Weekly Coffee News: Renowned Producer Pauses Operations + Tariff Exemption Petition

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Renowned Colombian Coffee Producer La Palma y El Tucán Halts Operations

Pioneering and experimental Colombian specialty coffee producer La Palma y El Tucán is ceasing operations, citing numerous ongoing global challenges. “We’ve always embraced change. But sometimes, change demands something deeper than adaptation it asks us to stop, reflect, and rethink our path entirely,” the company wrote on Instagram. “The coffee world has been shaken by COVID, drastic market shifts, and the relentless challenge of climate change. Today, we choose the most responsible action possible: to stop operations. We’re stopping to reconnect with our roots, our land, and the heart of La Palma & El Tucán. This isn’t an end it’s our boldest beginning yet.”

Proud Mary Coffee Launches Crowdfunded Equity Campaign

Australia and U.S. based specialty coffee roaster Proud Mary Coffee is seeking “non traditional investors” through a new crowdfunded equity campaign designed to fuel retail expansion. As of this writing, the StartEngine campaign had raised just over $200,000 through more than 30 individual investors.

Coffee Bros. Tariff Exemption Petition Reaches 12K+ Signatures

New York City based roaster Coffee Bros.’ petition to exempt coffee from new U.S. tariffs has collected more than 12,000 signatures in its first two months. The petition states, “These tariffs were designed to boost domestic manufacturing, but coffee cannot be produced at scale in the U.S. Hawaii and Puerto Rico produce less than 1% of what Americans consume. The rest comes from global trade, which these new policies are choking.”

Colombian Government Paying Farmers to Switch from Coca to Coffee

The government of Colombia is incentivizing more than 4,000 farmers and their families to switch out their coca crops for cocoa and coffee, according to an Aljazeera report. The government initiative comes amidst increased cocaine production in Colombia, “driven by sustained demand in Europe and the U.S.”

Kona’s Hala Tree Coffee Launches Inaugural Green Coffee Auction

Kona, Hawaii based Hala Tree Coffee is launching its first ever green coffee auction with nine featured lots, taking place online from July 7 to 9. Auction registration and sample sets are available here.

Hamburg Coffee Company HACOFCO Gets GCP Equivalency

The in-house sustainability scheme of green coffee trader Hamburg Coffee Company HACOFCO has been officially recognized by the Global Coffee Platform (GCP) as equivalent to the Coffee Sustainability Reference Code.

ICO Releases May 2025 Market Report

The International Coffee Organization (ICO) released its May 2025 coffee market report, showing a 0.4% decline in the ICO Composite Indicator Price compared to April. “General uncertainty around trade tariffs in the USA still remains, leading to expectations of a potential recession and therefore affecting the strength of demand,” the report states.

Part One of the “Source” Green Buying Panel Podcast is Out

The first part of the green coffee buying panel discussion and podcast “Source: A Green Buying Panel,” is now available. Hosted by Green coffee importer Cafe Imports and moderated by Chris Baca of Cat & Cloud Coffee, the episode was recorded live at the recent SCA Expo in Houston. Part two is expected Monday, June 9.

Kickstarter for New Thai-Inspired Cafe in Seattle

Coffee entrepreneur Emily Sirisup just launched a Kickstarter campaign to create a new Thai inspired coffee shop, called Nudibranch Coffee, in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood, which is scheduled to open in October. As of this writing, the campaign had raised just over $10,000 towards a $30,000+ goal.

Lavazza Announces Partnership with George Brown College

Italian coffee giant Lavazza announced a four year collaboration with Toronto-based George Brown College. The partnership includes a Lavazza scholarship, plus opportunities for the use of Lavazza equipment on campus, and the development of a “beverage simulation lab.”