By: Kim Thompson , Co-founder of “RAW Coffee Company
The global coffee industry is in a period of rapid flux. Record-breaking auction prices, unprecedented mergers, volatile commodity markets, and mounting climate pressures are reshaping how coffee is grown, traded, and consumed. Against this backdrop, RAW Coffee Company is setting a clear course: to lead with integrity, strengthen our role as a trusted voice in the MENA region, and focus relentlessly on creating real value at origin.
Dubai recently made headlines with a newly opened coffee business, buying a world-record-breaking Panama Geisha lot for AED 2,218,785 ($604,080) at the 2025 Best of Panama Auction. This 98-point washed Geisha is now the highest-scoring and most expensive coffee in history, an extraordinary symbol of both the passion, volatility, and marketing spend, in our sector.
At the same time, consolidation is accelerating. Keurig Dr Pepper’s planned $18 billion merger with JDE Peet’s will create a new global giant. Coca-Cola’s $1.5 billion acquisition of Costa Coffee in 2018 gave it a ready-to-drink platform, while JAB Holding continues to expand its vast portfolio. Equipment leaders, too, are changing hands, De’Longhi’s 2023 purchase of 41% of La Marzocco and its acquisition of Eversys show how deeply coffee has become embedded in corporate strategy.
Meanwhile, climate change is placing unprecedented stress on producers. Extreme weather in Brazil and Vietnam, supply shortages, tariffs, and speculative trading are pushing prices upward and amplifying volatility. This is the new reality our industry must face.
As global forces reshape coffee, there is growing debate about the role of institutions like the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). While the SCA has historically provided technical standards and a shared framework, the concern is that prioritizing organizational profit over producer benefit risks homogenizing coffee, reducing innovation, and diluting the very authenticity that defines specialty.
RAW Coffee Company believes our future cannot rest on certifications or corporate consolidation alone. Instead, our focus is on producers, the people whose creativity, resilience, and craftsmanship give specialty coffee its soul.
Our commitment is to go beyond sourcing. We aim to actively strengthen producers’ ability to thrive, compete, and innovate on their own terms.
- Foster True Direct Trade Relationships
- Cut out intermediaries so farmers retain more of the final sales value.
- Build trust and transparency through direct communication and fair pricing.
- Empower Producers with Resources and Capital
- Invest in quality improvements, from processing to soil health, including knowledge-sharing on biochar and agronomy.
- Support producers in developing their own roasting and direct selling businesses at origin.
- Facilitate Access to Tools and Services
- Improve access to essentials like exporting licenses, international payments, and digital platforms.
- Provide education on market trends, consumer expectations, and storytelling to strengthen their positioning.
- Encourage Local Value Addition
- Champion origin-based roasteries and cafés so more value stays in producing countries.
- Advocate for barista trainings in origin countries, developing a strong foundation for advancing coffee culture.
- Focus on Quality and Differentiation
- Shift the mindset from scarcity to creativity, intention, and resourcefulness.
- Guide producers to define their unique qualities rather than replicate trends.
As the pioneer of specialty coffee in Dubai for nearly two decades, RAW is uniquely positioned to shape the next chapter of coffee in the MENA region. Our responsibility is to amplify producer voices, maintain transparency in an era of volatility, and ensure that the values of authenticity, equity, and quality remain at the heart of our industry.
The future of coffee will not be written by corporate mergers, record-breaking auction prices or new assessment forms that do not improve outcomes for producers. It will be defined by the relationships we choose to nurture, the creativity we empower at origin, and the trust we build across the value chain. At RAW, that is where our focus will remain.
