Industry News.
The recent leaf rust or Roya in Spanish, outbreak throughout Central and South America has remained a prevalent topic in the industry this week, with output estimates from affected origins for 2013/14 crop beginning to appear.
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Featuring the latest news on the coffee industry and business insight from senior members of the Bennetts team.
Bennetts > Blog
The recent leaf rust or Roya in Spanish, outbreak throughout Central and South America has remained a prevalent topic in the industry this week, with output estimates from affected origins for 2013/14 crop beginning to appear.
We get quite a few enquiries about how organic certification works, especially regarding importing coffee and quarantine requirements.
Coffee culture and sustainability go hand in hand, and it couldn’t be more evident than at Fazenda Monte Alto in Brazil.
In late February this year, our Key Account & Trading Manager Alex Capurro left Nicaragua (still with customers in tow) and jumped over to Guatemala to spend some time with the indigenous community of Todos Santos.
In February, our Key Account & Trading Manager Alex Capurro took a trip to Nicaragua (with a few customers in tow) to source some amazing specialties and find out what’s new at the origin.
Our Colombian trip paints an optimistic outlook towards the future of Colombian coffee.
Coffee from $21 to $1,029 in 15 Years: Panama Geisha and the Luxury Coffee Industry
To celebrate international tiger day Bennetts are excited to share with you the latest report from the WildCat conservation alliance team on the ground in India and Nepal.
“We are changing the landscape, one community at a time!” - Quote from Dagmawi Iyasu, Grounds for Health East Africa Program Manager, February 2019
As harvest was drawing to a close in Central America, it was time for us to pack the essentials, get the cameras ready and polish the cupping spoons. Check out our 1 week adventure in Costa Rica below!
My latest trip this month was my fifth time back to Papua New Guinea over the past 32 years. It is interesting to see how PNGs coffee industry has survived throughout the years and the ever-present struggles they face today.
For the whole month of July in the lead up to World Tiger Day, Bennetts will be doubling our donation for every bag of Indian Tiger Mountain sold. All you have to do is purchase Indian Tiger Mountain and for every bag Bennetts will donate 2 USD.
In the eternal quest for ‘better’ coffee, there are many labels applied to raw beans to get our attention, Shade-Grown being the most recent, but is this really better for the environment and produce a better cup?
Through our Project 121 program we help roasters build exclusive relationships with an individual farmer at origin. Here are the stories behind the lots we've recently received from our Peruvian small holder farmers…
Our Brazillian natural microlots have landed and are a testament to the increased concern for quality and specialty coffee in Brazil.
An amazing coffee Rwanda's into a bar..... sorry. But on a serious note, our fresh Rwandan coffees have arrived!
Last blog, we talked about the factors that impact the price of coffee. So far, we've looked at . This time, we're going to be discussing how climate, certifications, currency fluctuations, and local economics and politics come into the mix.
Through our Project 121 program, we help roasters to build an exclusive relationship with a farmer at origin. Here are the stories behind the lots we've recently received from our Colombian partners...
Robusta has been banned from Costa Rica for 30 years to protect the nation's crops from the coffee borer beetle, but since the beetle has now been present for some years, that ban may be overturned.
Ahh Huehuetenango. Even the name is a treat on the tongue ('Way - way - te - nang - goh', as per our team member Mr. Alex Capurro's lyrical native Spanish-speaker's pronunciation).
We’ve had some great news recently from Grounds for Health, the not-for-profit charity organisation that we’ve been supporting for some years now. Their mission is to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer among women in developing coffee countries.
An amazing origin story from Nicaragua, check out the natural-processed Jinotega SHB from Agropequaria Bariloche farm here.
What coffee science has to say about Tony Abbott’s recent speech on Global Warming. Article by India Read.
Last month, Scott and Georgia visited the worlds largest producing origin; Brazil. They visited exporters and farmers to see how the 2017 harvest was progressing.
