Coffee is good for us, this we know. But exactly how it benefits us is less clear—until now. Plus, coffee cooperatives in Brazil fight climate change, and unionized Starbucks baristas fight having to write messages on takeaway cups.
‘Scientists May Have Just Found the Key Reason Why Coffee Is Good for You’ – via the Independent
Over the decades, researchers have published myriad studies showing that coffee is good for us—this newsletter has covered many of them. However, most studies are observational: scientists survey participants’ coffee intake and compare it with a health outcome. (For example, one from last year used self-reported dietary data to link coffee, tea, and water consumption to lower mortality.)
Basically, researchers can observe that coffee is beneficial, but they can’t say exactly why. A new study may have uncovered at least one reason.
Conducted by a team from Texas A&M University, a new analysis found that key coffee compounds, such as polyphenols, interact with a receptor protein in our bodies called NR4A1. This protein has been shown to work as an internal regulator, playing a beneficial role in how cells respond to inflammation and stress.
For the study, published in Nutrients, the researchers created coffee extracts at different intensities—they also included a decaf dilution. They measured how different compounds in the extracts interacted with NR4A1, finding that many bind with and positively influence the receptor’s activity.
“Coffee has well-known health-promoting properties,” study co-author Stephen Safe said in a press release. “What we’ve shown is that some of those effects may be linked to how coffee compounds interact with this receptor, which is involved in protecting the body from stress-induced damage.”
In particular, polyphenols such as caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid showed a strong influence on NR4A1. Previous studies have linked these compounds to coffee’s health benefits. “What we’re saying is that at least part of coffee’s health benefits may come through binding and activating this receptor,” Safe said. Interestingly, caffeine had a weaker influence on NR4A1 than other compounds, which could explain how decaffeinated coffee has also been shown to have health benefits in previous studies.
The researchers were keen to emphasize that the NR4A1 receptor is just one pathway through which coffee may impact health. “There are many receptors and many mechanisms involved. What we’re showing is that this could be one of the important pathways,” Safe said.
Read the full story on coffee’s magic mechanism here.
‘Climate Change Mobilizes Coffee Growers’ Cooperatives’ – via Valor International
Coffee faces an existential threat from climate change. Researchers have repeatedly warned that, unless things change, vast areas used for coffee production could be lost as the planet heats. Some of Brazil’s largest coffee cooperatives are trying to fight that change by investing in sustainable farming practices and certifications. The sheer size of these cooperatives means the impact could be significant.
A new report by Cibelle Bouças in Valor International looked at the strategies of two of Brazil’s largest cooperatives, EXPOCACER and COOCAFÉ in Minas Gerais. Between them, the two groups have more than 15,000 producer members.
One of their main focuses is regenerative agriculture, a popular approach to sustainable coffee farming. Ronaldo Scucato, president of the Organization of Cooperatives of the State of Minas Gerais, says that Brazilian cooperatives are increasingly investing in regenerative farming practices and certifications.
In 2023, EXPOCACER became the first cooperative in the world to obtain the Regenagri certification, a regenerative agriculture program. At the time, the cooperative had 5,500 hectares utilizing regenerative practices. Today, that has grown to 13,000 hectares, and the cooperative’s president, Simão Pedro de Lima, says the aim is to reach 25,000 hectares.
Lima says they have managed to cut the average carbon emissions of each producer’s farm from eight tons per hectare to between three and four tons.
Another cooperative, COOCAFÉ, which has more than 11,000 members, is investing in biochar. Biochar is a type of charcoal made from coffee waste, such as husks and tree prunings. It has been shown to help soil retain essential nutrients while also lowering farms’ carbon emissions. In 2023, COOCAFÉ opened an industrial biochar production plant that produces 4,000 tons of biochar annually and supplies 400 farms.
“We are facing a real challenge that requires a technical response, planning, and coordination,” Scucato said. “Cooperatives are very close to the reality of the farmer and understand that adaptation will be increasingly crucial to maintaining competitiveness.”
Read more on the cooperatives fighting climate change here.
More News
‘European Commission Further Simplifies EUDR, Adds Soluble Coffee To Scope’ – via Global Coffee Report
‘Royal Cup Completes Acquisition of Farmer Brothers Coffee Co.’ – via Global Coffee Report
‘Uganda Positions Itself as a Premium Coffee Origin Through Strategic Germany Trade Mission’ – via Comunicaffe
‘Lavazza CEO Targets US, China Growth to Keep Up With Big Coffee’ – via Bloomberg
‘Nestlé Says Robusta Trial Shows Increased Yields and Quality in Côte d’Ivoire’ – via Daily Coffee News
The Week in Coffee Unionizing
When he took over as Starbucks CEO in September 2024, Brian Niccol had many ideas for turning the multinational corporation with thousands of locations back into a “welcoming coffeehouse.” One of his first initiatives was to instruct baristas to write fun messages on to-go cups. To fulfill this goal, Niccol said the company planned to order 200,000 Sharpies.
“Handwritten notes on our cups have proven to be a simple, yet meaningful action that fosters moments of connection with our customers,” read a memo sent to baristas a few months after the initiative started.
Did it work? Well, Reuters reports that Starbucks customers are returning, and sales are up. But as Beth Teitell reports for the Boston Globe, it might not be because of the cheery notes. Customers, Teitell writes, don’t seem to notice the messages, and if they do they often find them sad or offputting. “‘Much love’ from a stranger?” one customer told her. “It’s so awkward.”
For baristas, the added step means extra work. “We are already dealing with a lot of issues like understaffing,” one barista said. “As simple as it may seem, adding a Sharpie marker to our routine is stressful.”
In 2025, Business Insider reported on a “crackdown” by Starbucks over the messages, with managers disciplining workers for not writing notes or writing the wrong thing. Serious or repeat infractions can result in termination, the report noted. Starbucks didn’t comment on the report.
Starbucks Workers United, the group representing unionized stores, has filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board. Teitell reports that the group contends that by requiring workers to write the messages, “the company unilaterally changed the terms and conditions of work for employees and is refusing to bargain.” Starbucks didn’t respond to the Boston Globe’s requests for comment.
In other Starbucks unionizing news, SBWU has withdrawn its petition for a union vote at the company’s historic Pike Place Market location in Seattle. As Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton reports for the Seattle Times, the union said it withdrew due to an ongoing unfair labor practices charge.
Baristas filed for a union at the Pike Place location, the first-ever Starbucks, in April. The store is a popular tourist spot and always busy, and organizers said they faced “unfair treatment and operational issues without the support needed to succeed.”
At the time, Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson said not all workers at the store were supportive, a sentiment Boyanton found when speaking with baristas last week. One worker said they felt pressured to sign union authorization cards, while another noted tension in the store due to divided loyalties.
Starbucks criticized the petition withdrawal. Doing so “prevents Pike Place partners from having the opportunity to make clear publicly whether they ever wanted union representation,” Anderson told the Times.
Beyond the Headlines
‘What Starbucks Taught Me About Union-Busting’ by Jaz Brisack
