Connect with us

Lifestyle

Droughts mean costlier coffee, and tariffs likely will too

Published

on


ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — With her purple-and-pink hair swaying, Reneé Colón stands on a stepladder in the rented corner of a warehouse, pouring Brazilian coffee beans into her groaning old roasting machine.

The beans are precious because they survived severe drought in a year when environmental conditions depressed coffee production globally, doubling the price of raw beans in just months.

“Unfortunately, coffee is going to become more scarce,” said Colón, founder and roaster at Fuego Coffee Roasters. “Seeing that dramatic loss of the Brazilian crop is a perfect example.”

Renee Colon, co-owner of Fuego Coffee Roasters, operates her roasting machine, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Renee Colon, co-owner of Fuego Coffee Roasters, operates her roasting machine, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Renee Colon, co-owner of Fuego Coffee Roasters, operates her roasting machine, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Read More

Renee Colon, co-owner of Fuego Coffee Roasters, works at her roasting facility Friday, March 21, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Renee Colon, co-owner of Fuego Coffee Roasters, works at her roasting facility Friday, March 21, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Renee Colon, co-owner of Fuego Coffee Roasters, works at her roasting facility Friday, March 21, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Read More

Renee Colon, co-owner of Fuego Coffee Roasters, works at her roasting facility Friday, March 21, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Renee Colon, co-owner of Fuego Coffee Roasters, works at her roasting facility Friday, March 21, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Renee Colon, co-owner of Fuego Coffee Roasters, works at her roasting facility Friday, March 21, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Read More

___

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is a collaboration between Rochester Institute of Technology and The Associated Press.

___

Losses from heat and drought have cut production forecasts in Brazil and Vietnam, the world’s largest coffee growers. Global production is still expected to increase, but not as much as commodity market investors had expected. That’s sent coffee prices up, largely because of continued high demand in Europe, the U.S., and China.

Solar panels operate at Fox Run Vineyards and Seneca Lake, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Penn Yan, N.Y. (Natasha Kaiser via AP)

Prices peaked in February but have remained high, forcing roasters like Colón to weigh how much of that cost to absorb and how much to pass on to consumers.

Renee Colon, co-owner of Fuego Coffee Roasters, stands for a photo, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Renee Colon, co-owner of Fuego Coffee Roasters, stands for a photo, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Renee Colon, co-owner of Fuego Coffee Roasters, stands for a photo, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Read More

The beans Colón was roasting cost her $5.50 per pound in early March, more than double what they cost in September. And that was for mixed, midrange beans. Specialty coffees — grown in delicate climates to slow growth and add flavor — can cost even more.

President Donald Trump’s current 10% tariffs cover most coffee-producing countries, including Brazil, Ethiopia and Colombia, and are expected to drive up costs for Americans. Amid his chaotic tariff pronouncements — at one point he threatened 46% tariffs on Vietnam imports and 32% on Indonesia imports before pausing them — American coffee roasters are rethinking their supply chains.

“With all these changes in coffee maybe we should open our own damn farm,” Colón muses.

Coffee beans fall into the cooling tray of a roasting machine at Fuego Coffee Roasters' roasting facility, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Coffee beans fall into the cooling tray of a roasting machine at Fuego Coffee Roasters’ roasting facility, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Coffee beans fall into the cooling tray of a roasting machine at Fuego Coffee Roasters’ roasting facility, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Read More

Renee Colon, co-owner of Fuego Coffee Roasters, holds coffee beans while working at her roasting facility, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Renee Colon, co-owner of Fuego Coffee Roasters, holds coffee beans while working at her roasting facility, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Renee Colon, co-owner of Fuego Coffee Roasters, holds coffee beans while working at her roasting facility, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Read More

Rural New York isn’t an option, of course. The world’s best coffee thrives near the equator, where seasons are long, and in high altitudes, where slow growing allows beans to gather flavor. But Puerto Rico, where Colón and her husband have roots, isn’t a serious option, either — labor costs are too high and she worries about the increasing risk of crop-damaging hurricanes.

