Specialty Coffee Industry Research Articles

Exploring coopetition and value‐based networks in business models for sustainability—A case study of the specialty coffee industry in Colombia

AbstractDrawing on coopetition‐based and values‐based business model networks, we explore competitors' coevolutionary interactions to drive sustainability. Using a specialty coffee industry case study in Colombia, we propose an analytical framework for collaboration, leveraging resources to transform neglected industry values. We apply the congruence analysis method to compare theoretical expectations with empirical findings, providing rigorous evidence. Our study reveals that developing values‐based networks through coopetition allows collective problem resolution and offers new opportunities for value creation. This research contributes to coopetition and values‐based network theories, emphasizing practical implications for sustainability‐focused business models. By highlighting competitor collaboration intricacies, our study enhances our understanding of the dynamics of local markets.

An innovative dryer for Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L.) drying: Investigating heat and mass transfer

In the pursuit of advancing post-processing techniques for Arabica coffee, our research introduces a rotary dryer, known as a roto-aerated dryer, marking its first application in coffee drying and surpassing conventional methods. This study delves into the evaluation of heat and mass transfer dynamics between coffee and drying air within the innovative dryer. Characterization of raw materials precedes a series of drying experiments under varied conditions, forming the basis for a mathematical two-phase model elucidating the underlying dynamics of the drying process. Noteworthy is the significantly reduced material residence time (14.60–27.47 min) compared to conventional dryers. Drying rates (0.09–0.24 g water/100 g solid/min) surpass those achieved by other methods. Simulated results from the numerical solution of the two-phase model closely align with experiments (average error of 2.39% for moisture content and 0.89% for temperature). The effective preservation of material quality, particularly acidity, underscores the valuable insights offered for optimizing drying processes, holding substantial potential for advancing the specialty coffee industry.

Asia Africa's Impact on Middle East's Specialty Coffee Community

In an era when work entails accomplishment, personal progress, financial security, social connections, and finding meaning, the specialty coffee sector has become a magnet for experts from Asia and Africa looking to offer their skills to the Middle East's coffee value chain. This engrossing study dives into the motivations and preferences of labor from different regions, offering light on the unique dynamics that entice people to this particular sector and geographical context. The article investigates the cultural interchange, skill development opportunities, and career progression that attract workers to the Middle East's specialty coffee industry using prominent ideas such as the Pull-Push Theory, Resource-Based View Theory, and Cultural Diversity Theory. The findings not only demonstrate the transforming potential of work, but they also give critical insights for industry stakeholders, governments, and scholars interested in maintaining a thriving and inclusive coffee ecosystem in the region and beyond.

Risky Business: Modeling the Future of Jamaica’s Coffee Production in a Changing Climate

Jamaica produces one of the most expensive coffees on the global market. The local specialty coffee industry plays a significant role in the island’s economy and also contributes to the livelihood of smallholders—the majority of whom operate the industry’s coffee farms. While climate model projections suggest that Jamaica will continue to experience a warming and drying trend, no study has assessed the future impacts of changing climatic patterns on local coffee-growing areas. This research developed a number of geospatial processing models within the ArcMap software platform to model current coffee suitability and future crop suitability across three Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5) and three future time periods (2021–2040, 2041–2060, and 2081–2100). The results validated current locations of coffee production and revealed that there was an observable decrease in coffee suitability across the island, across all SSP scenarios and time periods under study. Most growing regions were projected to experience declines in production suitability of at least 10%, with the most severe changes occurring in non-Blue Mountain regions under the SSP5-8.5 scenario. Implications of this projected suitability change range from decreased production volumes, increased price volatility, and disruption to market operations and livelihood incomes. The paper’s findings offer stakeholders within Jamaica’s coffee industry the opportunity to develop targeted adaptation planning initiatives, and point to the need for concrete decisions concerning future investment pathways for the industry. It also provides insight into other tropical coffee-growing regions around the world that are facing the challenges associated with climate change.

