powerful framework for describing non-local and memory-dependent phenomena, making it suitable for modelling the long-range interactions inherent in CBD spread. This study aims to formulate and analyse fractional order model for CBD transmission dynamics in the sense of Atangana–Baleanu–Caputo. Fixed point theorems were utilised to test the existence and uniqueness of the model’s solutions using fractional order. The basic reproduction number was calculated utilising the next-generation matrix. The model has locally asymptotically stable equilibrium positions (disease-free and endemic). Furthermore, the Lyapunov function was used to conduct a global stability analysis of the equilibrium locations. A numerical simulation of the CBD model was created using the fractional Adam–Bashforth–Moulton approach to validate the analytical findings. Our findings contribute to the development of more accurate predictive models and inform the design of targeted interventions to mitigate the impact of CBD on coffee production systems.

An Examination of Ethiopian Data on the Coffee Value Chain from a Systemic Perspective

Ethiopia's principal export crop is coffee. Currently, one of the most profitable exports for nations in East Africa, including Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, is coffee. Ethiopia is recognized as the source and major hub of Arabica coffee varietal. Global coffee production is insignificant, with over 70 nations and approximately 25 million growers producing coffee. Seventeen percent of coffee producers worldwide are from Ethiopia. Ethiopia, which produces 4.46 percent of the world's coffee, is the world's fifth-largest producer, behind only Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, and Indonesia. the biggest and most prolific grower in Africa, making up around 43.15% of the continent. Ethiopian coffee varieties vary greatly in terms of genetic variety. The nation has also captured the attention of the world because of its inherent. More than 60% of the world's coffee is produced by the top three countries—Brazil, Vietnam, and Colombia together. Ethiopia is the eighth-largest supplier of coffee to the world market, accounting for 3–3.7 percent. Sixty countries import coffee from Ethiopia. The top 10 countries to import Ethiopian coffee, in terms of value, were Italy, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Belgium, South Korea, China, the United Arab Emirates, and Taiwan. They make up 84% of the whole. Japan moved up from sixth place in 2020–2021 to fourth place in the world for coffee imports in 2021–2022.

Beyond aroma: A sustainability performance analysis of Italian coffee roasting companies

AbstractCoffee consumption is becoming increasingly prevalent among a growing number of consumers worldwide. Despite ranking seventh in coffee consumption, Italy is the global coffee export leader, with almost 1000 coffee roasting companies across the country. As a product subject to increasing interest in sustainability, numerous studies address the economic, social and environmental challenges affecting coffee production. However, only a few evaluate the sustainability performance of roasting companies in consuming countries. This study examines the integration of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in business strategy to provide an overview of sustainability performance among Italian roasting companies. The analysis encompasses 78 sustainability practices across 49 businesses and assesses their communication to stakeholders. Furthermore, factors such as company size and specialty coffee sale were investigated for their influence on sustainability performance. The findings reveal a low commitment to sustainability within the Italian coffee sector, with 83.7% of companies in the first two stages of the five‐stage CSR assessment model. Although there is an interest in addressing product safety, quality, and consumer relations, responsible sourcing is often relegated to suppliers or voluntary sustainability standards. Communication is not effective, as more than half of the companies did not provide sustainability information on their websites. In this sample, the commitment to sustainability was directly related to the size of the business, and the same relationship was observed for roasters selling specialty coffees.

China’s Coffee Frontier: A Tale of Two Regions and a Global Market

This essay explores the evolution of China’s coffee industry, focusing on two key regions—Yunnan and Hainan. Despite coffee’s late introduction to China compared to tea, Yunnan has become a dominant player, producing 98% of the nation’s coffee, largely Arabica. The region’s mountainous terrain and favorable climate have propelled its coffee industry, which has seen substantial foreign investment and efforts to enhance coffee quality. In contrast, Hainan’s tropical conditions make it ideal for Robusta production, though its cultural coffee practices, influenced by Southeast Asian migrants, set it apart. The essay also examines how the growing demand for coffee, spurred by urbanization and lifestyle changes, has shifted Chinese consumption patterns. Companies like Luckin Coffee and Starbucks have capitalized on this trend, contributing to both the domestic and global coffee markets. Despite rapid growth, China still represents a small share of global coffee production, but its coffee culture and industry are poised for further expansion. The synergy between rising specialty coffee demand and advancements in delivery services suggests continued growth for China’s coffee market on the world stage.

