World of Coffee Brussels is four weeks away — and the industry is mobilising
Attendee registration is open for World of Coffee Brussels, taking place 25–27 June at Brussels Expo — the first time the SCA's flagship European trade show has been held in Belgium. With 430+ exhibitors confirmed and the World Brewers Cup among the headline competitions, Brussels is the most significant European industry gathering of the year.
Featuring a Tasting Lab, Roasters' Village showcasing leading UK roasters, and expert-led tastings.
Two days of education and peer exchange at the Daily Coffee News flagship event for roasters.
Potential valuation approaching $400–500m — a signal that emerging-market specialty chains are attracting serious late-stage capital.
Ethiopia is about to overtake Indonesia as the world's fourth-largest coffee producer
The USDA projects Ethiopia's 2026/27 harvest at 12.1 million bags — up 4.7% — while Indonesia falls 8% to 11.38 million bags. Four consecutive years of Ethiopian agronomic improvement versus robusta flowering disruptions in Sumatra and Java. For specialty buyers: more Ethiopian availability in 2027, tighter Indonesian supply widening differentials.
Exports reach 28.5m bags as shipments to Germany (+46%), the US (+37%), and Italy (+31%) surge. El Niño risk looms over 2026/27.
Robusta expansion and acreage growth to 595,000 hectares make Uganda one of the year's most underrated origin stories.
Arabica slid further on Friday while robusta rallied 1.7% after spotty rainfall in Vietnam's Central Highlands raised fresh crop concerns. The two grades are now trading on different supply narratives — arabica softness is harvest-driven, but robusta's floor is less settled than recent lows implied.
Speaking at the Trento Economics Festival, illycaffè President Andrea Illy confirmed a listing is 'a possibility' with no timeline. He called 2025 a transition year of higher debt and lower profitability, and expects 2026 to be the year of recovery.
A shipment stolen in transit from New Orleans to Knoxville in May 2025 has triggered a federal lawsuit involving Zurich American Insurance — a reminder that supply chain theft is a real logistics risk for US roasters.
Ethiopia is becoming the new safe haven for specialty buyers — and producers know it
Ethiopia targets US$3bn in export revenue for 2025/26, with 12.1 million bags projected for 2026/27 and 800,000 hectares of harvested area. The structural expansion is happening exactly when roasters are diversifying away from two-country dependency. Roasters who build direct relationships in Yirgacheffe, Guji, and Sidama now — before Brussels, before the 2027 crop — will be better positioned than those who wait for the differential to move.
Sources
Perfect Daily Grind · Comunicaffe International · Global Coffee Report · World Coffee Portal · Daily Coffee News · SCA News · Barchart · USDA FAS · Ecofin Agency