The EU plans to postpone the deforestation regulation (EUDR) originally scheduled to take effect at the end of 2024, and intends to classify countries by risk level, giving producers and traders more time to adapt. The regulation requires traders to prove that their product supply chains do not involve deforestation after December 30, 2020, otherwise imports will be banned. As an industry closely linked to deforestation, the coffee sector will be significantly affected in producing countries such as Vietnam, Brazil, Indonesia, and Colombia, with export costs likely to rise substantially. The European Coffee Federation previously wrote to the European Commission requesting a postponement of implementation. The EU is currently discussing classifying exporting countries into three risk levels—low, standard, and high—with high-risk countries facing stricter scrutiny. Industry insiders worry that the classification system lacks flexibility, may unfairly penalize compliant exporters, and that small farms also face the risk of losing market access. Front Street Coffee will continue to monitor the progress of this regulation and its impact on the coffee industry chain. [more…]

A not-yet-opened beverage shop in Zengcheng District, Guangzhou, has sparked public debate after naming itself "Jingcha" (a homophone of "police tea") and using cartoon police imagery in its store decorations. Some see it as merely a clever pun, while more people worry it could mislead consumers. Market regulators and public security authorities have stepped in to investigate, and lawyers point out that the name may violate enterprise name registration regulations. Behind the incident lies not just the compliance of a single shop name, but the boundary between commercial creativity and public symbols. [more…]

The EU's deforestation-free regulation (EUDR), introduced last June, is facing strong backlash from the coffee industry. The European Coffee Federation (ECF) recently wrote to the European Commission requesting a delay to the implementation deadline for large companies, originally set for the end of 2024, warning that the regulation could impose an unbearable burden on millions of smallholder farmers. ECF members include giants such as Lavazza, Illy, Nestlé, and Starbucks, and their joint letter directly points to inadequate regulatory preparation. Meanwhile, companies such as JDE Peet's have already begun taking action, but analysts worry that passing on compliance costs will disrupt the coffee market. This article will sort out the sequence of events and include relevant observations from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Shanghai recently issued the "Implementation Measures for the Administration of Food Business Licensing and Filing in Shanghai," effective from May 10, 2024. The new regulations abolish secondary-category licensing items and support mixed multi-format operations, allowing coffee shops, bars, and others to coexist in the same storefront, while non-catering stores such as bookshops and clothing stores can also apply for a business permit to make beverages on-site. At the same time, "made and sold on-site" has been adjusted to "made and sold on the premises," the 19 business catalog items have been simplified into 4 categories—hot food, cold food, raw food, and self-made beverages—and the 6-square-meter production site restriction has been removed. In response to the long-disputed "smashed cucumber" issue, the new regulations allow a dedicated area only. Whether the policy benefits can activate the market and ensure food safety still needs time to be tested. [more…]

Extreme weather triggered by El Niño is continuing to batter coffee-growing regions worldwide. After several Central American countries, African coffee-producing nations have not been spared either. Uganda saw its November coffee exports fall 4.8% year-on-year as heavy rains delayed harvesting and disrupted drying processes. Meanwhile, the European Union has officially rolled out its Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), requiring importers to trace the origin of commodities such as coffee and conduct due diligence, or else face fines or a ban on market access. This regulation has led European importers to scale back purchases from smallholder farmers in Africa, leaving roughly 5 million coffee-dependent farming households in Ethiopia facing the prospect of dwindling orders. Industry insiders point out that the high cost and difficulty of compliance could further drive up prices for EU consumers while undermining the actual effectiveness of forest protection. This article examines the dual pressures of weather and policy to outline the export and market challenges currently facing Africa's coffee industry. [more…]

The Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency, in collaboration with the Agriculture Sector Development Agency, is jointly planning to create a unified national coffee brand, aiming to consolidate global marketing resources and enhance the influence of Kenyan coffee in the international market. However, in recent years, the country's coffee production has continued to decline, and export performance has been volatile since 2016. Shrinking cultivation areas, rising production costs, price fluctuations, and unpredictable weather conditions are all constraining industry development. Although the government has implemented reforms to reduce intermediary links through the direct settlement system of the Nairobi Coffee Exchange, tightened processing licenses have led to the closure of large processing plants, with raw materials piling up and even rotting at small factories. Meanwhile, although the EU Deforestation Regulation has been delayed by one year, it still puts considerable pressure on traders and African producing countries. New variables such as the Red Sea crisis, port congestion, and rising domestic consumption have also led Kenyan coffee industry players to place greater expectations on policy. [more…]