She shrugs off buying coffee from Hawaii and California, which she says is either poor quality, overpriced or both.

In February, global coffee green exports were down 14.2% from a year earlier, according to the International Coffee Organization’s market report. The shortage led to the highest price ever for raw coffee in February, breaking the record set in 1977 when severe frost wiped out 70% of Brazil’s coffee plants.

Patrons sit at Fuego Coffee Roasters, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Patrons sit at Fuego Coffee Roasters, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Patrons sit at Fuego Coffee Roasters, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Read More

A couple of espresso drinks sit on a counter at Fuego Coffee Roasters, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

A couple of espresso drinks sit on a counter at Fuego Coffee Roasters, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

A couple of espresso drinks sit on a counter at Fuego Coffee Roasters, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Read More

Climate isn’t the only thing driving up prices, said Daria Whalen, a buyer for San Francisco-based Ritual Coffee Roasters. Inflation is driving up the cost of labor, fertilizers, and borrowing, she said.

She described being in Mexico in April seeking to finalize contracts between Trump’s fits and starts on tariffs. It reminded her of being in Colombia a month earlier as Trump threatened and then backed away from tariffs that would have affected coffee prices.

“It was kind of like roller coaster day, because at the end of the day it didn’t exist,” Whalen said.

Renee Colon, co-owner of Fuego Coffee Roasters, makes a cup of coffee, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Renee Colon, co-owner of Fuego Coffee Roasters, makes a cup of coffee, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Renee Colon, co-owner of Fuego Coffee Roasters, makes a cup of coffee, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Read More

Some of the recent rise in coffee prices may be from importers buying extra in anticipation of the tariffs. Colón believes prices will go still higher as import taxes begin being paid. And with consumer confidence hitting a 12-year low, Colón could see a decrease in demand for her premium coffee.

“It is tough on our end because it drives the price up, tough on the consumer end because they have to pay more and tough on the farmers’ end because they may be experiencing really significant losses,” Colón said.

Yet she’s committed to expanding.

In December, she and her husband took out a $50,000 loan to buy a custom coffee roaster from Turkey that will triple capacity. They’re trying to increase sales by adding new wholesale clients like coffee shops, and selling directly to homes via a beans-of-the-month-style subscription service.

Renee Colon, co-owner of Fuego Coffee Roasters, uses a coffee machine, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Renee Colon, co-owner of Fuego Coffee Roasters, uses a coffee machine, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Renee Colon, co-owner of Fuego Coffee Roasters, uses a coffee machine, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Read More

Renee Colon, co-owner of Fuego Coffee Roasters, talks to Claire Terrelli, an employee, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Renee Colon, co-owner of Fuego Coffee Roasters, talks to Claire Terrelli, an employee, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Renee Colon, co-owner of Fuego Coffee Roasters, talks to Claire Terrelli, an employee, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Rochester, N.Y. (Max Conway via AP)

Read More

The Colóns have raised the wholesale price on a pound of roasted beans by 25 cents. They’re considering doing the same for pour-overs and espresso drinks at their two retail locations.

At one of those, called Melo, one couple said they don’t look at the coffee’s price on the receipt. For them, it’s a treat.

“We know we could go find coffee cheaper somewhere else,” said Rob Newell, a high school biology teacher, as he held a cooing infant daughter alongside his wife, who is also a teacher. “Maybe it’s just because we’re new parents, but you get, like, cabin fever staying in the house all day.”

Colón is also seeking to cut costs.

The warehouse where she roasts has some extra space, so she’s weighing stacking up more bags of raw beans there to save as much as $500 on monthly storage costs in port cities.

She’s tried to cultivate relationships with farmers to minimize price spikes and control bean quality. She described working with a farmer in Colombia as coffee prices were spiking in February to lock in a one-year contract that avoided the worst of the increase.

And like many small business owners, she’s had to get used to the complexity of tariffs.

