The Food Economy

"Many people believe Gen Z only drinks those super colourful beverages with different layers, cream, and sprinkles. But this is not the typical Gen Z drink," says André Eiermann, founder of the Gen Z Coffee Intelligence Lab. How does Gen Z drink coffee differently than previous generations? André and his team have launched a global survey of coffee drinkers to find out. The initial results show that Gen Z's coffee drinking behaviour is not only about colourful beverages but follows a framework of four Fs: function, familiarity, freedom, and fun. In this episode, André explains this framework, the origins of his interest in Gen Z, and the implications of the survey results for companies looking to target younger coffee drinkers.

"The most effort in scientific research in coffee I see now is in securing the future of Arabica coffee." says Samo Smrke, Head of the Coffee Excellence Center at Zurich University of Applied Sciences. The future of Arabica is only one of the topics that Samo and his team at the Coffee Excellence Center are researching. Coffee companies often turn to them for advice on how to develop innovations and improve their products. Using science-based methods, they have supported more than 70 businesses in their research and development. In this episode, Samo explains how his team collaborates with coffee companies to innovate their products, what distinguishes good coffee science from bad coffee science, and which trends will shape the coffee world in the coming years.

"Biochar is a very dominant solution. It does not only remove and store carbon in soils, but it also actually helps beyond that by transforming the way we produce food and it makes supply chains climate-resilient." says Thomas Käslin, CEO and co-founder of Cotierra. Coffee cultivation faces numerous challenges due to climate change, inclusing increased droughts and soil degradation. The Zurich-based start-up Cotierra has developed an innovative solution that turns agricultural waste into biochar. This helps retain more water and fertiliser, locks carbon into the soil and substantially improves farm productivity. In this episode, Thomas explains how Cotierra enables farmers to produce biochar on their plantations, why coffee companies and traders are interested in this solution, and what the future of regenerative agriculture might look like.

"If a sommelier said to you: 'I have this wonderful wine made of grapes coming from Europe.' You would not accept only this information. But when it comes to coffee, people are satisfied with this," says Philipp Schallberger, Managing Partner at Kaffeemacher.  We often do not know much about our coffee's origin, the type of beans used, or how they were processed. Have you ever wondered why most coffee bags in stores do not provide this information and why coffee drinkers do not demand it? And how can we tell where our coffee comes from if the origin is not written on the bag?  In this episode, Philipp answers these questions and explains where the coffee we drink in Switzerland comes from.

"In the next three years, I expect there will be more new plantations coming and gaining. There will be higher yields because the green coffee price is so high now that farmers are happier than ever. And this is really good," says Yana Mikhailova, Head of Coffee Zone Europe at Nestlé. Today, global demand for coffee is higher than ever and is expected to continue growing over the next years and decades. However, Swiss scientists have calculated that climate change threatens to render more than half of the current coffee cultivation areas unsuitable for production by 2050. How can the industry meet rising demand with less available land? In this episode, Yana addresses this question and explains Nestlé's responsibility in the context of sustainability and the future of coffee.

Since August 2025, Swiss products imported into the United States have been subject to a tariff of 39 per cent. This new tax places the Swiss export industry under significant cost pressure. Thermoplan, a Swiss manufacturer of professional coffee machines, is one of the affected companies. At the same time, the firm presents an exemplary case of diversification by expanding into a new market. In the second of two episodes with CEO Adrian Steiner, he explains the impact of the current US tariff on Thermoplan's business and he tells the story of their new partnership with the Chinese teahouse chain Chagee.

"We call this the Thermoplan family: creating new ideas together and finding solutions for opportunities and sometimes also challenges. That's the core of my business. In the end, it's all about the people," says Adrian Steiner, CEO of Thermoplan. Thermoplan is a Swiss manufacturer of professional coffee machines supplying Starbucks and other key players in the industry. The company is renowned for its agility and innovation, especially when confronted with challenges or crises. In the first of two episodes, Adrian shares the story how Thermoplan became Starbucks' exclusive supplier of coffee machines and his strategy to diversify their customer base when he became CEO during the 2008 financial crisis.

"As a merchant, we innovate. Through the innovative projects and work we do, we are able to bring the whole coffee supply chain forward. It's important for coffee to keep evolving over time," says Nicolas A. Tamari, CEO of Sucafina. The supply chain of coffee is complex and fragmented. It involves growers, traders, merchants, and many other stakeholders. But what distinguishes a coffee trader from a merchant? And what value do each add to the other participants in the supply chain? In this episode, Nicolas answers these questions and explains why the cure for the high price of coffee is… the high coffee price itself!

"In the coffee industry, we were not concerned about supply. Coffee was there, but it's not anymore," says Raphael Studer, CEO and co-founder of the direct-sourcing platform Algrano.  Indeed, the coffee market is currently in an unprecedented state: record-high prices, rising demand, unreliable harvests, and significant shipment delays. These issues affect all stakeholders in the supply chain – from the farmer who grows green coffee to the end consumer who enjoys a cup in the morning.  In this episode, Raphael explains the developments that have led to this market situation and discusses how roasters can effectively manage these challenges.