Key Takeaways from WOC

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Last week, thousands of coffee industry people convened in Copenhagen for World of Coffee (WOC). Here are some key takeaways from two Sucafina traders: 

• WOC is emerging as a comprehensive event for Europe and it's clear that it has now become something significant with the full spectrum of origins and commercial & specialty players in attendance.
• Volatility and high prices continue and uncertainty seems to be holding everyone back in one way or another. The discussions around Robusta and Arabica continued with interest in Conilons replacing other Robustas and even Arabica replacing Robusta. This comes on the heels of record Robusta prices, record Vietnam differentials and the highest difference between Brazil Conilon and Vietnam in history.
• The new European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) was a main talking point for commercial and specialty roasters alike. Everyone wants to see what EUDR will look like in practice and curious about what impact it will have on the industry.  

Key Takeaways from WOC 

Last week, thousands of coffee industry people convened in Copenhagen for World of Coffee (WOC). Jamie White, Sales Trader with Sucafina’s Geneva office, and Cory Andreen, Green Coffee Merchant with Sucafina’s Antwerp office,  share their key takeaways from WOC.  

WOC is emerging as a comprehensive event for Europe and it's clear that it has now become something significant with the full spectrum of origins and commercial & specialty players in attendance, Jamie reports. She notes that while WOC was previously regarded as more of a specialty event, “there was major commercial and soluble/instant presence this year. We also co-exhibited with our Instant team, and there was a lot of interest. WOC is a great opportunity to meet the whole of the coffee industry in one place.” If you’re a commercial roaster interested in industry events, she recommends a visit to next year’s WOC in Geneva.   

Volatility and high prices continue and uncertainty seems to be holding everyone back in one way or another, Cory reports. The discussions around Robusta and Arabica continued, Jamie says, with interest in Conilons replacing other Robustas and even Arabica replacing Robusta. This comes on the heels of record Robusta prices, record Vietnam differentials and the highest difference between Brazil Conilon and Vietnam in history.

Both Jamie and Cory noted that the new European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) was a main talking point for commercial and specialty roasters alike. “As expected, EUDR was a huge topic, and something that was discussed with almost every client. Conversations are beginning to become more nuanced, rather than just the general discussions and speculations that have been occurring over the past year,” Jamie says.  People wanted to see what EUDR will look like in practice and curious about what impact it will have on the industry, Cory says.  

One of the things clients were interested in, Jamie says, is managing the EU customs clearance process in Q4 of this year. “We also had more than one discussion about the management of EUDR related documents both internally and within the EU’s system,” she says.  

Cory also noticed an emergence of microshop roastery options, including electric roasters handling 1.5 to 9kg with no ventilation required. “Whether businesses that have traditionally purchased wholesale from our roaster clients will embrace them is yet to be seen,” he says. 

Whether you attend WOC or not, now is a great time to get in touch with your trader about important topics like WOC, differentials and more. Reach out to your trader to get help with your pressing questions and to benefit from Sucafina’s experience attending WOC.  

About the Authors  

Jamie is a New Jersey expat currently located in Geneva. She has been with Sucafina since 2021 and works on the green coffee desk with clients primarily from Central and Northern Europe. She holds a master’s degrees in commodity trading from the University of Geneva.  

Cory is bad at writing bios. Originally from Washington, DC, he has lived in Berlin for over 17 years where he opened a couple of cafes and a ready-to-drink coffee company before joining the team at Sucafina last year. He is a former World Cup Tasters Champion and still loves few things more than cupping coffee.