Specialty Coffee Market Research Articles

Market Practices and Structuring Practices on Market Making: Sustainable Certified and Specialty Coffee Market Dynamics in Brazil

On this paper, in a five years longitudinal study, the theoretical framework the constructivist market studies (CMS) were used to analyze how market practices interacted with structuring practices in the making of market arrangements throughout the sustainable and specialty coffee market development process in Brazil. Through the historical reconstruction of the UTZ certification program in Brazil and the Cup of Excellence (COE) coffee quality competition, based on document analysis and in-depth interviews, it was possible to identify the main market practices adopted by the actors involved in the organization and in market designing. It was possible to select specific translation moments that resulted in different market framings, showing how rules, devices and practices shaped the Brazilian coffee market. Main representational, normalizing and exchange practices were identified and it was highlighted the role of a new analytical category called “market structuring practices”, which acts as an important mechanism for the making of market arrangements and for the shaping and consolidation of market practices (marketization process).

Market Analysis and Entry Strategy for German Investors in the Specialty Coffee Segment of the Colombian Coffee Industry

The primary purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive market analysis and develop a strategic entry plan for German investors interested in the specialty coffee segment of the Colombian coffee industry. Utilizing a qualitative research methodology, this paper delves into various facets of the market, including an examination of consumer preferences, an analysis of the competitive landscape, an evaluation of supply chain dynamics, and a review of the legal and regulatory environment. The research reveals that German investors have a significant opportunity to capitalize on the growing demand for specialty coffee in Germany by leveraging Colombia’s renowned reputation for producing high-quality coffee beans. However, achieving success in this venture necessitates a meticulous approach, including a strong emphasis on sustainability practices, efficient supply chain management, and strict adherence to local regulations. The paper culminates with a set of strategic recommendations, providing German investors with a roadmap to successfully enter and navigate the complex landscape of the Colombian specialty coffee market. These recommendations are designed to help investors align their strategies with market trends, mitigate potential risks, and seize the opportunities presented by this dynamic and evolving industry.

Unveiling the coopetition pathway: the stakeholder influence in the specialty coffee market

PurposeThis study aimed to understand coopetition in the context of Brazilian specialty coffee grower Small and medium enterprises (SMEs), based on the need to differentiate the beans in and outside the farm level, taking into account the stakeholders’ influence.Design/methodology/approachIn this study twenty semistructured interviews were carried out with coffee growers and managers of cooperatives, associations and supporting institutions involving two Brazilian coffee geographical indications. Data were analyzed using a mixed grid composed of qualitative, semantic and categorical factors.FindingsStrategic moves undertaken by coffee growers and stakeholders have shaped the pathway of coopetition among coffee growers, as determinants to frame it as a deliberate or emergent pattern (intentional or unplanned, respectively). Our findings provide evidence that coopetition development among firms is deliberate when influenced by firms’ or stakeholders’ cooperative moves and emergent when influenced by firms’ or stakeholders’ competitive moves.Originality/valueAlthough the firm/stakeholder relationship is often approached as a joint wealth creation effort, stakes are not always fairly distributed, so one of the parties may be negatively affected, with consequences for the development of coopetition. Underpinned by a stakeholder-oriented resource-based theoretical lens, this investigation of the development patterns of coopetition linked to the strategic actions undertaken by firms and stakeholders has resonance on competitive advantages.

Coffee breeding in a time of crisis: F1 hybrids in Central America since 1990

Social Impact StatementCentral America is renowned for producing some of the world's finest coffee, prized for its quality and flavor. With coffee being a major export crop for many countries, the region's economic, social, and cultural well‐being is closely linked to the success of its coffee industry. Coffee breeding supports the industry's long‐term sustainability and competitiveness by developing new varieties that are more productive, disease‐resistant, climate resilient, and adapted to the coffee producer's realities. Ongoing efforts in coffee breeding have significant implications for the livelihoods of thousands of coffee farmers and their families, the economies of Central American countries, and the preservation of the region's rich coffee tradition and culture.Summary The central objective is to understand how coffee breeding programs have evolved to help coffee farmers adapt to the rapidly changing economic, political, institutional, and environmental conditions since 1990. Before then, coffee breeders focused primarily on productivity, developing dwarf varieties bred for intensive monoculture production. Since 1990, breeders have shifted their work to address climate change, new diseases and pests, a growing industry interest in cup quality, and unprecedented price volatility. Much of the breeding work has shifted from public institutions to international technical assistance agencies, international non‐governmental organizations (NGOs), and private companies. Their new programs focus on developing F1 coffees designed for agroforestry production and, which, can be developed quickly in response to changing conditions. This case study also complicates narratives about the place of hybrid coffees in agricultural modernization during the 20th and 21st centuries. Analyze documents produced over the past 30 years by key breeding organizations, governments, trade organizations, to assess the evolution of breeding programs in historical context, and the progress of the new coffees in the field. Some F1 hybrids have shown considerable promise, but challenges surrounding their propagation, distribution, and cost—as well as their suitability for the specialty coffee market—have so far prevented farmers from adopting them on a large scale. The switch to F1 coffee breeding represents a deep strategic shift in coffee breeding in Central America, more attuned to the needs of coffee farmers. While the F1 coffees can help farmers address many of the farmers' technical challenges, cost and logistical issues remain a challenge.

