STiR coffee and tea magazine

8 STiR coffee and tea | 2023 Issue 4 (August / September) In This Issue R Editor & Publisher Glenn Anthony John glenn@coffeetea.media Managing Editor Brian Mertens brian@octobermultimedia.com Sales Director Emerson Leonard edl@octobermultimedia.com Art Director Somjet Thitasomboon snt@octobermultimedia.com Tea Correspondent Dan Bolton tea@coffeetea.media Special Correspondent Thomas Schmid Contributing Writers Dan Engel (Europe) Bethany Haye (Colombia) Sherri Johns (U.S.) Sunalini Menon (India) Shem Oirere (Africa) Carrie Pallardy (U.S.) Administrative Assistant Sommai Jekaram asj@octobermultimedia.com Subscriptions Malisa Kongkatitum malisa@stir-tea-coffee.com Director, October Inter Co., Ltd. Boonthin Tubsongkroh brt@octobermultimedia.com c/o October Inter Co. Ltd. Interchange 21 Bldg., 32nd Fl., Room 3225, 399 Sukhumvit Road, North Klong Toey, Wattana, Bangkok, 10110, Thailand Tel +66 2 660 3789 www.stir-tea-coffee.com Published by A Member of Subscribe to STiR Coffee and Tea Magazine 1 Year – US$75.00 2 Years – US$145.00 3 Years – US$210.00 For inquiries, contact: malisa@stir-tea-coffee.com Secure online payment: https://www.stir-tea-coffee.com/subscribe obusta has been taking the coffee world by surprise recently as quality rises and de- mand for it grows. In this issue, a panel of experts discuss how to approach Coffea canephora when farming, processing, roasting, and marketing. The bean appears des- tined to follow in arabica's path and benefit from continual efforts to differentiate and improve the species, particularly given its hardiness and resistance to global warming. Please see "Exploring Robusta," page 24. One non-profit institution promoting more informed decisions about the farming and sourcing of canephora is World Coffee Research, which recently launched a marvelous open-source catalog of 47 varieties. See "Robusta Varieties Catalog Provides New Industry Tool," page 14. A leading producer of robusta is Cote d'Ivoire, also known as the Ivory Coast, the country in West Africa not far from the Congo Basin where Coffee canephora originated in the wild. Al- most all its crop is robusta, though production has declined greatly from four or five decades ago when the Ivory Coast was the world's third-leading coffee producer. Coffee and war do not mix, however. Civil wars in 2002 and 2011 dealt a big blow to the sec- tor. Coffee takes a long-term commitment to grow successfully, and Ivorian farmers reduced investment in the crop or gave it up during the most turbulent years. Some political tensions persist, but the nation's coffee industry has been rebuilding. Growers are being assisted by large global buyers of robusta and certification NGOs, such as Rainforest Alliance, that promote sustainable agriculture. See "Coffee Origin Update," page 42. Other coffee-related coverage looks at capsules. Regulations that enforce sustainability must themselves be sustainable — i.e., workable for capsule manufacturers, coffee compa- nies, consumers, and the waste management sector. European Union rules on recyclability and composability might need fine tuning to better accommodate coffee pods in the real world, according to one leading analyst of the plastics industry. See "Coffee Capsule Co- nundrums," page 34. Turning to tea, this issue looks at bubble tea and chai retail chains, which are bouncing back after doldrums during the Covid-19 pandemic. Boba is once again spreading vigorously from its strong roots in Taiwan, China, and Southeast Asia. Chai brands are branching out from South Asia to the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond. See "Bubble Tea and Chai Chains Resume Expansion," page 28. On the production side, we look at the challenges facing the global tea sector at a time of slumping prices and excessive output of low-quality leaf, leading to poor prospects for the livelihoods of small tea growers. Smallholders are the backbone of the industry, and they need to be kept strong. Bought leaf factories can help. In India's Assam Province, a small outfit called Bor Noi Tea Factory is under new management that is working to build a solid business in CTC by pursu- ing a specific market strategy and continually implementing small operational improvements in a pragmatic way. It's about "frugal innovation," incremental adoption of appropriate tech- nology, processes, and benchmarks. The operator spent decades working at Tata Group and is now applying corporate know-how in this small-scale setting. Part of the vision is to help sustain STGs. See "Elevating India's Bought Leaf Factories," page 30. One of the world's premier operators of bought leaf tea factories is Sri Lanka's Tea Small- holder Factories Ltd, listed on the Colombo stock exchange. Its six facilities produce teas that consistently win top prices at auction. It cooperates closely with growers and undertakes social investments. Yet, as STiR's interview with CEO Romesh Walpola reveals, the com- pany has no "secret sauce." It succeeds through hard work, solid management, and a com- mitment to excellence, benefitting shareholders and growers alike. See "Partnership with Tea Smallholders Helps Ensure Quality," page 22. Brian Mertens Managing Editor

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