Analysis of current and future bioclimatic suitability for C. arabica production in Ethiopia.

The coffee sector in Ethiopia is the livelihood of more than 20% of the population and accounts more than 25% of the country's foreign exchange earnings. Climate change is expected to affect the climatic suitability of coffee in Ethiopia, and this would have implications for global coffee output, the national economy, and farmers' livelihoods in Ethiopia. The objective of this paper is to assess the current and future impacts of climate change on bioclimatic suitability to C.arbica production in Ethiopia. Based on the current distribution of coffee production areas and climate change predictions from HadGEM2 and CCSM2 models and using the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) bioclimatic modeling approach, future changes in climatic suitability for C. arabica were predicted. Coffee production sites in Ethiopia were geo-referenced and used as input in the MAXENT model. The findings indicated that climate change will increase the suitable growing area for coffee by about 44.2% and 30.37% under HadGEM2 and CCSM2 models, respectively, by 2080 in Ethiopia. The study also revealed a westward and northwestward shift in the climatic suitability to C. arabica production in Ethiopia. This indicates that the suitability of some areas will continue with some adaptation practice, whilst others currently suitable will be unsuitable, yet others that are unsuitable will be suitable for arabica coffee production. These findings are intended to support stakeholders in the coffee sector in developing strategies for reducing the vulnerability of coffee production to climate change. Site-specific strategies should be developed to build a more climate resilient coffee livelihood in the changing climate.

Conceptual Metaphor Analysis in Advertising Slogans about Coffee Brands

This paper delves into the strategic use of conceptual metaphors in advertising slogans for coffee brands, exploring how these linguistic devices influence consumer perception and brand appeal. By employing cognitive linguistic theories, this study categorizes eight global coffee brand slogans into five distinct metaphorical patterns, revealing the underlying conceptual mappings that enhance brand messaging. The analysis underscores the importance of metaphorical language in simplifying complex ideas, evoking emotional responses, and establishing a connection between the product and the consumer’s everyday experiences. This paper concludes that the judicious application of conceptual metaphors in advertising is a powerful tool for creating memorable and impactful slogans that resonate with the target audience.

Factors Affecting the Quality of Ethiopian Coffee (Coffea Arabica L.)

Ethiopia is fortunate in this regard, as it is home to many different types of. Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L.) is the main coffee variety in global coffee production, accounting for more than 60% of total production. Arabica coffee accounts for 30% of Ethiopia's foreign exchange earnings. Arabica coffee is a popular coffee variety in coffee producing and consuming countries due to its unique aroma and taste and lack of caffeine. Ethiopia's most important export is coffee, which is also its most important crop. Ethiopia is well known for producing very high-quality coffee, renowned for its excellent aroma and taste, and is also the birthplace of Arabica coffee. The coffee industry attaches great importance to coffee quality. Cup quality is a complex trait that depends on many factors, including species or variety (genetic factors), environmental conditions (ecological factors), agronomic practices (cultivation factors), processing systems (post-harvest factors), storage conditions, and industrial factors. process, beverage preparation and consumer preferences. However, the quality of coffee produced by Ethiopian farmers sometimes deteriorates. Additionally, local genotype, climate and soil characteristics, agricultural practices, harvesting strategy and timing, post-harvest handling procedures, grading, packaging, storage and transportation conditions all affect coffee quality, either improving or decreasing coffee quality.

The Review Article: Ethiopian Coffee Production Trend Analysis: Comparison with Major Coffee Producing Countries of The World

Ethiopia is believed to be the birth place of Arabica coffee and coffee takes a lion share in Ethiopian economy and socio-economic development since it is a prime export commodity in the country. Cognizant of its importance, Ethiopian government made key development plan and strategies to increase coffee production and productivity. As a result, many efforts were made in coffee research and extension in the last five decades; but so far Ethiopia has not attained to fully capitalize its potential in the coffee sector and there is no information on change over years of production and productivity of coffee. FAOSTAT and International Coffee Organization data were used and analyzed by descriptive statistics. Descriptive results depicted that even if coffee productivity is not significantly increased in the last decades, coffee production increased from around 180,000 metric ton in 1993 to 487,808.44 metric ton in 2021. However, still Ethiopia left behind in coffee production as compared to the major world coffee producing countries and its contribution to global coffee production is less than 5% over several years. To change and improve the historical growth trend of coffee production and productivity, it is the responsibility of all stakeholders to support coffee producers to use full package of recommended production technologies and to stump old coffee trees and work on soil and water conservation practices.

