​To understand how we got here, we have to go back to October 2023, when the war in Gaza broke out. A few weeks later, the Houthis—who have controlled northern Yemen since 2014, financed by Iran—began attacking merchant ships in the Red Sea. Any ship. Regardless of flag or cargo. Since then, they have carried out more than 190 attacks. The result was immediate: major shipping companies abandoned the Suez Canal route, which under normal circumstances handles around 12% of global maritime trade, and began to circumvent the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa.

​To this route collapse was added another variable that no one had anticipated: the congestion in Mombasa. Since September 2025, the port has experienced what industry analysts describe as a perfect storm. Cargo flow grew by 11% in a single year, an all-time record, but the infrastructure couldn't keep up. Truckers' strikes, a backlog of uncollected empty containers, and overflowing storage capacity resulted in berthing delays of up to fourteen days and more than twenty ships anchored, waiting their turn.
 
All of this is happening while the political world shows no signs of stabilisation; on the contrary, it is worsening. The geopolitical uncertainty triggered by the Strait of Hormuz crisis—active wars, rising oil prices, and erratic decisions by those pulling the strings—remains unresolved. The dollar sustains global trade based on a slowly eroding trust. And those who pay the price, as always, are the weakest links in the chain.
 
Despite everything, we continue working. And Kenya is coming slowly, but is coming surely.

​Since World War II, coffee has been transacted predominantly in US dollars, a direct consequence of the stability and global acceptance that the currency acquired following the Bretton Woods Agreements. But it was in 1971, when the United States abandoned the gold standard, that the system took a more aggressive and lasting form. Global trade needed a new anchor. Oil provided it. The 1974 petrodollar agreement ensured that every barrel of crude oil was priced in US dollars — and with it, virtually every commodity on the planet, including coffee. The most traded agricultural product in the world was trapped in an orbit that it never chose and from which it has never been able to escape.

​The consequences for coffee farmers have been profound and invisible. Since Arabica futures are traded in New York in dollars, a small farmer in Ethiopia or Colombia does not sell his crop at a price that reflects his labour, his land, or the quality of his harvest — but at a price determined by currency fluctuations in a financial market to which he has no access. When the dollar strengthens, his income decreases. When oil prices rise, so do fertiliser and transportation costs, both denominated in that same dollar. The petrodollar not only determines the price of crude oil, but it also determines the conditions under which the coffee reaches your roastery.

As roasters, you are at the other end of this chain. The green coffee prices you negotiate, the hedging strategies your importers use, the shipping costs of each container from Mombasa or Addis Ababa— everything moves with the dollar. Therefore, a decision on interest rates by the Federal Reserve in Washington can reduce your margins in Barcelona or Santiago without moving a single kilogram of coffee. The US dollar is the silent variable in every coffee cost calculation, and understanding it is not an academic exercise: it is a competitive advantage.

This structure, however, may be changing. In addition to the global disillusionment with US policies over the last 50 years, China's push for yuan-denominated oil trading is gaining traction, even though the dollar still dominates approximately 80% of global crude oil trade. As China establishes itself as one of the fastest-growing coffee consumer markets, the pricing dynamics of the entire industry might gradually adjust. For European roasters, a multipolar monetary world warrants special attention; it could lead to more stable supply conditions for producing countries or introduce new layers of volatility that are difficult to predict. In any case, the era in which a single currency quietly controlled your cup may be coming to an end.

Stay informed and caffeinated!

It is often overlooked that all coffee produced worldwide is fermented. This is not a characteristic exclusive to experimental processes or a recent marketing strategy. From traditional washed processes to natural methods, some form of fermentation is always involved. The key difference lies not in whether the coffee is fermented, but in the purpose of the fermentation.

​In traditional origins like Kenya, fermentation primarily serves a technical function in the coffee processing. The classic Kenyan method includes two tank fermentations, interspersed with multiple washes, which help cleanse the bean, stabilise it, and allow its natural flavour profile to shine through. This combination contributes to the bright acidity, structure, and sensory clarity for which Kenyan coffees are renowned.