Anderson Miller, left, and Claire Terrelli, right, make coffee at Fuego Coffee Roasters in Rochester, N.Y., Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Max Conway via AP)

Anderson Miller, left, and Claire Terrelli, right, make coffee at Fuego Coffee Roasters in Rochester, N.Y., Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Max Conway via AP)

Anderson Miller, left, and Claire Terrelli, right, make coffee at Fuego Coffee Roasters in Rochester, N.Y., Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Max Conway via AP)

Read More

In January, she turned down a pitch from a Montreal coffee importer who suggested the U.S. dollar’s strength in Canada would allow her to save money by importing through their warehouse. She feared that tariffs on Canada could increase prices. Plus, the coffee would have to cross an extra border, risking delays. And the value of the dollar has been up and down.

“I want things to be less complicated instead of more,” she said.

___

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.



Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Lifestyle

Pope Leo XIV’s fashion choices draw excitement and scrutiny

Published

on


VATICAN CITY (AP) — When Pope Leo XIV stepped out on the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica to greet the crowd for the first time after his May 8 election, liturgical fashion aficionados around the globe took note: Gone was the simple white cassock and silver cross favored by Pope Francis. Back was the red satin mozzetta shoulder cape, the burgundy stola with gold embroidery and a gold cross held by a double-stranded silken gold cord.

Over Leo’s first few weeks, the excitement grew among liturgical fashion-conscious Catholics as they noticed new additions to the wardrobe, or rather a return to the old additions of the papal wardrobe: cufflinks, white pants, lace.

After Francis’ revolutionary papacy, Vatican watchers are now wondering if Leo’s return to the past sartorial look means a return to the past on other things too, including more substantial policy issues. But for tailors at the elite handful of liturgical tailoring shops in Rome, there is hope that Leo’s return to the fancier garb of popes past will mean a boon to business if Leo’s traditional look has a trickle-down effect from the pope to priests and all those in between.

The style is a return to form

According to the Rev. John Wauck, professor of church communication at the Pontifical Holy Cross University in Rome, Leo’s clothing choices are a “return to form,” and his attire similar to that worn by Pope Benedict XVI, Pope John Paul II and other popes going back to the middle ages.

They show “a respect for tradition,” he said.

Such respect for the papal office is important for many conservative Catholics. Many conservatives and traditionalists soured on Francis’ informal style and disdain for tradition, which reached its pinnacle with his his crackdown on the old Latin Mass. The old liturgy was celebrated before the modernizing reforms of the 1960s Second Vatican Council; Francis greatly restricted access to the old liturgy, saying it had become a source of division in parishes.

Leo has shown strong familiarity with Latin, and has taken to singing the Sunday noontime prayer in Latin. Some traditionalist Catholics are hoping Leo will take the pro-Latin path even further and reverse Francis to allow greater use of the traditional Latin Mass.

Massimo Faggioli, professor of theology at Villanova University, where Leo went to college, said it’s too early to tell if Leo will reverse Francis’ reform.

“It remains to be seen if Leo’s more traditional attire and liturgical style means that he will change Francis’ strong decisions limiting the so-called ‘Latin Mass,’” he said.

That said, Faggioli said U.S. conservatives seems particularly happy with Leo’s traditional attire, given Francis’ disdain for the fashion pomp of the papacy.

“In this sense, Francis might have been a parenthesis or an interlude, more than a changer of the tradition in ‘papal style,’” he said in an email.

Leo has made other changes, too

At his inaugural Mass on May 18, 2025, Pope Leo XIV reached out his arm to sprinkle holy water and revealed a shirt with cufflinks, which Francis had largely avoided. He was also wearing an amitto, and an alb held in place by a cingulum. For the non-experts, the amitto is a lacy linen cloth that goes around the neck, the alb is the white tunic worn under the ceremonial vestment, and the cingulum is a braided rope with tassels that serves as a belt.

