From light roasts to tariffs: the shifts reshaping coffee’s future

In this episode, I sit down with Stuart Ritson, Director of Osito Coffee Europe and UK. Stuart has built a career across nearly every part of the coffee chain, from barista and café manager to sales at Workshop Coffee, to now leading green coffee sourcing and importing.

His reflective, grounded perspective makes him one of the most thoughtful voices in the specialty coffee space today.

Together, we talk about what it really means to be living in a new coffee world order: price volatility, regulation, shifting supply chains, and what that does to both quality and sustainability.

Things we talk about:

Why degrowth is becoming a necessary conversation in coffee—what happens if “doing less” is the only way forward?

How quality incentives are breaking down when all coffee, regardless of cup score, suddenly holds high market value.

Why tariffs, EUDR regulations, and regional consumption shifts may soon split coffee into “two commodities”, compliant and non-compliant.

Stuart also shares how Osito’s unique model, founded by both a farmer and a roaster, continues to prioritize stability and transparency for producers in an increasingly uncertain market.

If you want to understand where coffee is heading, beyond just the cup, this is the conversation to tune into.