Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1545212
8 STiR coffee and tea | 2026 Quarter 2 Summer (Jun/July/Aug) Executive Editor Diana Jendoubi diana@coffeetea.media Coffee Correspondent Fionn Pooler (Scotland) Contributing Writers Nicky Atkin (UK) Mainbayar Badarch (Mongolia) Emilio Bonnet (Colombia) Billy Dietz (USA) Seth Griffin (Vietnam) Neldon Hamblin (USA) Bhavi Patel (India) Art Director Somjet Thitasomboon snt@octobermultimedia.com Administrative Assistant Sommai Jekaram asj@octobermultimedia.com Subscriptions Malisa Kongkatitum malisa@stir-tea-coffee.com Sales Director Emerson Leonard edl@octobermultimedia.com Director, October Inter Co., Ltd. Boonthin Tubsongkroh brt@octobermultimedia.com Founding Editor & Publisher Glenn Anthony John glenn@coffeetea.media c/o October Inter Co. Ltd. 159/19 Soi Ramkhamhaeng 110, Saphan Sung, Bangkok 10240 THAILAND. Tel: +66818299409. www.coffeetea.media Published by A Member of In This Issue A Subscribe to STiR Coffee and Tea Magazine 1 Year – US$60.00 2 Years – US$110.00 3 Years – US$150.00 For inquiries, contact: accounts@octmm.com Secure online payment: https://www.stir-tea-coffee.com/subscribe s the global coffee and tea industries face new challenges and disruptions, the topic of strengthening supply chains is on everyone's minds. What makes a supply chain sustainable and enduring? Logistics is, of course, of the utmost importance. However, a supply chain is more than just containers on ships and customs compliance. STiR correspondent Emilio Bonnet explores how investing in farmers' livelihoods improves supply chain resilience in Beyond Compliance: The Future of Coffee Supply Chains (page 16). On page 50, I discuss a recent Scaled Impact study that identifies what truly increases income for East African coffee producers and how Uganda's free market has expanded cof- fee production and value capture for its farmers. In coffee news, several US states are enacting Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation that significantly affects the US packaging industry; see Bhavi Patel's EPR Laws Reshape US Coffee Packaging (page 10). STiR coffee correspondent Fionn Pooler high- lights Brazil's rising specialty coffee sector (page 12), and Mainbayar Badarch explains how China is leveraging its connection to Brazil by inaugurating a new Brazilian Specialty Coffee Promotional Base in Qingdao (page 12). Bhavi Patel evaluates two recent influential coffee studies. One on Coffee's True Impact on Deforestation (page 14) and the other, NCA's annual spring National Coffee Data Trends (NCDT) report, which reveals the US's deepening coffee culture (page 22). In tea news, I report on Kenya's commitment to tea reforms (page 18), while Bhavi Patel discusses Ethiopia's expanding tea production (page 21). Tea correspondent Seth Griffin introduces Taiwan's New AI Irrigation Management System for Tea Gardens (page 19), and Mainbayar Badarch reports on Türkiye's record-high tea export values (page 20). The US-Israeli war against Iran has caused severe disruptions in tea production and trade for some of the world's largest tea producers (Seth Griffin, page 26). Fionn Pooler reveals how the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has a lasting impact on the global coffee industry (page 38). Pooler also dives deep into the Complexities of Inbound Coffee Logistics (page 36). The Nepal tea industry is at a crossroads, and Mainbayar Badarch discusses how the moun- tain nation strives to unlock the potential of premiumization (page 42) through specialty tea and regenerative methods. Nicky Atkin unveils plans to make regenerative tea farming more accessible to producers in Nepal and around the world (page 44). Billy Dietz celebrates RTD iced tea's departure from overly sweet products toward more pronounced tea flavors and natural sweeteners (page 54). Colombia sits at the forefront of a coffee-processing revolution in which experimental pro- ducers coexist with the country's established specialty suppliers (Emilio Bonnet, page 32). Meanwhile, Bhavi Patel chronicles East Africa's meteoric rise in coffee production volume, quality, and consistency (page 48). Demonstrating that supply chains can be reworked and strengthened. To wrap up the issue, I interview Michael Sheridan, CEO of the Coffee Quality Institute, about the role processing plays in improving coffee farmers' livelihoods and CQI's commit- ment to enhancing coffee quality through its Post-Harvest Processing program (page 58), highlighting the fact that farmers are a vital link in both coffee and tea's supply chains. For coffee and tea to sustain themselves and remain resilient in the face of global challenges and climate change, every link in that chain needs to not only survive but also thrive. Diana Jendoubi Executive Editor