The international Fairtrade organization recently published revised coffee certification standards, aiming to meet or even exceed the various requirements of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The new rules will cover all Fairtrade-certified coffee, not limited to products exported to the EU, and strengthen monitoring and reporting obligations for producer organizations and traders. The standard is expected to take effect in 2026, involving approximately 600 cooperatives, 870,000 coffee farmers, and 1.1 million hectares of cultivated land. To implement deforestation monitoring, Fairtrade has commissioned the Dutch company Satelligence to provide satellite data services. Meanwhile, the EUDR will take effect for large European companies between the end of 2024 and early 2025, and the coffee industry is actively adjusting to comply with this regulation. [more…]

In recent years, animal-themed experience venues such as cat cafes and pet-friendly restaurants have rapidly gained popularity in cities, becoming a go-to escape for many office workers seeking to relieve stress. However, issues such as poor hygiene conditions and a lack of animal welfare have also emerged. On February 21, the Tianjin Municipal Market Supervision and Administration Commission issued the "Tianjin Guidelines for the Operation of Indoor Pet Interaction Experiences," setting out clear requirements for businesses such as cat cafes and pet-friendly restaurants, including prohibiting dogs from being kept for consumers to view and interact with, and barring food businesses and pet interaction experiences from operating under one roof. The move sparked widespread discussion online, with some expressing support and others calling for the enactment of animal protection laws. Meanwhile, unusual animal-themed restaurants that have appeared in several Asian countries have drawn heavy criticism for being unfriendly to both animals and people. Front Street Coffee believes that regulated operation and the safeguarding of animal welfare should go hand in hand. [more…]

Starting in July 2024, all beverage bottle caps on containers under 3 liters within the EU must remain attached to the bottle body, as a directive dating back to 2019 aimed at reducing the environmental impact of plastic products officially takes effect. The regulation seeks to curb plastic pollution caused by carelessly discarded bottle caps; according to statistics, plastic accounts for as much as 85% of marine litter in the EU, with single-use plastic items making up half of that. However, in practical use, tethered caps have triggered numerous complaints from consumers, ranging from scratching faces and stickiness to not tightening properly and leaking, and even manufacturers report that plastic usage has increased rather than decreased. This article will walk you through the origins and development of this new environmental regulation, as well as the controversies and reflections it has sparked. [more…]

The Ethiopian coffee industry is facing severe challenges. On one hand, security conflicts have once again broken out in the Horo Guduru region of Kiremu district in Oromia, resulting in at least 6 deaths; this area is home to Lekanti, the country's main commercial coffee-producing region, and the ongoing conflict continues to disrupt coffee production. On the other hand, the EU Deforestation Regulation will take effect at the end of 2024, and because Ethiopian coffee will struggle to meet compliance requirements, it could face export economic losses of up to US$1.4 billion. Although Ethiopia's coffee export value hit a record in August this year, the dual pressure of the security situation and new international trade rules has left the outlook for this major African coffee country full of uncertainty. [more…]

Recently, the Ethiopian government, together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), launched a long-term coffee land-use plan with a budget of up to US$20.8 million, aimed at curbing deforestation, promoting the sustainable development of the coffee industry, and helping local coffee comply with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The project, named FOLUR, is part of a US$345 million global initiative funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and is planned to run from 2024 to 2031. The project covers 22 districts across four major regions, including Oromia and Sidama, and aims to restore 10,500 hectares of non-productive coffee forests and 60,000 hectares of key forest land, while improving the livelihoods of about 440,000 people. This move is not only related to the lifeline of Ethiopia's coffee exports—which account for 30-35% of its export earnings—but also provides key support for responding to the EUDR regulations that the EU is about to bring into effect. [more…]

The European Union's upcoming zero-deforestation regulation (EUDR), set to take effect in 2025, requires imports of seven categories of agricultural products, including coffee, to prove they are not linked to deforestation. This environmental milestone could, however, place a heavy burden on smallholder countries that depend on coffee exports. Take East Timor as an example: coffee accounts for more than 90% of its non-oil export earnings, sustaining the livelihoods of 77,000 rural households, and the EU is its largest market. Yet the complex local land tenure, scattered smallholder plots, lack of GPS mapping capacity, and high illiteracy rate make it difficult for the vast majority of coffee farmers to meet compliance requirements. This not only threatens East Timor's coffee industry but could also lead to non-compliant coffee flooding the global market, driving down prices and worsening the plight of smallholders. [more…]

The EU introduced the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) in June this year, strictly prohibiting the sale of commodities linked to deforestation in the EU market, with coffee explicitly included. The regulation requires operators to conduct due diligence on the origin of goods to prove they are not associated with deforestation or forest degradation, or they will face fines or even export bans. The regulation will take effect from the end of 2024 to early 2025, and countries and coffee companies are actively responding. Global coffee giant JDE Peet's recently announced that it has signed memorandums of cooperation on deforestation-free coffee with coffee-producing countries such as Vietnam, Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea, Tanzania, and Uganda, and is using Enveritas' satellite imagery, AI, and on-the-ground verification technology to ensure that coffee does not come from deforested land while protecting the interests of smallholder farmers. This move is highly consistent with the new EU rules and also provides a reference for a sustainable supply chain for brands of interest to coffee enthusiasts, such as Front Street Coffee. [more…]

