AC1, David Lynch and Coffee, and What Specialty Coffee Means Around the World

• What does specialty coffee mean to different people around the world?

  By Matt Haw for Perfect Daily Grind

  “Objectively, we define 'specialty coffee' by a score of 80 points or above on the Specialty Coffee Association's 100-point scale. Alongside quality, there are a number of more holistic defining characteristics of specialty coffee, such as sustainability, traceability, transparency. But given that consumption is increasing across the globe, it's also fair to assume that the definition of specialty coffee is evolving. Now influenced by many different social and cultural factors, industry professionals and consumers alike have started to develop their own personal relationship with specialty coffee.”

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• David Lynch, “Mulholland Drive” And The Meaning Of Specialty Coffee

  By Jackson O'Brien for Sprudge

  “It would be reasonable to think that I would relish the opportunity to meet Mr. Lynch and serve him a cup of coffee, given how much he loves it and how I've dedicated my professional life to it. This is not the case, however. That's because I have seen Lynch's 2001 film Mulholland Drive, and therefore the idea of serving coffee to David Lynch terrifies me.”

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• What is the AC1 coffee variety & could it become more popular?

  By Vasileia Fanarioti for Perfect Daily Grind

  “It's clear that specialty coffee sees plenty of potential with the quality of these varieties. In turn, the market for high-quality low-caf coffee is slowly but steadily growing. Another coffee variety which is naturally low in caffeine is AC1. First discovered in Ethiopia, the Instituto Agronômico de Campinas (IAC) has carried out extensive research on this coffee to better understand its market potential. And there have been some promising results, too.”

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• When will we see more robusta in coffee shops?

  By Jenna Gottlieb for newGround

  “It's been recognised as a species capable of withstanding the impacts of climate change - able to survive warmer temperatures and resist pests and diseases. As the availability of land suitable for growing arabica diminishes, it is increasingly regarded as a viable long-term alternative. […] Once disregarded as an inferior species by the specialty coffee community, robusta is now being hailed as the industry's potential saviour. This conversation has been loud and difficult to ignore in recent times.”

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• WCR's largest collaborative breeding programme disseminates over 5,000 seeds - what could this mean for specialty coffee?

  By Tasmin Grand for Perfect Daily Grind

  “We wouldn't have some of these unique varieties without extensive research and breeding programmes. One example is World Coffee Research's (WCR) Innovea Global Coffee Breeding Network, which first launched in November 2022. Through the network, WCR and its partners have created new and improved breeding populations. These will be available to producers in several coffee-growing countries. On 30 August 2023, WCR announced that the first 5,000 'genetically unique' seeds developed by the Innovea Global Coffee Breeding Network were sent to seven partner countries. This marks a major milestone in the world's largest collaborative coffee breeding programme in 50 years. Potentially, it could also lead to substantial change in the global specialty coffee sector.”

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