Wollongong coffee brand avoids price rise by sourcing local beans

That's the choice facing coffee lovers throughout the Illawarra as the price of coffee beans increases around the globe.

However, one Illawarra coffee business is avoiding this dilemma by sourcing coffee grown in Australia.

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Bulli resident Maika Schumann runs Mummas Beans, sourcing Australian-grown coffee beans which are naturally lower in caffeine, ideal for those looking for brew without the buzz, particularly pregnant and breastfeeding woman.

An unseasonable frost has knocked out much of the coffee grown in Brazil, the world's largest coffee producer, and this has had a knock on effect throughout the global coffee market.

The freak frost added to existing pressures in the market, including disruptions due to COVID-19 and stretched supply chains, something that Ms Schumann is not immune from.

"My suppliers have so far kept the same pricing, but the cost of freight has increased," she said.

As an agricultural product, coffee is often affected by adverse growing conditions, from unseasonable rainfall to diseases like coffee leaf rust, causing prices to fluctuate, but with the impact of climate change, consumers should get used to rises in the price of their daily cup, said Ms Schumann.

"Extreme climate events affect coffee prices," she said.

In response, coffee growers are experimenting with new varieties which are resistant to temperature fluctuations and disease.

Despite this innovation, industry observers predict coffee prices will continue to increase and the product will become more of a luxury item.

For consumers, seeing the price of their daily coffee increase at a local cafe could also be a starting point for a conversation about what goes into the price hike. Coffee grown internationally is often associated with deforestation and child exploitation, and in paying more, consumers can begin to ask where the product comes from and how it is produced.

"Don't only think about the price increase but think about where is this coffee coming from," said Ms Schumann.

"Coffee is a feel good thing, so take the time to enjoy it and celebrate it and then it's worth every cent."

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