Dear Coffee Lovers,
two days of Unity in Complexity at the Swiss Coffee Trade Association (SCTA) in Basel - and what an event it was! SCTA continues to be a true leader in bringing together our industry to shape the future of coffee - something I’m deeply passionate about.
Coffee connects more than 25 million farmers across 60+ countries - a truly global value chain that depends on collaboration and resilience.
The discussions were sharp, the mood was reflective, and the data spoke volumes:
☕️ Biggest challenges for coffee leaders: volatility, climate, uncertainty
🌍 Top sources of uncertainty: geopolitical instability and price volatility
📊 Main disruption from tariffs: trade flows and supply chains
Tariffs have become more than a trade issue - they’re reshaping predictability, decision cycles, and even the emotional tone of coffee conversations. As one visual in Basel perfectly put it: “Tariffs are beautiful… or are they?” American consumers are largely yet to see the tariff impact.
Christian Dussey keynote on unprecedented uncertainty and crisis resilience hit the mark - pragmatic, global, and deeply relevant. And the FNC breakfast was pure inspiration: pride, professionalism, and vision from Colombia’s coffee heartland.
Huge thanks to the SCTA team and especially Krisztina Szalai Ph.D. for creating such a powerful platform - uniting the trade community at a time when volatility is the new normal. Reconnecting with so many friends and colleagues, exchanging ideas, and feeling the pulse of our coffee industry.