If it weren’t for photographers’ long lenses relentlessly trained on the pope’s every gesture, Leo’s switch from Francis’s standard black pants to more traditional white papal trousers would have gone completely unnoticed.

In addition to the clothing changes, Leo has returned to some other traditions of the Vatican that Francis eschewed.

He has shown himself willing to accept the traditional “baciamano” or kissing of his ring. Francis disliked having his ring kissed and often pulled his hand away if someone tried to kiss it.

“I think that what we see with Pope Leo is a willingness to embrace tradition, even if it risks seeming perhaps more formal than Pope Francis,” Wauck said. The idea is that “seeing that tradition as a treasure to be conserved and embraced as opposed to something that makes one feel perhaps a little bit standoffish.”

It remains to be seen whether Leo will move into the papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace, which stood empty during the 12-year Francis papacy. Francis shocked the world by choosing to live in a small room at the Santa Marta residence at the Vatican, eating his meals in the common dining room.

For the Rev. Castro Prudencio, this is all much ado about nothing. “For Pope Francis it was simplicity. Always. And Pope Leo has taken up what Pope Benedict had and many others. That is what the church is like,” he said.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.



Source link

Continue Reading

Lifestyle

TikTok star Khaby Lame plays soccer in Brazil after US detention

Published

on


SAO PAULO (AP) — Khaby Lame, the world’s most-followed TikTok personality who left the U.S. after being detained by immigration agents, went to Brazil where he’s been spending some time with friends, local authorities said Thursday.

Lame is staying with AC Milan player Emerson Royal, and has been enjoying time with local fans, Paulo Eduardo Dias Junior, a city councilman from Americana, about 78 miles (125 kilometers) northwest of Sao Paulo, told The Associated Press.

On Wednesday night, they played a friendly soccer match with locals.

Lame left the United States after being detained on June 6 by immigration agents at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas for allegedly overstaying his visa. The Senegalese-Italian influencer, whose legal name is Seringe Khabane Lame, was allowed to leave the country without a deportation order, according to a statement from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Junior organized Wednesday’s match on behalf of the nonprofit he leads, Instituto Jr Dias. He said that Lame and Royal’s participation helped collect 150 food baskets for vulnerable families.

“Emerson Royal is a role model for the children in our community, and so is Khaby, who is globally known through social media. He’s a sensation among kids today,” Junior said. “He had a lot of fun with the kids and played a lot.”

The councilman said that the team that Lame and Royal were on won 3-1. Everything went smoothly, he added, except for the post-match celebration. As is tradition in Brazil, players gathered for a barbecue. But Lame preferred a parmegiana, so they took him to a local restaurant, Junior said.

This is not Lame’s first time in Brazil. Last year, he traveled to the country to attend Royal’s wedding.

Met Gala and then detention

Lame arrived in the U.S. on April 30 and “overstayed the terms of his visa,” an ICE spokesperson told the AP, which sent a message seeking comment Tuesday to the email address listed on Lame’s Instagram account. He hasn’t publicly commented on his detention.

His detention and voluntary departure from the United States comes amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s escalating crackdown on immigration, including raids in Los Angeles that sparked days of protests against ICE, as the president tests the bounds of his executive authority.

A voluntary departure — which was granted to Lame — allows those facing removal from the U.S. to avoid a deportation order on their immigration record, which could prevent them from being allowed back into the U.S. for up to a decade.

The 25-year-old Lame rose to international fame during the pandemic without ever saying a word in his videos, which would show him reacting to absurdly complicated “life hacks.” He has more than 162 million followers on TikTok alone.

The Senegal-born influencer moved to Italy when he was an infant with his working class parents and also has Italian citizenship.

His internet fame quickly evolved. He signed a multiyear partnership with designer brand Hugo Boss in 2022. In January, he was appointed as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.

Last month, he attended the Met Gala in New York City, days after arriving in the U.S.

