#6 – What your coffee bag is not telling you (and why you do not ask) – Philipp Schallberger, Kaffeemacher
The Food Economy
“If a sommelier said to you: ‘I have this wonderful wine made of grapes coming from Europe.’ You would not accept only this information. But when it comes to coffee, people are satisfied with this,” says , Managing Partner at . We often do not know much about our coffee's origin, the type of beans used, or how they were processed. Have you ever wondered why most coffee bags in stores do not provide this information and why coffee drinkers do not demand it? And how can we tell where our coffee comes from if the origin is not written on the bag? In this episode, Philipp...
info_outline
#5 – The future of coffee – Yana Mikhailova, Nestlé
The Food Economy
“In the next three years, I expect there will be more new plantations coming and gaining. There will be higher yields because the green coffee price is so high now that farmers are happier than ever. And this is really good,” says , Head of Coffee Zone Europe at Today, global demand for coffee is higher than ever and is expected to continue growing over the next years and decades. However, Swiss scientists have calculated that climate change threatens to render more than half of the current coffee cultivation areas unsuitable for production by 2050. How can the industry meet rising...
info_outline
#4 – OpTEAmism during taxing times – Adrian Steiner, Thermoplan (part two)
The Food Economy
Since August 2025, Swiss products imported into the United States have been subject to a tariff of 39 per cent. This new tax places the Swiss export industry under significant cost pressure. , a Swiss manufacturer of professional coffee machines, is one of the affected companies. At the same time, the firm presents an exemplary case of diversification by expanding into a new market. In the second of two episodes with CEO , he explains the impact of the current US tariff on Thermoplan’s business and he tells the story of their new partnership with the Chinese teahouse chain Chagee.
info_outline
#3 – Turning crises into opportunities – Adrian Steiner, Thermoplan (part one)
The Food Economy
“We call this the Thermoplan family: creating new ideas together and finding solutions for opportunities and sometimes also challenges. That’s the core of my business. In the end, it’s all about the people,” says , CEO of . Thermoplan is a Swiss manufacturer of professional coffee machines supplying Starbucks and other key players in the industry. The company is renowned for its agility and innovation, especially when confronted with challenges or crises. In the first of two episodes, Adrian shares the story how Thermoplan became Starbucks’ exclusive supplier of coffee machines and...
info_outline
#2 – A coffee merchant, not a trader – Nicolas A. Tamari, Sucafina
The Food Economy
“As a merchant, we innovate. Through the innovative projects and work we do, we are able to bring the whole coffee supply chain forward. It’s important for coffee to keep evolving over time,” says Nicolas A. Tamari, CEO of . The supply chain of coffee is complex and fragmented. It involves growers, traders, merchants, and many other stakeholders. But what distinguishes a coffee trader from a merchant? And what value do each add to the other participants in the supply chain? In this episode, Nicolas answers these questions and explains why the cure for the high price of coffee is… the...
info_outline
#1 – A coffee market without coffee? – Raphael Studer, Algrano
The Food Economy
“In the coffee industry, we were not concerned about supply. Coffee was there, but it’s not anymore,” says , CEO and co-founder of the direct-sourcing platform . Indeed, the coffee market is currently in an unprecedented state: record-high prices, rising demand, unreliable harvests, and significant shipment delays. These issues affect all stakeholders in the supply chain – from the farmer who grows green coffee to the end consumer who enjoys a cup in the morning. In this episode, Raphael explains the developments that have led to this market situation and discusses how...
info_outline“In the next three years, I expect there will be more new plantations coming and gaining. There will be higher yields because the green coffee price is so high now that farmers are happier than ever. And this is really good,” says Yana Mikhailova, Head of Coffee Zone Europe at Nestlé.
Today, global demand for coffee is higher than ever and is expected to continue growing over the next years and decades. However, Swiss scientists have calculated that climate change threatens to render more than half of the current coffee cultivation areas unsuitable for production by 2050. How can the industry meet rising demand with less available land?
In this episode, Yana addresses this question and explains Nestlé’s responsibility in the context of sustainability and the future of coffee.