So far, producers say there is still plenty of coffee to go around, but they are worried about the future of so-called specialty coffee. This is the term given to top-quality coffee of the kind served in many Australian cafes and which fetches a premium price for producers. It's different from the mass-made product you buy in a jar in the supermarket, which is referred to as "commodity coffee". Think of it like a fine wine or single-malt whiskey, where quality and provenance is key. The issue for producers like Pedro and Fabiano is it's far more labour-intensive to produce speciality coffee. "You're going through millions and millions of bags of coffee and trying to find those lots that make a real difference in the cup," Pedro said. "You're looking for a needle in a haystack." So in troubled times, when pickers are scarce or beetles have affected the quality of the crop, it's easier to bundle all the beans up as commodity coffee and ship it to whoever is buying. The problem: many Australian cafes don't want commodity coffee. They deal in specialty.
‘From Brazil's farms to Melbourne's cafes, coronavirus is crippling the coffee industry’, ABC