___

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america



Source link

Continue Reading

Lifestyle

Tips for getting along when college grads move back home

Published

on


NEW YORK (AP) — A shaky economy. Overwhelming student debt. Few job prospects. Some recent college graduates have a burdensome mountain of reasons to move back home. For others, the choice may be easy as they seek to save money, or desire the physical and emotional comforts of family.

But the familiar may feel different with the changing dynamics that come with growing up. One thing is certain: If you’re a new grad or the parents of one, you’re not alone in navigating new terrain.

Maturity and respect among all parties is a good place to start before those packing boxes arrive. So is having a clear path forward. Consider these tips for making it all work.

Set clear expectations early

Richard Ramos, a parenting trainer and author of “Parents on a Mission,” urges parents and their young adult children to break from their traditional roles.

For parents, shift from authority to ally.

“You’re no longer parenting a teenager. You’re relating to an emerging adult. Move from ‘manager’ to ‘mentor.’ Offer guidance, not control. Maintain your home as a launchpad, not a landing strip for them to get too comfortable in,” he says.

Grads, come home with humility.

“You may have a degree, but you’re still under your parents’ roof,” Ramos says. “Show appreciation. Contribute to the household. Asking before assuming you can simply take shows your growth as a young adult. Honor the space they’ve made for you.”

Drill down to specifics

As a counselor and parent, Veronica Lichtenstein knows firsthand what Ramos means. Her 26-year-old son has been living at home for two years since graduation to save money for his first house.

“I’ve learned that clear, collaborative boundaries are the foundation of harmony,” she says.

Lichtenstein has lots of practical advice, starting with a “living contract” created cooperatively.

“His proposed terms became the starting point for negotiation. This empowered him to take ownership while ensuring mutual respect. The final signed agreement covered everything from chores to quiet hours,” she says.

Common areas must be left clean, for example, and advance notice is required if he plans group gatherings.

“Emphasize that this is a temporary, goal-oriented arrangement,” Lichtenstein says. By that, she means: “We’re happy to support you for 12 months while you save X dollars.”

Regular check-ins keep everyone accountable.

Crystalize chores and shared resources

Amy McCready is the founder of PositiveParentingSolutions.com and author of “The Me, Me, Me Epidemic — A Step-by-Step Guide to Raising Capable, Grateful Kids in an Over-Entitled World.”

She suggests setting expectations when it comes to shared resources.

“If they’ll be driving your vehicle, be clear about when it’s available, who pays for gas or maintenance, and what responsibilities go with the privilege,” McCready says. “Use ‘when-then’ phrasing to keep things respectful and direct: When your responsibilities are done, then the car is available.”

If conflict arises, it’s often because everyone reverts to old roles and old rules, she says. “Pause and ask, ‘Are we interacting like we did when they were 17?’”

Then reset with intention.

What about special guests?

Parents need to decide if conjugal visits for resident adult children are something they’re comfortable with. Such overnight visits with romantic partners can be tricky, McCready notes.

“If overnight visits aren’t something you’re OK with, it’s completely appropriate to set that boundary,” she says. “You might say, ‘We’re so glad you’re here, and we want everyone to feel comfortable. For us, that means no overnight guests while you’re living at home.’”

Parents can ask to be told ahead of time if their grad plans to sleep elsewhere.

Parents, be careful not to judge

Eric Wood, director of the Counseling & Mental Health Center at Texas Christian University, says parents should check in on their frustrations over the new living scenario. Their graduate might feel embarrassed and worry that they’re a burden.

“Don’t judge, especially with the current job market and recent global events. It’s important not to be critical of a graduate who must return home,” he says. “Just like we advise incoming college students not to rush into a certain academic major, it’s more important not to rush into an entry career position. Establishing a solid trajectory for a successful and happy career is the priority.”

Wood said the new mantra for parents should be: Support, but don’t problem solve when it comes to fully launching a grad.

“It’s important for the parent or family member not to act as if they are trying to solve a problem,” he says. “Doing so will only send a message that the graduate is a problem and could lead to conflicts.”



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending