2019 saw a spectacularly dichotomous coffee market, with historically low prices for much of the year for the basest commodity coffees — those that constitute the bulk of the coffee trade — and astronomical highs at public auctions for the best of the best coffees.
Stuck somewhere towards the middle of all this are green coffee traders, who have been feeling increased pressure from the more progressive specialty coffee roasters to facilitate or improve transparency, traceability and supply chain relationships.
Here we present the biggest news stories of the year on the coffee trade and the organizations who are making it hum on a daily basis. There was plenty of news on individual importing and trading companies; loads of high-profile auctions; and lots of moves from organized groups at coffee’s origin responding to low prices. There’s also some good old-fashioned consumer market news.
Yet one big market-related story that doesn’t fit neatly into…
