STiR coffee and tea magazine

STiR coffee and tea 9 Robusta Rises Often considered an inferior alternative to its cousin arabica, both robusta production and its price have exploded in recent years alongside rising coffee demand. Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer overall, but Vietnam leads the way in terms of robusta, accounting for roughly 40% of the global market. Now, Brazil has set its sights on the top robusta spot as well. According to a report in late September by the Dutch bank Rabobank, Brazil's robusta production has grown from 19 million 60kg bags in 2020 to an estimated 24.7 million bags in 2025. Vietnam's output, by contrast, is expected to be around 30 million bags in 2024/25, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Rabobank's report notes that although costs of implementing and growing robusta are relatively high, the returns can be enormous: robusta's yields are almost 170% higher than arabica per hectare. At the same time, Brazil has millions of hectares of degraded pastureland, which the report says are suitable for conversion to agriculture; this would enable the country to expand its coffee production without resorting to deforestation. While Brazil looks to boost robusta production, the other big producers aren't sitting still. In Vietnam, several years of drought have impacted yields, although they are starting to recover — coffee exports over the first nine months of 2025 rose 7.4% compared to the same period last year. The value of those exports jumped 65%, which, according to the Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association (VICOFA), is down to the recent global coffee price rise. In 2024, robusta prices surged to their highest in 45 years, although the price has fluctuated over the past six months. Elsewhere, robusta is indigenous to Uganda, and it accounts for 85% of the country's coffee production. The USDA forecasts a modest increase in Uganda's exports over the next harvest season, rising 2.76% compared to As the world experiences unprecedented weather challenges and decreasing coffee yields, countries like Brazil are betting on robusta to save the day. Photo credit: Jacob Yavin Caffeine Might Be Nature's Antiaging Compound A groundbreaking new study from Queen Mary University of London has revealed that caffeine — the world's most beloved stimulant found in coffee — may possess remarkable antiaging properties at the cellular level. The research, published in the Microbial Cell Journal, provides compelling evidence that a cup of morning brew might be doing far more than just energizing. The comprehensive study examined how caffeine can modulate cell cycle progression, override DNA damage checkpoint signaling, and increase chronological lifespan in various model systems using fission yeast as a model organism. What makes this research particularly significant is its focus on under- standing the molecular mechanisms behind caffeine's effects. Early studies suggested that caffeine inhibits the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinase (PIKK) Rad3 to override DNA damage-induced cell cycle arrest in fission yeast, but the new findings reveal a more complex picture. The study's most intriguing discovery centers on caffeine's interaction with cellular stress response systems. Caffeine appears to do more than energize — it activates AMPK, a key cellular fuel sensor that helps cells cope with stress and energy shortages. This activation could explain the epidemiological links between coffee consumption and improved health outcomes. The researchers also investigated caffeine's relationship with the Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (TORC1), a crucial cellular pathway involved in aging and metabolism. Caffeine has been found to modulate cell cycle progression and lifespan by inhibiting the TORC1, though the direct nature of this inhibition requires further investigation. New study reveals caffeine's hidden ability to fight cellular aging. Photo credit: Roman Odintsov While this research was conducted using yeast cells, the implications could be far-reaching for human health. The study shows how caffeine could play a role in slowing down the ageing process at a cellular level. This cellular mecha- nism might help explain why numerous epide- miological studies have linked moderate coffee consumption with reduced risks of age-related diseases and increased longevity (see Coffee's Healthy Moment, p36). By Bhavi Patel the year before. According to Bloomberg, coffee earnings have more than doubled over the past twelve months, a result of the high commodity prices but also years of effort by authorities to encourage more production. By Fionn Pooler Coffee Report

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