How can we ensure that the farmers and communities who grow coffee are receiving the opportunities and resources they need, that they aren’t taken advantage of, and that they have a access to security and stability?
The US’s recent withdrawal from the Paris Climate Change Agreement has done nothing to soothe global anxieties about climate change’s pealing alarm bells. For members of the Specialty Coffee community, that tolling is a particularly urgent knell.
The Roaster Guilds' recent 'Demystifying Defects' cupping session was a rare, guided opportunity to dip a toe into waters that most coffee drinkers will spend a lifetime trying to avoid.
Climate change is leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of tea farmers around the world. Article originally published in Cafe Culture International Magazine.
The Second instalment of the Bennetts Varietal Mini-series focuses on the Maragogype bean.
It isn't just Origin that brings flavour to a cup - introducing the Bennett's Varietal mini-series. Episode 1: Bourbon Coffee
What if millions of coffee bushes were damaged and global coffee prices spiked dramatically?
In 2016 we have partnered with Sol y Café Cooperative in Peru to bring in a selection of Project 121 microlots for the second consecutive season.
A larger than predicted Arabica crop for Brazil, harvest update for Central America and the ICO's export data for the first quarter of the current October 2015 to September 2016 coffee year.
Our Project 121 microlots from Sol y Café Cooperative are due to land this month and will be a great way to kick off the New Year.
We have received an end-of-year update on the Mataki Tag Project from the 21st Century Tiger team on the ground in India.
The widely reported El Nino phenomenon has prompted a wave of dry weather across Central and South America.
Project 121 aims to connect growers and roasters by linking the beginning and the end of the supply chain. The concept facilitates a unique connection between 1 producer and 1 roaster, hence the ‘121’.
In this instalment of Talking of Tea we’re unscrambling the STGFOP riddle.
Our self-titled #CaffeIndianaJones Alex has just returned from Peru after spending a week touring around the origin visiting producers. Whilst travelling he kept us up-to-date with photos and snippets on Twitter.
The declining AUD prompts local prices to rise and a positive trend line emerges in NY market, the latest harvest update from Central America and maintaining the delicate balance of supply and demand in Brazil.
Published in the April issue of Cafe Culture Magazine, Guy shares his experiences and insights of the birthplace of coffee from a recent origin trip to Ethiopia.
If Brazil is an origin that regularly appears on your orders, soon you will notice some changes to the way these coffees are sold. Rest assured we are not starting to despatch short weight bags; however there have been some important changes at origin that will affect our shipments and your orders.
Scott shares his insight into the recent coffee leaf rust epidemic in Central America and discusses concerns arising from the fallout in the December issue of Cafe Culture magazine.
A short while ago Scott and I went to the beautiful country of Sri Lanka to meet with our tea supplier and visit tea growing regions.
The subject of gender equality is increasingly acknowledged within the coffee industry in all aspects of the trade. As a result of this, we are seeing an increase in organisations supporting gender diverse trade and implementing projects aimed at recognizing and encouraging the participation of women within the international coffee community.
Featured in the current issue of Cafe Culture Magazine, 'Keeping Up With The Little Green Bean' reflects on the recent shift towards superior quality and traceability within the coffee industry and the popular movements that have ensued.
Brazil remains top of mind as we wait to hear final production output for 2014 and next year’s forecast after a drought-stricken harvest, Grounds for Health expand into Ethiopia, and the latest Nyeri update direct from ground zero.
With Lorna and Scott recently having returned from Sri Lanka and the inaugural Melbourne Tea Fair kicking off this weekend, tea is at the front of our minds.
Scott and Lorna have recently returned from visiting some of our tea partners in Sri Lanka. Whilst travelling they kept us up-to-date with photos and snippets on Twitter and Instagram.
For the fourth season we have been fortunate enough to secure specialty microlots from the Mathias family at Kelagur Heights Estate in India. These specialty lots are all UTZ Certified and have been processed with the utmost care and consideration.
