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Inside rising coffee prices with Olivia Evans, Connor Giffin
This week’s Sunday cover story focuses on the rising cost of coffee as the industry is facing dual threats from an inconsistent trade environment and ongoing climate issues.
Owners at several local coffee shops in Louisville told The Courier Journal the ripple effects of trade and climate on the coffee industry are leaving them little choice when it comes to raising prices on their beverages and beans sold in store.
Courier Journal reporters Olivia Evans and Connor Giffin spoke to several coffee shop owners and climate researchers, and reviewed economic data to distill what’s happening with your morning cup of joe.
For more on the story, here are some questions we answered about the process of reporting on rising coffee prices:
Describe your reporting process. What steps did you take?
This story started by reaching out to numerous coffee shop owners around Louisville. We wanted to speak with small business owners who were still fairly fresh in the industry, and longtime Louisville coffee institutions, like Fante’s and Safai. We visited shops around town to talk about pricing, industry trends, consumer attitudes and other challenges of operating a successful coffee business.
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, commodity markets and a review of current and archived websites for local coffee shops helped us understand how coffee prices have changed, both in Louisville and at a national level. We also asked coffee shop owners about what origins they rely on for their coffee, and consulted available information online, to assemble a general picture of where Louisville shops source their coffee.
We also began reading up on the latest research about how climate change is affecting coffee yields and land suitability around the world. The effects are bleak overall, but not uniform across the coffee belt, so we reached out to several researchers with expertise in various regions. Scientists based in the U.S., Germany and Ethiopia spoke with us about what they’ve seen in different growing regions of South America and Africa, and what they’ve heard in conversations with farmers there.
What key points do you want readers to take away from this story?
The coffee supply chain connects Louisville coffee drinkers to farmers on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highlands of South America and beyond. It is as complicated as it is far-reaching, affected by innumerable factors.
One example is tariffs. Multiple local coffee shop owners described how aggressive and inconsistent tariff policies by the Trump administration have injected much uncertainty into the industry, and resulted in higher prices.
But in the long run, rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns could bring about more lasting damage, upending where coffee can be grown along with its taste and quality. Coffee farms passed down through multiple generations could see an end to a legacy, and the effects could be drastic in parts of the global south where coffee cultivation is an economic pillar.
What can readers expect from you next?
On the business beat, be on the lookout for coverage around Kentucky’s major manufacturers as the national focus on American manufacturing grows. Additionally, you can expect continued coverage on tariffs and its impacts on the Kentucky bourbon industry, the state’s automotive sector and Louisville’s major employers.
On the environment beat, look for further reporting on Kentucky’s resilience in the face of flooding and other disasters, following a legislative task force report outlining recommendations for steeling the state against strengthening storms.
Contact business reporter Olivia Evans at oevans@courier-journal.com. Contact environmental reporter Connor Giffin at cgiffin@courier-journal.com.