In recent times, we also see longer, controlled, or experimental fermentations aimed at modifying or intensifying specific cup profiles. While we don’t wish to judge trends or fads in specialty coffee, we believe it’s important to be transparent about when fermentation is used to preserve and enhance the intrinsic quality of a lot, and when it may be employed to mask defects from a poor harvest, potentially through the lactic acids generated during the process. Fermenting coffee isn't a new concept; understanding the reason behind fermentation is what truly makes a difference.

​In Kenya, we look for coffees with intensity, clarity, and balance. We focus primarily on washed lots with double fermentation that represent the classic Kenyan profile: bright citrus, blackcurrant, red fruits, and well-integrated floral notes, always accompanied by a clean sweetness and a vibrant yet harmonious acidity. We want structure and clarity in the cup, coffees that stand out for their intensity without losing elegance, allowing each roaster to express their own coffee identity.

​We prioritize classic varieties like SL-28 and SL-34, renowned for their excellent cup quality. We work with AA, AB, and PB classifications, valued for their bean size and concentration. These varieties are grown at high altitudes in regions near Mount Kenya and in areas like Nyeri and Kirinyaga, where volcanic soils and climate favor complex and defined profiles. Our goal is to select lots scoring 85 points or higher, but above all, coffees with sweetness and cleanliness as a fundamental base.

Once the selections are confirmed and the contracts signed, the pre-shipment samples will be sent after milling and final quality control. You can expect them in the final weeks of March, depending on logistics and export timelines. As always, we will share transparent information about availability, profiles, and estimated arrival dates so you can plan with peace of mind. We expect our new Kenyan cafes to land in Barcelona at the end of April.

Kenya is coming! Stay tuned and caffeinated.

​At Kilimanjaro Specialty Coffees, we rarely speak about our commitment to social responsibility. Not because it is unimportant, but because we believe the quality of our green coffee should always come first. However, once a year, we feel it is appropriate to share how your coffee choices contribute to something beyond coffee itself.

Through our green coffee sales, we allocate 1% of our total turnover to wildlife conservation, with a particular focus on critically endangered species such as elephants, gorillas, and orangutans. This year, our contribution has supported anti-poaching patrols and habitat protection in Aberdare National Park in Kenya, a vital refuge for elephants and other threatened wildlife.

Aberdare is far more than a national park; it is a living ecosystem under constant pressure. The funds we provide help protect migratory corridors, strengthen ranger presence, and preserve essential habitats for the long-term survival of these species. These are practical, on-the-ground initiatives that align with our conviction to create meaningful and measurable impact.

By choosing our coffees, you become part of this effort—without publicity stunts or distinctive bag colors. It is a quiet commitment, shared among professionals who value responsibility as highly as quality.

Thank you for being part of this project and for helping to preserve wildlife through thoughtful, understated action.

Wishing you a happy and well caffeinated 2026!

​The Ethiopian economy has seen progress in recent decades, but it remains highly exposed to volatile international prices for agricultural products and limited infrastructure, which makes access to stable markets difficult. The dependence on coffee makes each harvest vital, and any loss represents a direct blow to the survival of the community, which explains why armed protection becomes part of daily life in areas like Guji, where wealth is not measured in money but in bags of coffee ready to be exported.

​The presence of Kalashnikovs in Africa has deeper roots and is linked to historical dynamics of civil wars, arms trafficking and political legacies of the Cold War. This massive distribution caused robust and relatively cheap weapons to circulate for decades between countries with limited resources, generating a lasting impact on regional security and on the way in which communities organise to defend their assets in the absence of a strong state.

If you are interested in the topic, the documentary "Darwin's Nightmare" offers a powerful look at these dynamics, showing how the arrival of certain industries and the presence of international trade routes can coexist with the constant flow of weapons and social conflicts. Although it is set in Tanzania, it offers keys to understanding why tools of war end up being integrated into fragile local economies and how global imbalances allow violence and poverty to feed each other.

​Unlike other species in the animal kingdom, humans are predominantly visual: around 90% of the information our brain processes is visual. This hinders the development of short- and long-term memory linked to the other four senses. For this reason, developing gustatory memory, for example, requires training, and not everyone has the same capacity to do so, due to differences in sensory receptors. Each person's ability to perceive and register sensory details is unique and is influenced by both physiology and the culture and environment in which we live.