A Review of Biochemical Factors Influencing Coffee Disease and Insect Pests Resistance

Coffee is a major crop in over 70 countries, with Ethiopia being one of the top coffee-producing countries in Africa. However, coffee is susceptible to various diseases and insect pests that can significantly reduce yields and affect coffee quality. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge on the biochemical contents of coffee and their mechanisms of resistance to diseases and insect pests, with a focus on the Ethiopian context. The biochemical contents of coffee, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenes, play a crucial role in its resistance to diseases and insect pests. These compounds can act as antimicrobial agents, inhibiting the growth of fungal pathogens and bacteria, and also exhibit insecticidal properties, repelling ants and other insects that can damage coffee plants.. The review highlights the importance of harnessing the power of coffee's biochemical contents to develop sustainable coffee production practices that can mitigate the impacts of disease and pest outbreaks, improve coffee quality, and promote the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. By understanding the biochemical factors that contribute to coffee's defense against diseases and pests, researchers and policymakers can work towards enhancing the resilience and productivity of the Ethiopian coffee industry, which plays a crucial role in the global coffee market.

Coffee in Indian Economy: Performance and Prospects

Coffee is a universal hot beverage, and its international trade volumes point to significant approval in favour of coffee consumption. For many nations in the tropics, coffee is a major source of foreign exchange. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the global and domestic coffee industry, with a particular focus on India's role based on the secondary data taken from different sources like ITC trade map, Coffee Board of India and international coffee organization statistics, etc. In 2022, global coffee production reached 10.89 million tons, with Brazil, Vietnam, and Indonesia leading the output. Despite being the eighth-largest coffee producer, India's export ranking is relatively low due to significant domestic consumption. This study employs standard econometric tools, such as compound annual growth rate, Cuddy Della Index, Markov chain analysis, etc. The Johansen co-integration test revealed a long-run equilibrium relationship among selected Arabica and Robusta coffee markets. Furthermore, the pair-wise Granger causality test identified unidirectional causality in price transmission among certain Arabica markets, while bidirectional causality was observed among Robusta markets. The paper also highlights the declining coffee yield in India due to biotic and abiotic stressors, despite an increase in production and cultivation area. The study concludes with a discussion on the dynamics of Indian coffee exports, where high domestic demand and fluctuating international prices contribute to the sector's variability. This research provides valuable insights into the performance and prospects of the coffee industry within the Indian economy, offering a basis for future policy and market interventions.

Quality in beans: tracking and tracing coffee through automation and machine learning

PurposeCoffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world and the global coffee industry is worth over $100bn. However, the industry faces significant sustainability challenges. Developing a quality traceability system to select the coffee beans and to ensure their authentication would result in economic advantages, because it allows for fraud to be avoided and increases consumer confidence.Design/methodology/approachTraceability is one of the key elements of sustainability in the coffee sector. The literature reveals that near-infrared (NIR) approaches have a huge potential for gaining rapid information about the origin and properties of coffee beans, without invasive procedures. This study demonstrates the scalability potential of automated methods of manipulation and image acquisition of coffee beans, from experimental scale to industrial lines.FindingsA solution based on the interaction of a manipulation system, a NIR spectrometer acquisition station integrated with a machine learning infrastructure and a compressed air classifier allows for the automatic separation of coffee beans into different classes of origin.Originality/valueApart from traceability, the wide industrialization of this system offers further advantages, including reduced workforce, decreased subjectivity in the evaluation and the acquisition of real-time data for labeling.

