STiR coffee and tea magazine

STiR coffee and tea 21 Raw Bean coffee bags ITALY IMA Buys Mapster The IMA Group has acquired interest in two companies in moves that enhance the company's holdings in single-serve coffee and coffee processing. IMA, through its subsidiary GIMA, agreed in December 2016 to buy 80% interest in Mapster S.r.l. based in Parma, Italy. Mapster designs and manufactures automatic machines for the filling and packaging of capsules for the single-serve coffee sector. Mapster's machines complement GIMA's existing single-serve applications and give GIMA more product options at the market's entry level, according to a company statement. GIMA also agreed to acquire 49% of Petroncini Impianti S.p.A., from the Giberti family. Petroncini Impianti, based in Ferrara, Italy, is a market leader in coffee roasting machines and coffee processing plants, the company said. Petroncini Impianti designs, manufac- tures, and installs complete roasting coffee plants. It also produces roasters with capacities from 2 kilograms to 3.5 metric tons per hour. PHILIPPINES Philippines Raises Coffee Goals The Philippine government intends to expand its nation's coffee industry, reducing coffee bean imports and promoting exports. To reach that goal, officials are setting a new export target. According to documents obtained by Business Mirror in Manila, the Philippine coffee industry intends to export 214,626 metric tons of green coffee by 2022. Should the goal be met, the Philippines would have surplus coffee available for export. As a result, farm productivity and income would increase as well, the newspaper quoted a report. The plan calls for coffee plantation expansion from 306,000 acres to 492,000 acres (124,000 to 199,000 hectares) over the five-year period. Read the report: www.bit.ly/2nvB0Ss PUERTO RICO Climate Change in Puerto Rico Puerto Rico may be getting warmer and drier and those changes in climate could threaten the country's coffee group. A new study by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows that climate change may harm growing conditions. If tempera- tures and greenhouse gas emissions keep rising, conditions likely will suffer, according to USDA. The study is the first to use fine- resolution climate projections for Puerto Rico to model the effects of warming temperatures and changing rainfall patterns on coffee growing conditions, the USDA statement cited. The study was published in the journal Climatic Change. "This study is part of USDA's effort to develop and deliver information to help reduce the risks of climate variabil- ity and change," said Dr. William Gould, director of the Caribbean Hub based at the USFS International Institute of Tropical Forestry. Arabica beans dominate Puerto Rico's coffee production and high temperatures combined with low precipitation can result in reduced coffee quality and yields, plus increased exposure and sensitivity to insects and diseases, the study concluded. "High greenhouse gas emission scenarios project temperature increases that, without adaptation, will make growing traditional varieties of Arabica challenging," explained Stephen Fain, lead author of the study. "Our findings reveal differences in the potential effects of high and low CO2 emissions on coffee." 12 grams of coffee grounds and, like the better-known pyramid tea bag, the Bean Bag provides better infusion than square coffee bags. Sold in boxes of 10, Bean Bags come in three varieties - Breakfast Blend, El Salvador, and the 100% chemical free Definitely Decaffeinated. "As a quality filter coffee option, Bean Bags will mostly appeal to cafetiere users, but may also attract single-serve pod users concerned about the growing waste issue," company founder Alex Cox said in the statement. "Bean Bags are biodegradable so there's no longer an excuse for adding to landfill in the name of enjoying a quick, easy and flavorful cup of coffee." Learn more: rawbean.co.uk. UK Bean Bags Introduced UK-based Raw Bean introduced its new fully biodegradable, single-serve Bean Bags for sale online and at Waitrose stores throughout the country. Bean Bag is the first pyramid-style coffee bag on the market, the company said in a statement. Each bag contains US Farmers Bros.' New Home Farmer Bros. Co. recently opened for business in Northlake, Texas, with a new 538,000-sq.-ft. facility that serves as company headquarters and roasting facility. The national coffee roaster, whole- saler, and distributor of coffee, tea, and culinary products made the controversial move from California after a lengthy stockholder battle. With the first roast on April 27, the move is complete. "We're excited to begin the next chapter in our company's growth from our beautiful new home in North Texas," c.e.o Mike Keown said in a company statement. "We anticipate bringing about 225 new jobs to the area, and we're looking forward to becoming an integral part of Northlake and the surrounding North Texas region." Slightly more than half of the facility is dedicated to the distribution center that will move 24 to 28 million pounds of coffee a year, company officials said. Farmer Bros.' north Texas facility

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