The impact of coffee origin information on sensory and hedonic judgment of fine Amazonian robusta coffee

AbstractThrough the lens of predictive processing theory, perception is shaped by expectations we create about object information, including food products, and their match/mismatch with sensory stimuli. The popularity of labelling origin information to enhance product value has been spread to high‐quality foods, particularly as geographical indication (GI). The question we propose is whether the coffee's origin information can affect the sensory perception and hedonic judgment given by professional coffee tasters. Participants were divided into groups according to GI cue provision (absent, GI cue, GI storytelling) associated to the coffee sample served. Origin information proved to significantly affect participants' sensory perception, but not hedonic judgment. Precisely, participants judged acidity and overall flavor as more intense after reading the story whereas higher ratings of nutty, cacao, and caramel notes were given when origin was absent. It is likely that, origin and sorytelling influenced participants' expectations and sensory perception. Oppositely, a better perception of flavor notes was observed only in the absence of information.Practical applicationsThis study contributes to the literature of food marketing by showing that professional coffee tasters' sensory evaluations of specialty coffee are affected by product origin and how it is communicated. These findings emphasize the relevance of origin cues in food marketing and their potential on influencing expectations and sensory perception. Coffee companies and brands can benefit from communicating the origin of specialty coffee by building strategies on place reputation and image. Considering that the specialty coffee industry is growing fast and offers a variety of product options (e.g., organic, fair trade, award winner), new coffee varieties and recently registered GIs can disclose the origin cue to capture consumers' attention and enhance product value by referring to the uniqueness of a region. Additionally, different coffee profiles could be matched with different presentations of the origin cue in order to potentially enhance the consumers' perception of the beverage's attributes, improving the drinking experience.

Negotiating politics and power: Perspectives on environmental justice from Jamaica's specialty coffee industry

AbstractThe Jamaican specialty coffee industry operates in an ecologically sensitive landscape that is institutionally, politically and socio‐economically complex. Birthed under colonial rule, the industry has undergone a confluence of events that have shaped its contemporary organisation and exacerbated deeply rooted institutional and structural conditions. Through the lens of environmental justice, the paper sheds light on the plural claims to justice under changing climatic conditions and reveals the politics of adaptation within the context of market capitalism. Using stakeholder interviews, the paper captures the articulations and manifestations of injustice by exploring the local perceptions of procedural justice and justice as recognition. Through an examination of power and politics, the paper begins by contextualising the pre‐existing conditions that shape the disabling environment in which smallholders operate. This includes the neoliberal restructuring of the industry, smallholders' access to low farm gate prices, expensive farm inputs, low‐value chain participation, and limited support services. As these conditions are exacerbated by climate change impacts, the paper then discusses the disparity in justice claims between farmers and industry stakeholders surrounding the deployment of suitable climate change adaptation response. This is an area of contestation, as even though smallholders face multiple stressors, industry leaders have continued to operate the island's major coffee‐producing spaces as areas where profits can be mined and privileges reinforced. Effectively, the smallholder livelihoods embedded within Jamaica's coffee‐producing landscapes have been subjected to asymmetrical structures of power which legitimise whose voices are heard and which adaptation pathway takes precedence, thus generating injustices, nurturing vulnerabilities and stifling agency.

Grounds for Collaboration: A Model for Improving Coffee Sustainability Initiatives

Smallholder coffee producers are the foundation of the specialty coffee industry and are currently facing a set of challenges that threaten the sustainability of the industry. Movement towards a more sustainable specialty coffee sector requires strong collaboration between interdisciplinary researchers and industry stakeholders to develop research projects and interventions that address critical social, economic, and environmental threats to the industry. To improve upon past sector initiatives it is essential that cross-sector collaboration better incorporate and center coffee farmers’ voices, which have often been absent from top-down interventions. This article describes one such collaboration, which investigated agronomic and market system needs of the Guatemalan smallholder coffee sector. We conducted participatory interviews with 33 coffee producers and 22 non-producer key informants, and used mixed-methods analysis of the interview data to better understand the key challenges facing smallholder coffee producers in Guatemala. The following factors emerged: pests and diseases, climate change, price, labor, nutrient management, market access, yield, nurseries and transplants, and technical assistance. Cross-sector, interdisciplinary collaborations that directly address these areas would directly improve the long-term sustainability of the coffee industry by reducing pressures currently limiting specialty coffee production. This research framework can also serve as a model for others interested in conducting interdisciplinary, cross-sector research.

Virtual Terroir and the Premium Coffee Experience.