Fungicidal activity and molecular docking of glycerol‐derived triazole compounds for controlling coffee leaf rust

AbstractCoffee leaf rust (CLR), caused by Hemileia vastatrix, poses a significant threat to global coffee production, resulting in substantial economic losses. This study explores the effectiveness of triazole derivatives synthesized from glycerol in controlling CLR in conilon coffee (Coffea canephora). In vitro assays evaluated the inhibitory effect of triazole derivatives (4a–4q) at concentrations of 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100 ppm on H. vastatrix urediniospore germination, followed by greenhouse experiments to assess their preventive and curative potential. Preventive and curative sprayings of the four most efficient triazoles were conducted on seedlings inoculated with H. vastatrix at concentrations ranging from 0 to 400 ppm, evaluating severity, sporulation, incubation and latent periods. Triazole derivatives 4b, 4d, 4f and 4o effectively suppressed H. vastatrix urediniospore germination, achieving reductions between 9.9% and 78.8%. In greenhouse trials, these compounds demonstrated preventive efficacy by prolonging incubation and latent periods, reducing sporulation and mitigating rust severity, with triazole 4f exhibiting the highest efficiency. Furthermore, the derivatives showed effectiveness in curative treatments, particularly triazole 4f. Physiological analyses indicated no significant alterations in coffee plant metabolism, suggesting the safety of these compounds for agricultural use. Molecular docking studies elucidated their mechanism of action, suggesting their potential as antifungal agents by interacting with the HvCYP51 enzyme involved in ergosterol biosynthesis. Overall, the study underscores the promising efficacy of glycerol‐derived triazole derivatives in managing CLR, providing sustainable solutions for disease control in agriculture.

The best way to the trap: An ecological study of coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) preference to several volatile compounds

This study explored the effectiveness of ethanol and methanol as attractants for controlling the coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei Ferr 1867, a significant pest in global coffee plantations. The research aimed to assess the efficiency of these substances as attractant traps for CBB in Kaliselogiri, Banyuwangi, Indonesia. Using a single-factor randomized block design, the experiment involved nine treatments, each replicated three times, with modified PTE traps of 2 L volume set up at 1.5 m height. Traps were checked weekly to monitor CBB attack intensity before and after applying attractants. Statistical analyses including the Mann-Whitney Non-parametric test and Duncan’s test were used to examine variations across blocks and weeks. Abundance boxplot graphs offered descriptive insights. Over six weeks, 14,044 CBB’s were captured. The peak was in the third week, with a decline in the fourth, followed by a resurgence until the end of the study. The Mann-Whitney U test showed a significant p-value (p = 0.000; confidence level = 5%), confirming the effectiveness of the attractants on CBB. Of the treatments, K6 (Ethanol: Methanol = 2:1) was most effective. Ethanol and methanol proved to be efficient lures in CBB management traps, with ethanol particularly effective in larger compositions, suggesting its wider application. These results support the use of attractant-based strategies for CBB control and highlight the importance of ethanol and methanol. Further research is needed to optimize attractant compositions and assess long-term impacts on CBB populations and agroecosystems. The ecological consequences, including potential effects on non-target species and overall sustainability, warrant further investigation. In summary, this study advances CBB management through attractant-based traps, emphasizing the importance of ethanol.

The best way to the trap: An ecological study of coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) preference to several volatile compounds

This study explored the effectiveness of ethanol and methanol as attractants for controlling the coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei Ferr 1867, a significant pest in global coffee plantations. The research aimed to assess the efficiency of these substances as attractant traps for CBB in Kaliselogiri, Banyuwangi, Indonesia. Using a single-factor randomized block design, the experiment involved nine treatments, each replicated three times, with modified PTE traps of 2 L volume set up at 1.5 m height. Traps were checked weekly to monitor CBB attack intensity before and after applying attractants. Statistical analyses including the Mann-Whitney Non-parametric test and Duncan’s test were used to examine variations across blocks and weeks. Abundance boxplot graphs offered descriptive insights. Over six weeks, 14,044 CBB’s were captured. The peak was in the third week, with a decline in the fourth, followed by a resurgence until the end of the study. The Mann-Whitney U test showed a significant p-value (p = 0.000; confidence level = 5%), confirming the effectiveness of the attractants on CBB. Of the treatments, K6 (Ethanol: Methanol = 2:1) was most effective. Ethanol and methanol proved to be efficient lures in CBB management traps, with ethanol particularly effective in larger compositions, suggesting its wider application. These results support the use of attractant-based strategies for CBB control and highlight the importance of ethanol and methanol. Further research is needed to optimize attractant compositions and assess long-term impacts on CBB populations and agroecosystems. The ecological consequences, including potential effects on non-target species and overall sustainability, warrant further investigation. In summary, this study advances CBB management through attractant-based traps, emphasizing the importance of ethanol.

