Our guest on the podcast in this series is Angela Barrero, coffee farmer and Regenerative Ag expert, talking about biochar.
Two critical shifts are happening in coffee right now:
Tariffs on imported coffee into the U.S. – Announced under President Trump’s trade policy, these are effectively taxes initially paid by importers but passed on to consumers, contributing to inflation. The tariffs apply to all origin countries except Mexico, which is currently exempt.
Volatility in the coffee futures market – Despite no meaningful change in the fundamentals of coffee supply, prices have dropped sharply. This signals that speculators are betting on a recession, anticipating a reduction in consumer demand and discretionary spending. We have no way of knowing whether this will eventuate or not at this stage.