With its origin-centric value proposition, the specialty coffee industry seeks to educate consumers about the value of the origin of coffee and how the relationship with farmers ensures quality and makes coffee a premium product. While the industry has widely used stories and visual cues to communicate this added value, research studying whether and how these efforts influence consumers' experiences is scarce. Through three experiments, we explored the effect of images that evoke the terroir of coffee on the perception of premiumness. Our results revealed that online images that resembled the broad origin of coffee (i.e., a farm) could influence premiumness expectations of coffee (Experiment 1). Similarly, a virtual reality environment that depicted this broad origin (vs. a control but not a city atmosphere) could enhance the perception of coffee premiumness for non-expert consumers (Experiment 2) and the enjoyment of the experience for coffee professionals (Experiment 3). Importantly, we found that congruence between the coffee and the virtual reality (VR) atmospheres mediated how much non-experts enjoyed the experience (Experiment 2). VR atmospheres also influenced expectations of sweetness and acidity for non-experts (Experiment 2). These findings serve as a steppingstone for further exploration of the effects of congruence between visual cues and product/brand attributes on premiumness expectations and perception, and more generally on consumer experience. From a practical standpoint, this study provides insights into key aspects for the development of immersive virtual product experiences.

Voicing the Supply Chain

AbstractThe specialty coffee industry emphasizes the importance of personal relationships that span disparate levels of the supply chain and production models that focus on the wellbeing of coffee ...

The Effect of Roast Development Time Modulations on the Sensory Profile and Chemical Composition of the Coffee Brew as Measured by NMR and DHS-GC–MS

The specialty coffee industry is growing and, as a result, there is an accelerated interest in modulating roast profiles to present customers with new and diverse sensory experiences. The present study investigates the chemical and sensory effects of subtle variations in the ‘development time’ phase of the coffee roasting process. Four roast profiles were studied through sensory descriptive analysis (DA), gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Multivariate analysis showed clear separation of DA, GC–MS, and NMR data. A prolonged development time facilitated a statistically significant shift in the chemical and sensory profile of the coffee. The findings suggest that a short development time increases the fruity, sweet and acidic characteristics of the coffee, whereas a longer development time shifts the balance towards a more roasty, nutty, and bitter profile. The results provide evidence that supports the effect of subtle roast profile modulations. This lays a strong foundation for the inclusion of development time as a critical control parameter in the certification system of the Specialty Coffee Association, quality control, and product development strategies.

Minimum-wage Connoisseurship and Everyday Boundary Maintenance: Brewing Inequality in Third Wave Coffee

The shift from Fordism to post-Fordism in the United States introduced vast changes to production and consumption practices. In contrast to the commercial enterprises of Fordism, the post-Fordist economy relies on fast-changing tastes and small, niche markets along with new cultural forms for inducing consumption and anchoring identities. This article focuses on the specialty (or “third wave”) coffee industry, where coffee is treated similarly to wine, which I argue is emblematic of a post-Fordist economy. Relying on data collected from over a year of ethnographic fieldwork, I argue that the specialty coffee industry represents a qualitative shift in the coffee industry, one that produces a new niche market and consumer base that commoditizes sensory experiences as embodied class dispositions. I argue that baristas perform a kind of labor that I term “minimum-wage connoisseurship,” where they receive minimum wage (and tips) along with additional payment in cultural and social capital that elevates their status as well as manufacture’s consent for dedicating their time, in and outside of work, and their bodies to the organization.

Being different matters! A closer look into product differentiation in specialty coffee family farms in Central America

PurposeThere is a growing interest in understanding the strategic behaviour of family firms producing international commodities such as coffee, particularly in contexts where decisions about what products to sell, where to commercialise them and how to promote them appear to be highly based on both business and family aspects. The purpose of this paper is to explore product differentiation strategies in family firms in the specialty coffee industry across Latin American countries. Whilst the socioeconomic relevance of coffee production in Central America is unequivocal, the approach and rationale of families that engage in specialty coffee production remain underexplored.Design/methodology/approachThis study examines product differentiation in specialty coffee family farms across countries in Central America: Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. The study relies on in-depth interviews, case studies and an interpretative approach to unpick the dynamics of product differentiation by families in business dedicated to producing specialty coffee.FindingsThe findings show that product differentiation in specialty coffee family farms is influenced by both business and family aspects and driven by entrepreneurial stewards. Coffee-farming families can engage in product differentiation through a shared vision, a combination of traditional and specialised knowledge, and through the continuous development of an exchange network. The findings reveal a connection between families in business balancing family and business interests, and the strategic intention to build up their assets entrepreneurially over time.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature on stewardship and strategic behaviour in family firms when families in business engage in differentiating their products in a highly competitive industry. More specifically, this study focuses on companies across countries where coffee is of crucial socioeconomic importance, and where the said companies are owned and managed by families. The study expands understanding of product differentiation in family-enterprise-first businesses and suggests that the family elements in differentiation can be explained through an entrepreneurial stewardship perspective.