Coffee sustainability: leveraging collaborative breeding for variety improvement

The sustainability of global coffee supply is threatened by production challenges worsening with every decade since the turn of the 21st century. Coffee is among the most popular beverages in the world, and its production supports livelihoods of millions of people, mostly smallholder farmers. With a global market value exceeding US$130 billion, the coffee industry is a source of export revenue for producing countries, the majority of which are developing nations in the Global South. Climate change, pests, and diseases continue to hamper productivity, profitability, and countries’ competitiveness in the global market. At the same time, the global demand for coffee continues to rise. A crucial pillar to safeguarding the future of coffee is continuously developing improved varieties suitable for the changing environment, and that address the needs of farmers and the industry. Yet, most national breeding programs are grossly out of touch with climate change reality and market dynamics. Working in isolation, these programs are constrained by unstable funding, limited sources of genetic variability, and inaccessibility of modern technologies necessary to accelerate the breeding process. We review here key production challenges, status of genetic diversity, and breeding approaches. Additionally, we explore opportunities in leveraging a pre-competitive collaborative breeding approach encompassing sharing of germplasm, and cross-border multi-environment trials in developing next-generation cultivars. We argue that breeding efforts should be informed by the needs of all the stakeholders in the supply chain including researchers, smallholder farmers, small and medium-sized enterprises investing in coffee processing and roasting, and consumers. Using emerging and reviving producers in Southeast Asia and Eastern Africa as a model, we explore how a paradigm shift in coffee breeding from the historically nation-centric approach to a more forward-looking collaborative model could improve the efficiency of variety improvement in face of climate change and growing market demand.

Projected rising temperatures and vapour pressure deficit threaten Arabica coffee production Tanzania's burgeoning coffee region: Empirical insight from Mbinga district, Tanzania

Tanzania is emerging as a key coffee producer, but climate change poses a serious threat to coffee production in the country. While extensive literature addresses climatic variables’ trends and variability in coffee-growing regions globally, elevation, a crucial factor in coffee cultivation, is often overlooked. This paper aims to fill this knowledge gap by examining the future trends and variability of climatic variables identified in previous studies being crucial for Arabica coffee (rainfall, temperature, and vapor pressure Deficit (VPD)) during different phenological stages of Arabica coffee growth across three elevation zones (lowland, midland, and highland). We study the Mbinga district, now a major Arabica-producing area and the forefront of hopes for expanding production in Tanzania. We used a Multi-Model Ensemble (MME) of two Global Circulation Models (GCMs) to estimate the future trends and variability of rainfall, temperature, and VPD under SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios from 2023 to 2064. We analyzed these data using non-parametric trend analysis (Mann-Kendal and Sen's slope test estimation) and standardized anomalies. Our results suggest that both temperatures (minimum and maximum) and VPD during critical flowering and growing seasons are projected to increase significantly over the next 42 years across all elevation zones under both emission scenarios. The mean annual temperatures across elevation zones in Mbinga are projected to surpass the optimal temperature envelope (23 °C) for producing quality Arabica, challenging the notion that the highlands might serve as a refuge for future production. The mean annual VPD in the lowlands are projected to surpass the optimal envelope (0.82 kPa) for Arabica productivity from 2023 to 2064 under both emission scenarios, while midlands are projected to surpass the optimal VPD envelope from mid-2040s onwards. In constrast, the highlands are projected to stay within the optimal VPD envelope for Arabica productivity from 2023 to 2064 under both emission scenarios. Nevertheless, as highlands are projected to get more warmer in the future because of rising temperatures, this hope might not be feasible in the post-2064. To secure Mbinga's future in global coffee value chains, the Tanzanian government and stakeholders must support adaptation measures, enhancing smallholders’ resilience against climate-induced disruptions.

