Part 1 of 5: Jem McDowall of Universal Commodities explains how tea moves from fresh leaf through withering, oxidation, rolling or CTC processing, and drying. He also breaks down how tea is graded by leaf size, why those systems vary around the world, and how tea grading differs from the more standardized systems used in coffee.
Sep 14
23 min
Part 5 of 5: What will coffee look like in 20 years? Lee Safar and Cropster co-founder Norbert Niederhauser explore climate pressure, resilient varieties, higher and more stable coffee prices, experimental processing, AI, automation, the future of cafés, and why the industry still has the ability to shape what comes next.
Sep 11
34 min
Part 4 of 5: What does a sustainable coffee supply chain look like in practice? Lee Safar and Cropster co-founder Norbert Niederhauser explore how technology, measurement, data interpretation, and AI can help coffee businesses identify risk, reduce waste, and make more proactive decisions.
Sep 10
30 min
Part 3 of 5: Can coffee be environmentally sustainable if the economics do not work? Lee Safar and Cropster co-founder Norbert Niederhauser explore the connection between farming systems, pricing, risk, logistics, the C-market, and why sustainability ultimately depends on both environmental health and economic viability.
Sep 9
29 min
Part 2 of 5: Where is sustainability most lacking in coffee? Lee Safar and Cropster co-founder Norbert Niederhauser examine the weak points across farming, trading, roasting, pricing, and the environment, and discuss how businesses can identify risks before those weaknesses become a crisis.
Sep 8
29 min
Part 1 of 5: Sustainability in coffee is about far more than carbon emissions or environmental claims. Cropster co-founder Norbert Niederhauser joins Lee Safar to explore what a truly sustainable coffee supply chain requires, who carries responsibility, and why economic viability, transparency, and long-term thinking all matter.
Sep 7
29 min
Part 5 of 5: Colombia’s coffee sector faces years of recovery after the earthquake. Ana Donneys and Angel Barrera discuss reconstruction, mental-health strain, unequal access to resources, and why continuing to buy Colombian coffee and maintain long-term relationships may be one of the most meaningful ways the global industry can help.
Sep 4
26 min
Part 4 of 5: Colombian coffee is still moving, but the risks are building. Ana Donneys and Angel Barrera explain how damaged infrastructure, water rationing, El Niño and processing constraints could affect coffee quality and exportable volume through 2026 and into 2027.
Sep 3
22 min
Part 3 of 5: Colombia’s coffee sector now has to rebuild while continuing to produce. Ana Donneys and Angel Barrera explain the damage to wet mills, homes and infrastructure, transport constraints, and why El Niño could compound the pressure in the months ahead.
Sep 2
22 min
Part 2 of 5: The day after the earthquakes, communities across Colombia began responding while many people were still without safe homes, electricity, communications or road access. Ana Donneys and Angel Barrera describe the solidarity that emerged, damage across coffee-producing areas, and the first signs of disruption to Colombia’s coffee supply chain.
Sep 1
22 min
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