The economics of quality in the specialty coffee industry: insights from the Cup of Excellence auction programs

AbstractThis study estimates price determinants for specialty green coffee auctions using records from the 2004–2010 Cup of Excellence programs hosted by the Alliance for Coffee Excellence. While some literature on coffee has focused on certifications and sustainability labels, the discussion of price determinants has been limited. This article replicates one of the first publications on price determinants and formulates a new model to more accurately describe the market. We include the necessary additional variables and estimate the model using a truncated maximum likelihood estimation technique. While sensory quality has a strong effect on price, the highest premiums stem from obtaining a top rank compared to other coffees from the same country, and North American buyers are more responsive to sensory quality than buyers in Asian and European markets.

The “Coffee Doctors”: The Language of Taste and the Rise of Rwanda's Specialty Bean Value

The emergence of Rwanda's specialty coffee sector during the early twenty-first century has brought high-end Rwandan coffee to the shelves of coffee retailers across the United States, Europe, and Japan. While a variety of factors have influenced the rapid development of Rwanda's specialty coffee industry, one of the most significant has been the training of domestic coffee tasters. Known as cuppers, these taste professionals act as a unique link in this global foodway and help enable perception of locally based flavors through marketplace mechanisms. The Rwandan cupper is not simply another middleman in a very long commodity chain. Rather, she or he plays a new role in transforming a generic cash-crop commodity into locality-based luxury item. This new role highlights the language and standards used to differentiate coffees in producing countries for international niche markets.

Are Sustainable Coffee Certifications Enough to Secure Farmer Livelihoods? The Millenium Development Goals and Nicaragua's Fair Trade Cooperatives

In December 2001, green coffee commodity prices hit a 30-year low. This deepened the livelihood crisis for millions of coffee farmers and rural communities. The specialty coffee industry responded by scaling up several sustainable coffee certification programs, including Fair Trade. This study uses household- and community-level research conducted in Nicaragua from 2000 to 2006 to assess the response to the post-1999 coffee crisis. A participatory action research team surveyed 177 households selling into conventional and Fair Trade markets in 2006. In an effort to dialogue with specialty coffee industry and mainstream development agencies, results are framed within the context of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Findings suggest that households connected to Fair Trade cooperatives experienced several positive impacts in education, infrastructure investment, and monetary savings. However, several important livelihoods insecurities, including low incomes, high emigration, and food insecurity, persisted among all small-scale producers. A Chinese version of this article's abstract is available online at: www.informaworld.com/rglo

A Niche for Sustainability? Fair Labor and Environmentally Sound Practices in the Specialty Coffee Industry

Facing a worldwide coffee crisis in which prices fell to levels that do not support small-scale production or living wages for coffee workers, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and specialty coffee companies have attempted to promote transparent and sustainable exchanges between producers and buyers. The NGO-based initiatives are diverse; they may focus on improving the lot of small farmers via Fair Trade, emphasize environmental protection, provide technical and/or business assistance to producers, or offer differentiating certifications based how producers score on a long list of social and environmental indicators. Specialty coffee roasters have introduced their own comprehensive sustainability projects. This is a critical review of many sustainability projects and their outcomes to date, including two examples of smallholder farmer-NGO collaborations that have yielded positive results. A Chinese version of this article's abstract is available online at: www.informaworld.com/rglo

Hedonic Prices and Implicit Markets: Estimating Demand and Supply Functions for Differentiated Products

In choosing the level of quality to purchase, the buyer of a differentiated product also chooses a point on the marginal price schedule for that product. Hence, in general, the demand functions for product characteristics cannot be consistently estimated by ordinary least squares. Market equilibrium results in a matching of characteristics of demanders and suppliers. This matching restricts the use of buyer and seller characteristics as instruments when estimating demand and supply functions for product characteristics. The paper develops these issues. A stochastic structure for hedonic equilibrium models is then proposed, identification results are presented, and estimation procedures are outlined.