What’s Behind the Rise in Coffee Prices?

If you’ve noticed your daily brew costing a little more recently, you’re not alone. Coffee prices are on the rise globally - and while it might sting at the till, there’s a bigger story behind the increase. We believe in being open about what’s happening in the world of coffee, especially when it impacts the people who grow it, roast it, and drink it.

So what’s going on? Let’s break it down.

What’s Causing the Price Hike?

Global coffee prices have surged due to a perfect storm of factors:

• Environmental shifts: droughts, frosts, and unpredictable weather patterns in key coffee-growing regions like Brazil and Columbia have severely impacted yields.

• Rising production costs: The cost of fertiliser, transport, and labour has gone up significantly, which directly affects how much it costs to grow and process coffee.

• Global demand: As more people around the world fall in love with specialty coffee, demand is booming - and supply is struggling to keep up.

All of this means that green coffee (the raw beans before roasting) is more expensive than it has been in years. But the price increase doesn’t just hit importers and roasters. It starts at origin.

What It Means for Farmers

Coffee farmers are at the very heart of this chain - and for many years, they’ve been underpaid for the work and care that goes into producing each harvest. While rising prices could mean higher income for farmers, that’s only true when pricing structures are ethical and fair. That’s why working with transparent, values-led suppliers is so important.

We work closely with Origin Coffee, a B Corp who share our commitment to sourcing ethically. They ensure the farmers they buy from are paid fairly - not just at market rate, but above it - so they can run sustainable businesses and care for their communities and land.

What It Means for Roasters (Like Origin, who support us)

Higher green coffee prices mean that our roasting partners are paying more per kilo before the beans even touch the roaster. Add on rising energy costs, packaging, transport and inflation, and it’s clear why wholesale and retail pricing has had to rise too.

It also pushes us all to be more intentional. Roasters are choosing to work with smaller harvests, tighter margins, and more direct relationships - favouring quality over quantity, and traceability over mass production.

What It Means for You (And Us)

We’re coffee people. Coffee snobs you might say. We live for it. And we know that the ritual of a really great cup, whether it’s from our Land Rover or our summer Highcliffe pop-up - matters. But we also know our customers care about where their coffee comes from and who made it possible.

Yes, you may see a small increase in the cost of your flat white. But it’s helping secure the future of coffee. It’s helping ensure that small producers aren’t forced out of the industry. It’s helping pay a fair wage to farmers and workers who have weathered Shifting environmental trends, political instability, and global trade challenges.

What We’re Doing at Wavi

• We're continuing to source our beans through Origin Coffee, a B-Corp committed to ethical sourcing and long-term relationships with farmers.

• We only serve specialty-grade coffee, meaning traceable, top-quality beans from farms that prioritise environmental care.

• We work with small-scale, independent suppliers across our wider range - from our Hampshire oat milk to our Devon & Cornwall bakes - to support sustainable business across the board.

• And we’re doing our best to absorb what we can of the rising costs, while still paying fair prices to everyone in the chain.

Let’s Keep Talking

Coffee is changing. And while the prices might go up, we hope your trust in us grows too. We’ll always be transparent, always be thoughtful - and always serve coffee with a story behind it.

Thanks for supporting what we do, and for helping us champion a better future for coffee, from crop to cup.

Want to know more about how we source our coffee or meet the producers behind it?

Come say hi next time you see the Landy at one of our many events this summer, or pop into Highcliffe - we love a coffee chat.