how has this final part of the year been for you all?

Dear MAG-readers,

Sometimes, when I’m sitting at my laptop in Hamburg, it seems to me as if I was quite far away from our product, especially the beginning of the coffee supply chain. Then, I remember that I’m only a phone call, email, or Teams message away from the farms and exporters. Every time I talk to colleagues who work in coffee cultivation or at our export companies, I feel that this is not that far. Although we live in different time zones and work in different realities, something common emerges from our exchanges. And here, where the coffee journey begins, is also where our new MAG series starts: From Farm to Shipment – Where Coffee Begins.

Seeing how much expertise there is in our group is always exciting – and it impresses me enormously (even if it sometimes shows me how much I don’t know). Here in Hamburg, for example, I meet colleagues who know the numbers and processes inside and out, and who excel at launching great projects. Then, I speak with someone on a farm who knows exactly what a plant needs to grow and survive in increasingly unstable climatic conditions. In between, there are photos, voices, and ideas from all over the world. These different perspectives make our stories so interesting and diverse. I learn something new every time – not just about coffee, but also about people and cultures.