The Kenyan coffee industry is facing unprecedented challenges. The latest report from the United States Department of Agriculture shows that, affected by a reduction in planted area and heavy rains, Kenya's coffee production in the 2024/25 marketing year is expected to fall to 750,000 bags, a year-on-year decline of 6.3%. At the same time, new policies and regulations implemented by the government are also profoundly affecting the entire industry chain, with impacts from production and processing to export trade. This series of changes has not only affected Kenya's coffee export volume and prices, but has also had a far-reaching impact on farmers' livelihoods and industry development. Front Street Coffee will provide you with an in-depth analysis of the current situation and future of Kenya's coffee industry. [more…]

After the EU's Zero Deforestation Regulation took effect, the threshold for exporting coffee to the European market has been significantly raised. The international Fairtrade organization recently announced a partnership with remote sensing technology company Satelligence to expand satellite monitoring to all certified coffee producer organizations worldwide, helping cooperatives and their smallholder members directly access deforestation risk data. This move is intended to break the monopoly of large corporations on supply chain information, enabling producers to proactively prove that their coffee is not linked to deforestation and thereby retain access to the EU market. This article reviews the background of the partnership, the requirements of the regulation, and various perspectives, and includes related recommendations from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Recently, market regulators conducted surprise inspections of selected outlets of well-known beverage brands %Arabica and Heytea, sparking widespread consumer discussion about food safety in freshly made coffee and tea drinks. The operation focused on raw material storage, operational standards, and hygiene conditions, with the inspection results revealing that some outlets still have room for improvement in detail management. As coffee lovers, we should not only pay attention to flavor performance but also prioritize the safety and quality of beverages. This article will recount the inspection process and findings, and, in conjunction with the product characteristics of brands such as Front Street Coffee, explore how the industry can uphold the bottom line of food safety amid rapid expansion. [more…]

Neumann Kaffee Gruppe (NKG), the number one player in the global green coffee trade, recently announced the termination of its factory operations in Kenya, directly due to its failure to obtain an operating license from the government. This incident occurred after Kenya implemented the 2019 Coffee Regulations and the 2020 Capital Markets (Coffee Exchange) Regulations, both aimed at enhancing transparency in coffee trading, introducing digital management, and reshaping the regulatory framework. However, delays in license issuance during the implementation of these reforms have already led several companies into operational difficulties—local producer Eaagads saw its sales revenue plummet by 99% within half a year, with a net loss of 33.1 million shillings. Industry insiders worry that if the licensing issues continue to escalate, more traders will choose to exit because they cannot conduct business normally. [more…]

The European Parliament recently voted to postpone the implementation date of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) to December 2025, giving Kenyan coffee exporters an extra year of buffer time to adapt to the new rules. However, many exporters remain deeply worried, believing that under current conditions it will be very difficult to meet the EU's strict requirements. The EU is one of the most important overseas markets for Kenyan coffee, accounting for more than 20% of its total exports. Yet with Kenya's fragmented smallholder farmers, underprepared cooperatives, high compliance costs, and multiple pressures including stalled reforms, climate-related production declines, the Red Sea crisis, and port congestion, the outlook for this East African coffee-producing country is full of uncertainty. [more…]

Yesterday, the topic of "the first cup of milk tea in autumn" sparked widespread attention on social platforms, with orders at chain tea beverage brand stores surging, and some stores surpassing a thousand cups in sales within a short period. Under the pressure of the order surge, a scene appeared at a Certain Tea store where a JD delivery rider entered the bar area to assist with packing. After the video circulated, it triggered polarized discussions among netizens. Some praised the rider's goodwill in proactively helping, while others questioned whether non-store employees entering the operation area complies with food safety regulations. Surrounding bar operation permissions, health certificate requirements, and store management systems, various viewpoints clashed, and the incident quickly became a hot topic of discussion. [more…]

Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is globally recognized as one of the top coffees, but do you know how it is graded? This article will guide you through the basis for grading Blue Mountain coffee—screen size—and the strict cupping confirmation process. From No. 1 to No. 3, coffee beans of different screen sizes show no difference in taste, but there is a distinction between wooden barrels and burlap sacks for green bean packaging. Barrel-packed Blue Mountain coffee also comes with a certificate of origin, and the barrel is printed with information about the estate and importer. In addition, the Jamaican government has clear regulations on the export of defective beans and coffee beans with taste issues. Front Street Coffee reminds you that understanding this grading knowledge helps in identifying authentic Blue Mountain coffee. [more…]