In Today's Coffee News — October 13

The International Coffee Organization’s September 2026 market report put its Composite Indicator Price at 262.18 US cents per pound, down 8.7% from August. The report tied the broad decline to increased availability from Brazil’s record crop and expectations of ample supply, while noting that low certified Arabica stocks and uncertainty around El Niño still offered some price support.

The ICO estimates coffee-year 2025/26 consumption will decline 0.8% and projects a 3.0-million-bag global surplus after four consecutive deficit years. That surplus is less than one week of global consumption, so the report describes a looser balance—not unlimited supply or a guaranteed retail-price drop.

In an October 13 Coffee Decoded article, the Specialty Coffee Association explains that blueberry- and strawberry-like aromas in some fruit-dried coffees do not come from cherry juice simply soaking into the seed. After picking, catabolism and yeast-driven fermentation can form fruity-smelling esters, including compounds associated with strawberry and blueberry aromas.

The distinction matters because a naturally fruit-dried coffee can develop intense fruit character without added fruit or flavoring. It also does not mean every natural will taste fruity: processing conditions and the compounds formed after harvest differ from lot to lot.

Coffee Intelligence’s October 13 analysis argues that home brewing and café visits often serve different occasions. It cites the National Coffee Association’s Fall 2026 survey, in which 83% of US past-day coffee drinkers reported coffee at home and 38% reported coffee away from home.

Those percentages overlap and do not prove that one channel causes growth or decline in the other. The practical takeaway is narrower: cafés compete on hospitality, convenience and experience as well as the liquid in the cup, while engaged consumers may continue brewing at home too.