Digital Innovation in the Specialty Coffee Market: Revolutionizing Business and Competitive Advantage

Digital innovation has transformed the specialty coffee sector, altering business models and presenting industry participants with a competitive advantage. This abstract investigates the transformative effect of digital innovation in the specialty coffee sector, looking at how it affects business practices and market dynamics. This study illustrates how digital innovation has transformed customer experiences, enhanced operational efficiency, and supported sustainability practices through a detailed review of case studies and industry data. The findings emphasize major technologies that are driving this transition, such as remote sensing, blockchain, and data analytics, as well as successful methods employed by coffee-producing and consuming countries. The specialty coffee business can unleash new development prospects, build worldwide relationships, and stay ahead in a fast-developing market by adopting digital innovation It is a resource for industry professionals who want to employ digital innovation to gain a competitive advantage and generate long-term business growth in the specialty coffee market.

Olfactory Evaluation of Geisha Coffee from Panama Using Electronic Nose

Geisha arabica coffee from Panama is featured in the world specialty coffee market. Its quality is assessed by sensory analysis with a panel of experts over several days. However, there is a risk of commercial fraud where cheaper coffees are mixed with pure specialty coffees. For these reasons, having an electronic nose (EN) device proves advantageous in supporting the cupping panel. It allows a greater number of fragrance and aroma analyses to be conducted per day, providing more objective results. In this study, an experimental EN equipped with a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) gas sensor array was used. Olfactory evaluation of ground and infused Geisha coffee of different roast levels, brewing process, and purity was studied by EN, sensory analysis and chromatography. The sensory analysis perceived significant differences in fragrance and aromas in the light and dark roast levels of the samples. A total of 57 volatile organic compounds (VOC) were studied by gas chromatography. The EN data were analyzed chemometrically with principal component analysis (PCA) and predictive partial least squares (PLS). The data variances for two components were explained with values greater than 82%. The EN demonstrated its ability to differentiate the three levels of roasting, two production processes, and adulteration in the analyzed samples.

A low-cost and eco-friendly approach for rapid discrimination between authentic and feeding Luwak arabica coffees

Authentic Luwak arabica coffees are expensive and available in the market in a very limited quantity. For this reason, feeding Luwak arabica coffees at a cheaper price is becoming popular for substitution the authentic Luwak arabica coffees in the specialty coffee market. In the form of coffee powder, it is quite hard to visually inspect the difference between authentic and feeding Luwak arabica coffees. In this study, we proposed a low-cost and eco-friendly approach to discriminate between authentic and feeding Luwak arabica coffees. This method works by preparing aqueous Luwak coffee samples using hot-distilled water. The absorbance data of a total of 200 samples of authentic and feeding Luwak arabica coffees in the wavelength of 190-1100 nm were obtained using a benchtop UV-visible spectrometer. Chemometrics using both unsupervised and supervised methods were demonstrated. The results confirmed authentic Luwak arabica coffees could be well discriminated from feeding Luwak arabica coffees with sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 100% could be obtained. This method could be easily implemented in the specialty coffee market to avoid Luwak coffee fraud.

Potential of rust-resistant arabica coffee cultivars for specialty coffee production

Rust is the main disease affecting Coffea arabica, the most economically important coffee species. The objective of this study was to analyze C. arabica cultivars with different levels of rust resistance, including bean size, raw bean appearance, final sensory scores (FSS), and aroma and taste nuances of the coffee cup. The experiment was designed in randomized blocks (RBD) with three replications and 20 treatments (cultivars), totaling 60 experimental plots. The rust-susceptible cultivars IPR 100, Rubi MG 1192, and Topázio MG 1190 were compared with 17 rust-resistant cultivars. Cultivars IPR 103, MGS Aranãs, and Saíra II presented the highest percentages of high sieves, highest scores of raw bean appearance, and low percentages of mocha-type beans. All cultivars had FSS above 82 and were classified as specialty coffees. The cultivars with the highest FSS (Arara and Catiguá MG2) showed a greater diversity of coffee cup aroma and flavor nuances. Rust-resistant Arabica coffee cultivars are promising for the physical quality of beans and have potential for the specialty coffee market.

Progeny selections of coffee cultivar 'Mundo Novo' with potential for the specialty coffee market

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world with a global market worth over <inline-formula><tex-math id="Z-20230106103009">\begin{document}${\$\text{USD}} $\end{document}</tex-math><alternatives><graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="BPR-2023-0001_Z-20230106103009.jpg"/><graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="BPR-2023-0001_Z-20230106103009.png"/></alternatives></inline-formula> 100 billion. In Brazil, the Arabica coffee (<italic>Coffea arabica</italic>) cultivar 'Mundo Novo' is one of the most planted cultivars due to its high yield, growth vigor and stability. However, this traditional cultivar is generally not considered a good production source for specialty coffee. Exploring intra-cultivar variation and selecting 'Mundo Novo' progenies with superior sensory quality may provide a viable option for coffee producers targeting the rapidly expanding specialty coffee market. The present study analyzed cup quality attributes, agronomic characteristics and genetic identities of 14 genotypes selected from the putative progenies of 'Mundo Novo' and assessed their potential as specialty coffee in Brazil. Beverage quality was assessed using chemical and sensory analysis according to the methodology proposed by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) in six selected genotypes. High sensory quality, with sensory scores above 80 points was observed which qualified them in the very good and excellent quality categories. Genetic identities of the 14 selections were verified using 96 SNP markers, based on 57 reference cultivars from the coffee collection of EPAMIG (<italic>Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária de Minas Gerais</italic>), Brazil. Multivariant and Bayesian clustering analysis generated consistent results and confirmed that all the 14 selections were progenies of 'Mundo Novo'. Among them, the top three genotypes (SGAB 1, SGAB 7 and SGAB 8) were selected as promising genotypes, either for future genetic improvement or for direct use in the production of specialty coffee

Cup of excellence and the evolution of the brazilian specialty coffee market: a historical perspective

Cup of excellence and the evolution of the brazilian specialty coffee market: a historical perspective

Microbial diversity associated with spontaneous coffee bean fermentation process and specialty coffee production in northern Colombia

Coffee fermentation involves the action of microorganisms, whose metabolism has a significant influence on the composition of the beans and, consequently, on the beverage's sensory characteristics. In this study, the microbial diversity during the wet fermentation of Coffea arabica L. in the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta (SNSM) in Colombia was explored by high-throughput sequencing and the resulting cup quality through the standards of the Specialty Coffee Association. The taxonomic assignment of sequence reads showed a high microbial diversity comprised of 695 bacterial and 156 fungal genera. The microbial community was dominated by the Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) Leuconostoc, the yeast Kazachstania, and the Acetic Acid Bacteria (AAB) Acetobacter. Co-occurrence relationships suggested synergistic patterns between populations of LAB-AAB, yeasts-AAB, Leuconostoc-Prevotella, LAB-ABB-Selenomonas, and yeasts-fungi-nonLAB-nonAAB, which may result in the production of metabolites that positively impact the sensory attributes of coffee. The beverages produced were classified as specialty coffees, and their score was positively influenced by the fungal richness and the abundance of unclassified Lactobacillales, Pichia, and Pseudomonas. The findings show the richness and microbial diversity of the SNSM and serve as input for future research such as the analysis of microbial-derived metabolites and the establishment of starter cultures in coffee processing that guarantee the generation of high-quality beverages, the standardization of processes, the reduction of economic losses, and the production of value-added products that allow taking advantage of specialty coffee market.

Social Brands: the future of Branding?

Specialty Coffee Market in the United Arab Emirates UAE is undoubtedly becoming a mecca for specialty coffee culture in the Middle East region. With the unprecedented growing demand for specialty coffee, the GCC region and Dubai in particular has seen rapid growth in local and foreign investments in various business models within the market and swiftly became a hub for the coffee industry in the past 5 years (Maspul, 2021a). This significant cultural shift in MENA has seen a considerable increase in consumption of specialty coffee, with sales growing twice as fast as the global average (Comunicafe, 2019). By 2021, the coffee industry in the Middle East is expected to grow to $44 billion, according to Euromonitor International. With the pandemic bringing historic changes to the socioeconomic situation in the world, the coffee industry in UAE has shown high adaptability to the new challenges as demand went into e-commerce. In 2020, the e-commerce market in UAE for coffee hit a record $3.9 billion-a strong increase of 53% and constituted an impressive 8% of the total retail market share, according to Dubai Media Office (Dubai Media Office, 2021). This proves the customer loyalty and strong purchasing preferences of the UAE coffee consumer. Meanwhile, the specialty coffee community continued its consistent growth among both, local and ex-pat communities. As the public is getting informed and enthused by the art and culture of specialty coffee, the increasing sales of various machines and accessories for brewing confirm that this trend isn't going anywhere. Specialty coffee has become a staple in the modern lifestyle as an anchor in terms of remote work or social setting, hobby, or cultural pastime (Maspul, 2021b).

The potential for income improvement and biodiversity conservation via specialty coffee in Ethiopia.

The specialty coffee sector represents opportunities for coffee farmers and other actors due to increased value within the supply chain, driven by elevated consumer purchase prices. We investigated these relationships up to the export stage, as well as the potential for specialty coffee to improve stakeholder participation in biodiversity conservation. Household data was collected from a sample of 272 coffee farmers belonging to five primary cooperatives, in the heavily forested area of Yayu, in the Illubabor administrative zone of Oromia regional state in south-western Ethiopia, for the 2017/2018 harvest season. Qualitative and quantitative data, gathered between 2015 and 2019, from focus group discussions, was used to supplement the survey and to explain the empirical findings. We show that the income from coffee (and thus household income) can be increased, in some cases substantially, via participation in the specialty coffee market. The unit price for coffee was much higher than standard market prices and those including certification premiums. Whilst quality is a key factor for specialty coffee, income increases via the specialty market are caveat bound. In particular, there is a critical requirement for efficient and effective cooperative management, and we provide suggestions for improvements. In the long-term, more focus is needed to increase the financial and human capacities of Ethiopian coffee cooperatives, to make them more effective partners in the specialty coffee value chain. The high conversion rates from harvested to clean exportable specialty coffee (8:1, or higher) is identified as a major constraint on profitability. We show that specialty coffee can bring about positive environmental benefits. Elevating coffee prices and farm profitability to bring household income levels to around or above the global poverty line may ensure the continuation of forest coffee production, and thus the retention of forest. The increases in income via specialty coffee production, reported in the study, were achieved without increasing land use or the application of environmentally costly inputs. Moreover, analysis of satellite data shows that a large proportion of the coffee farms surveyed retain a level of forest cover and quality approaching primary (undisturbed) forest, and that the coffee production area at Yayu has not experienced any significant deforestation (since 2000). We recommend that coffee premiums linked to environmental benefit should demonstrate clearly defined and appropriate metrics, as we have demonstrated here for forest (canopy) quality and coverage (area).

Sensory analysis of arabica coffee: cultivars of rust resistance with potential for the specialty coffee market

The objective of this work was to describe the sensory profile of 11 arabica coffee genotypes with different levels of resistance to rust and to evaluate their genetic potential for the production of specialty coffees. The experiments were conducted in three coffee producing municipalities, in the region of Matas de Minas, in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with three replicates and 11 genotypes with different levels of resistance to rust. The sensory analyses of the beverage, which was produced from coffee harvested in the cherry stage, were carried out according to the methodology proposed by the Specialty Coffee Association of America. All genotypes resistant and moderately resistant to rust presented potential for specialty coffee production. The expression of attributes of sensorial quality is distinct in different environments, which increases the marketability and increases the demanded price for specialty coffees. The correlations between attributes were environmentally dependent. The fragrance/aroma, balance, and aftertaste attributes presented correlation higher than 0.8 with the total score in all evaluated environments.

Direct Trade in the Specialty Coffee Market: Contributions, Limitations and New Lines of Research

Study aim: we aimed to outline the direct trade of specialty coffees’ global research and adoption, highlighting its contributions, limitations and theoretical and empirical gaps, providing insights for future studies.Method: integrative systematic review of selected academic materials from the Web of Knowledge, SciELO, Scopus, Science Direct and Scholar Google databases, as well as technical materials from the Specialty Coffee Association and the Perfect Daily Grind portals, which were analyzed using the qualitative and open grid categorical content analysis technique.Main results: we identified three categories of contributions associated with Direct Trade - "Relationship and Coordination", "Origin and Sustainability" and "Quality and Differentiation" and three categories of its limitations - "Conceptual and Regulatory", "Execution and Monitoring" and "Potential of Transformation and Accessibility". Despite its potential to contribute to the promotion of the sustainability of this market, Direct Trade is not the only solution to the many and complex challenges of the activity. Therefore, it should be adapted to local realities and be carefully adopted, preferably in conjunction with other initiatives aimed at opening different markets and reaching different consumer audiences.Relevance/originality: this is the first systematic review of the subject, required by the rapid growth of studies in the field, despite its currentness and only recent expansion of the debate.Theoretical/methodological contributions: we presented a new concept of Direct Trade, subdivided the practice into two perspectives - relational and transactional – and elaborated a framework for its realization.

Sensory quality of Coffea arabica L. genotypes influenced by postharvest processing

Abstract The specialty coffee market has grown significantly in the past decades and has several cultivars with productive potential. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensory profile of the beverage produced from Coffea arabica L. genotypes based on postharvest processing and to identify cultivars with the greatest genetic potential for coffee cultivation in the city of Araponga, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with two replicates and 11 genotypes with different levels of resistance to rust. The sensory profile demonstrated an interaction between the genotype and the processing technique. Five of the genotypes presented total scores above 85 points according to the SCAA protocol. Moreover, two of these genotypes yielded heightened sensory notes after undergoing dry processing. The selection of coffee genotypes should consider the level of technology involved in the drying of the coffee beans, which preserves the potential quality of the beverage.

COMPETITIVE PRESSURES ON THE ARTISAN COFFEE ROASTER SEGMENT IN THE STATE OF MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL: A MULTI-CASE STUDY

The specialty coffee market is still little known and underexplored in Brazil, motivating an analysis of the competitive pressures and structure of the artisan coffee roaster segment in the state of Minas Gerais, in order to better understand it and encourage the adoption of specific policies for its expansion, besides comparing it to the commodity coffee roasting segment. A multi-case study was performed with three companies in this segment through in-depth interviews with their owners. There were significant changes in the competitive forces that shape the coffee industry, when comparing the specialty and commodity coffee segments, both in intensity and in motivations. Among the suggested policies to support the specialty coffee segment are its promotion and dissemination through “consumer education” and awareness raising on the differentiated properties of these products, besides providing subsidized courses and specializations for those who wish to be involved in this marketplace.

The brand new Brazilian specialty coffee market

ABSTRACTIn Brazil, specialty coffee is a burgeoning market, stimulated by product-related events, research and opening of specialized coffee shops. However, there is a paucity of public domain information and statistics about Brazilian specialty coffee consumers’ characteristics and buying behavior. Through a descriptive and quantitative research, based on 834 self-administered questionnaires analyzed through descriptive and multivariate statistics, this paper builds a general profile of the Brazilian specialty coffee consumer. Furthermore, it verifies the applicability of the ‘connoisseurship’ and ‘third wave’ concepts to the national market and identifies three distinct consumer groups – regular consumers, enthusiasts, and experts – that differ by their level of interest and engagement with specialty coffee, shown by their product acquisition criteria and consumption motivations. There were similarities between Brazilian connoisseurs and coffee professionals, here combined in the same cluster and named ‘experts’, which leads to important questions about the current context of the Brazilian specialty coffee market.

Coffee Landscapes: Specialty Coffee, Terroir, and Traceability in Costa Rica

AbstractCoffee with the right traits can command impressive prices in the specialty coffee market. While much of the attention to terroir—the taste of place—in coffee has focused on region, the details of place matter too. For farmers, paying attention to the details of coffee landscapes is important to create the distinctive flavors prized in these markets. This article explores how farmers in the Tarrazú coffee region of Costa Rica use systems of traceability based on details of the landscape and the coffee that grows in it to create coffee that “tastes of something.” Instead of seeing traceability and terroir as different kinds of production with different logic, these farmers see traceability as a key piece of terroir‐based high‐value production.

Shade Trees Spatial Distribution and Its Effect on Grains and Beverage Quality of Shaded Coffee Trees

Shading coffee trees has gained importance, especially among smallholders, as an option to improve the products’ quality, therefore acquiring place at the specialty coffee market, where consumers are willing to give bonus for quality. This work aims to evaluate the influence of shade trees’ spatial distribution among coffee trees’ agronomic characteristics, yield, and beans and cup quality of shaded coffee trees. The experimental design consisted of completely randomized blocks with six repetitions and four treatments: coffee trees on shade trees planting rows, distant one meter from the trunk; coffee trees on shade trees planting row, distant six meters from the trunk; and coffee plants between the rows of shade trees, parallel to the previous treatments. The parameters analyzed were plant height, canopy diameter, plagiotropic branches’ length, yield, coffee fruits’ phenological stage, ripe cherries’ Brix degree, percentage of black, unripe, and insect damaged beans, bean size, and beverage quality. Shade trees quickened coffee fruits’ phenological stage of coffee trees nearest to them. This point also showed the best beverage quality, except for overripe fruits. The remaining parameters evaluated were not affected by shade trees’ spatial distribution.