Share your coffee stories with us by writing to info@comunicaffe.com.
The Specialty Coffee Association’s 25, Issue 24 delves into the evolving identities within the coffee industry. It examines how consumers are transitioning from passive buyers to active co-creators, how cultural traditions influence coffee pairings, the emergence of specialty coffee cultures in traditionally producing countries, and the importance of inclusive dialogues in shaping the future of coffee. You can read the full article in Shifting Identities in 25, Issue 24.
Beginning in Business, Kosta Kallivrousis investigates how digital natives are redefining their identity as coffee consumers—moving beyond passive purchasers to become active co-creators with their favorite coffee brands. Brand loyalty, he argues, emerges when businesses recognize and embrace consumers’ desire to become creative partners, and build both products (such as drink recipes or retail packaging) or experiences (including collaborative events) together.
In Insight, Anna Luiza Santana Neves shares results from a study on coffee and food pairing preferences in Brazil. Moving beyond coffee and cake to discuss pão de queijo (cheese bread) and tapioca, their study shows how these pairings reflect sentimental habits, cultural identities, and regional traditions, rather than just sensory compatibility.
Two authors further explore specialty coffee consumption in countries conventionally perceived as “coffee producing.” In Insight, Jordan Buchanan shares testimony from pioneering specialty café owners in Puebla state, Mexico, exploring their journeys into coffee and tracing their motivations and challenges as they grew the local scene. Also in Insight, Daniel Muraga explores a burgeoning café culture in Nairobi, Kenya. As urbanization literally blurs the boundaries between coffee production and consumption areas around Nairobi, Muraga describes how coffee competitions, consumer and professional education, and coffee tourism are increasing the perceived value of Kenyan coffee at home.
This issue encourages us to challenge binary definitions of “consuming” and “producing” countries and to reflect on the language we use to describe the interconnected coffee system. In Viewpoint, Alexa Romano and Vera Espíndola Rafael share their reflections on two dialogues on equitable value distribution in coffee, held in Mexico in 2024. They remind us to interrogate the cultural and linguistic norms of discussion and move toward intentional dialogues that disrupt power imbalances and truly center women coffee producers’ voices.