Assessing the Current Status of Vietnam's Coffee Exports in the Period 2014-2023 in the Global Coffee Value Chain

Vietnam has favorable geographical location and weather to grow and develop robusta coffee varieties. Vietnam's production area is more than 95% of robusta coffee output out of a total planting area of 600,000 hectares. In 2022, coffee productivity will reach about 28.2 tons/1 hectare, reaching the highest level since 2005, according to Department of Crop Production data. The robusta coffee variety in Vietnam is also considered the best coffee variety in the world. Therefore, according to statistics from the Vietnam Commodity Exchange, in 2023, Vietnam will be the country with the world's highest robusta coffee export value, accounting for 36% of the total global coffee export value, followed second by Brazil with 28%. In 2021, Vietnam ranks 5th globally, with coffee exports reaching 2.35 billion USD. In 2022, Vietnam exported 1.68 million tons of coffee, but the turnover reached only about 3.9 billion USD. Of these, 82% of Vietnam's coffee is exported raw (mainly Robusta), valued at 2.9 billion USD. In contrast, the export turnover of Arabica coffee is only 260 million USD for decaffeinated coffee. 76.9 million USD and roasted, ground-illat coffee worth 598 million USD. Colombia and Switzerland have a small amount of coffee exported, but the value is high thanks to the quality and coffee brands that the country has built. Vietnam's coffee exports set a new record with a turnover of 4.24 billion USD in 2023. Just past the beginning of the new year, Robusta coffee prices continue to record many new peaks. With this advantage, the coffee industry has a solid foundation for its export goal in 2024.

Formation in coffee production: knowledge from the Coffee Farms of Ituango

This article presents Ituango's coffee producers as knowledgeable individuals who possess a wealth of valuable insights. The research methodology employed was narrative-based, designed to capture the lived and told experiences and perspectives of the growers in a participatory and dialogic manner. The narratives were grouped according to thematic affinities into two categories: technological evolution and adaptation to change; and coffee growing, a formative path. The first category contains testimonials that highlight the history of coffee growing in Ituango and perceptions about the evolution of technology in coffee production. The second category is comprised of testimonials that emphasize coffee culture as a vocation centered around family. The skills of the coffee producers were recognized in creating support networks, promoting collective work, enabling continuous learning, promoting women's participation in coffee farming, and fostering critical thinking to adapt to technological advances in their environment. All these contributions from coffee growers are significant in the global coffee chain sustainability.

Exploring Microbial Influence on Flavor Development during Coffee Processing in Humid Subtropical Climate through Metagenetic-Metabolomics Analysis.

Research into microbial interactions during coffee processing is essential for developing new methods that adapt to climate change and improve flavor, thus enhancing the resilience and quality of global coffee production. This study aimed to investigate how microbial communities interact and contribute to flavor development in coffee processing within humid subtropical climates. Employing Illumina sequencing for microbial dynamics analysis, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) integrated with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for metabolite assessment, the study revealed intricate microbial diversity and associated metabolic activities. Throughout the fermentation process, dominant microbial species included Enterobacter, Erwinia, Kluyvera, and Pantoea from the prokaryotic group, and Fusarium, Cladosporium, Kurtzmaniella, Leptosphaerulina, Neonectria, and Penicillium from the eukaryotic group. The key metabolites identified were ethanol, and lactic, acetic, and citric acids. Notably, the bacterial community plays a crucial role in flavor development by utilizing metabolic versatility to produce esters and alcohols, while plant-derived metabolites such as caffeine and linalool remain stable throughout the fermentation process. The undirected network analysis revealed 321 interactions among microbial species and key substances during the fermentation process, with Enterobacter, Kluyvera, and Serratia showing strong connections with sugar and various volatile compounds, such as hexanal, benzaldehyde, 3-methylbenzaldehyde, 2-butenal, and 4-heptenal. These interactions, including inhibitory effects by Fusarium and Cladosporium, suggest microbial adaptability to subtropical conditions, potentially influencing fermentation and coffee quality. The sensory analysis showed that the final beverage obtained a score of 80.83 ± 0.39, being classified as a specialty coffee by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) metrics. Nonetheless, further enhancements in acidity, body, and aftertaste could lead to a more balanced flavor profile. The findings of this research hold substantial implications for the coffee industry in humid subtropical regions, offering potential strategies to enhance flavor quality and consistency through controlled fermentation practices. Furthermore, this study contributes to the broader understanding of how microbial ecology interplays with environmental factors to influence food and beverage fermentation, a topic of growing interest in the context of climate change and sustainable agriculture.