​People with more sensitive receptors can detect and remember more aromas and flavours, while our personal history and cultural context influence how we describe and interpret those sensations. Language, then, becomes the bridge that allows us to share these experiences with others. We associate each sensation we detect with a record in our memory.

Coffee cupping is a perfect example of how sensory memory works. Coffee contains more than 850 volatile compounds, but humans can only perceive about 40. Because of this, tasting notes and sensory experience are not completely transferable from one person to another: they depend, first, on our physiological capacity to perceive and register sensations, and second, on our personal experience, our culture, and our language.

Enjoy your coffee!

​Originally, civets in the wild would eat only the ripest cherries, contributing to a unique fermentation process. However, as demand increased, producers began capturing civets and keeping them in cramped, filthy cages to mass-produce the coffee. These animals, who are meant to roam freely at night, suffer tremendously in captivity. They are often force-fed coffee cherries and denied a proper diet, leading to malnutrition, stress, and disease.

​What makes this cruelty even more outrageous is the false perception that Kopi Luwak offers superior taste. In reality, the quality has declined drastically because caged civets can no longer select the ripest cherries in the wild. Instead, they are fed whatever the farmers provide, often unripe or low-quality cherries. This destroys the very element that once made wild-sourced Kopi Luwak unique, leaving consumers to pay exorbitant prices for a coffee that is far inferior to high-quality, ethically produced beans.

The truth is that Kopi Luwak symbolises the worst kind of luxury—one built on the suffering of voiceless animals for the pleasure of indulgent consumers and the profit of unscrupulous producers. There are numerous ethically sourced, high-quality coffees available that do not involve animal exploitation. We should prefer traditional cultivated coffee from Indonesia. Supporting those alternatives is not just a better culinary choice—it’s a moral imperative.

​With U.S. buyers stepping back, Brazilian exporters will likely turn to alternative destinations—Europe being the most logical next market. This shift could result in greater availability of Brazilian beans at more competitive prices. While this situation presents challenges for some producers, it could translate into significant cost savings for European roasters and buyers. Downward pressure on prices may help offset recent inflationary trends in green coffee supply, enabling roasters to stabilise or even reduce their costs.

​For African coffee-producing countries, however, this shift introduces new complexities. Increased competition from Brazilian beans could shrink the market share of producers in Ethiopia, Uganda, and Kenya, potentially forcing them to lower their prices—even below sustainable production levels. In a context of high inflation across many African nations, this poses a serious threat to small-scale coffee farmers.

As we approach the August 1 deadline, it’s crucial to prepare for a dynamic and rapidly evolving supply environment. The global coffee landscape is shifting daily, and the possibilities are wide-ranging. Staying well-informed and maintaining a flexible, open-minded approach will be essential in navigating what comes next.

Enjoy your coffee! 

​Rather than levelling the playing field, coffee festivals tend to reinforce the industry's most damaging imbalance: those at the top of the supply chain are the protagonists, while those at the bottom are marginalised or completely ignored. We constantly see roasters, baristas, and influencers posting endless selfies, but never the producers themselves. What's missing is not just representation, but respect. Festivals rarely invest in bringing coffee farmers in, offering translation services, or creating spaces for real dialogue about challenges at origin.

​Even the industry's supposed ethics are lost in the noise. "Sustainability," "traceability," and "direct trade" are buzzwords that flood the stands, but few attendees question what they really mean or if they are backed by action. It's easy to talk about values ​​when there's no accountability. We've seen coffee farmers underpaid for award-winning harvests, while importers and leaders tout the virtues of transparency on panels.

We can't continue to celebrate coffee if we ignore the producer. If the coffee industry wants to grow with integrity, its public events must improve. This means giving coffee farmers a voice, compensating them fairly for their time and expertise, and recognising their place not only in the supply chain but also in the cultural narrative of coffee. Until then, these festivals will remain discriminatory gatherings focused on marketing, sales, and social media narcissism, and that's a bitter pill to swallow that doesn't fit with the concept of specialty coffee.