We are excited to have received the latest trip report from the 21st Century Tiger team on the ground in India.
Prolonged uncertainty regarding Brazil’s annual production continues to cause volatility on the ICE, and global production estimates are released from the USDA.
In conjunction with the annual SCAA 2014 Event in April this year, Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company (SWDCC) invited its customers to tour their global decaffeination facility in Vancouver, Canada.
Our new season COCAFCAL Honduran micro lots have arrived and we thought we’d share a little information with you about these special new coffees.
Bennetts are exclusive importers of Swiss Water Process coffee to the Australian market and are proud to supply quality decaffeinated green beans that taste just as good as the caffeinated version.
Bennetts were fortunate enough to visit Kenya and Ethiopia earlier this year to spend time with our suppliers, cupping and planning for the upcoming season. Whilst in Kenya we were keen to gauge a further understanding of the continuing situation in Nyeri.
Upon his return from touring East Africa earlier this year, Scott offers his thoughts on the progression and development of the birthplace of coffee since his last visit in 2010.
We have recently been lucky enough to establish a relationship with Brazilian specialty coffee producer O’Coffee. This is the first time the O’Coffee brand has been available in Australia and we are very excited to be able to offer these coffees to the Australian market.
Recently I was fortunate to be in a position to travel to India on behalf of Bennetts and visit some plantations that we purchase our coffees from as well as the dry mill that processes these coffees.
We are eagerly awaiting our new season Tiger Mountain shipment, scheduled to arrive later this month. This year we are supporting an exciting new conservation project, and with the shipment nearly here we are finally able to share with you all a little about the new initiative.
For almost 100 years we have been the bridge between Australian businesses and the farmers and exporters of coffee and tea across the world.
Our new Mexican San Cristobal Micro Lots have arrived and were the highlight of our cupping bench this week! We spoke to origin partner James Kosales about where these special coffees come from.
We're excited to announce that our new Colombia Granja La Esperanza micro lots have arrived.
An update on the Central and South American leaf rust epidemic and the latest production expectations from PNG, Brazil and India.
An update on 2012-13 outputs; the agricultural strike in Colombia comes to an end and dry weather in Costa Rica fuels roya spread.
With the return of wintery weather after the recent warm spell (of course it wasn’t going to last, typical Melbourne!) we’ve gone back to drinking the hot stuff here at Bennetts HQ...
An in-depth look at the coffee leaf rust epidemic that has rocked the industry over the last 12 months and the effects this outbreak will have on the new 2013/14 crop year.
Bennetts HQ received some international visitors last week, all the way from UTZ Certified HQ in The Netherlands!
Our El Salvador Yellow Bourbon Microlot #11 has been the star of the hopper this week. With our chief barista (slash many other things), Fay back in the country after a quick break, the espresso machine has been getting a workout!
The latest 2012/13 total production estimates from the ICO, a new development program to combat climate change, and weather conditions in South America.
In response to a recent decline in demand for Fairtrade Certified coffee, Bennetts take a look at what the system stands for and share our motivations behind supporting the certification program.
An update on 2013/14 crop year sentiments in the wake of a continual decline in the market price of coffee, Vietnam's lucky escape from super typhoon Haiyan, and the recent Let's Talk Roya event in El Salvador.
Our new season Kenyan lots have been delivered into store this week and we are very excited to share with you these delicious new arrivals!
The little green frog of Rainforest Alliance is recognized around the world as a seal of certified environmental, social and economic sustainability.
For the past two years, Bennetts have chosen to make a Christmas donation to Grounds for Health on behalf of our customers, as an alternative to adopting the hamper approach. In 2013 we will be donating to this significant organisation once more.
The current situation in Nyeri, Kenya has lead the industry news this week, drawing particular attention from the specialty coffee sector.
With microlot season well and truly under way, we are particularly excited about our new season Colombian specialty lots due to arrive in store mid-March.