Australian grown coffee goes global

Australian grown coffee is gaining momentum as global supply pressures intensify and demand for high‑quality, traceable beans continues to rise. This shift is creating new opportunities for emerging coffee producers, including Australia, to play a larger role in the global coffee sector.

That opportunity was front and centre at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) in March, where AgriFutures Australia Emerging Industries Manager Kelly Kornacki joined industry leaders on a panel exploring whether Australia could become a serious contender in addressing global coffee supply shortages. Drawing on insights from research, farming and industry, the discussion examined what the future could hold for Australian coffee growers and the broader value chain.

From niche to opportunity

While the Australian coffee industry remains small by global standards, it is increasingly recognised for its premium quality, strong biosecurity status and ‘clean and green’ production environment. Yet the industry faces real constraints, particularly reliance on a narrow set of legacy cultivars that can limit productivity, increase disease risk and add to production costs.

These challenges are exactly what AgriFutures Australia’s research is setting out to address.

The recently released report, Assessing the Performance of International Coffee Cultivars in Australia presents the findings of a multi-year research project evaluating how international coffee varieties perform under Australian growing conditions. The research, led by Southern Cross University (SCU) in collaboration with the Australian Grown Coffee Association (AGCA) and World Coffee Research, assessed new and emerging cultivars for yield, plant structure, disease resistance and cup quality.

The research indicated several promising varieties to help growers improve productivity, reduce labour inputs and increase resilience, while maintaining the high-quality coffee Australian is known for.

Research meets real world discussion

At MICE, these research outcomes were activated through practical, industry focused conversations.

The panel, The Future of Australian Grown Coffee: Can Australia become a serious contender to support the global supply shortage? explored how multi-varietal trials, new hybrids and improved agronomic knowledge could reshape the future of local production. Alongside Kelly Kornacki, the session featured grower, researcher and industry voices, including AGCA President Rebecca Zentveld and SCU Professor Tobias Kretzschmar, providing a grounded perspective on what innovation means on farm.

The discussion also highlighted why Australian-grown coffee holds a unique market advantage: strong provenance, short supply chains and the ability to tell a compelling story to specialty markets that are increasingly interested in where and how their coffee is produced.

Celebrating leadership in Australian coffee

Industry leadership was formally recognised at the MICE opening party, with Rebecca Zentveld announced as the ‘Home Grown Hero’ at the Coffee Heroes Awards.

The award celebrates individuals making an outstanding contribution to the Australian coffee industry, particularly through innovation, leadership and commitment to local production. Rebecca’s recognition underscores the important role growers play in advancing the industry and translating research into practice.

A future built on evidence and collaboration

The research findings, industry dialogue, and recognition of growers, roasters and business owners like Rebecca Zentveld, paint a clear picture that Australian-grown coffee has real growth potential. Such growth is underpinned by evidence-based decisions and strong collaboration across research, industry and farming communities.

For AgriFutures Australia, this work reflects a broader commitment to supporting emerging industries with robust research that helps producers make confident, informed decisions and positions Australian agriculture to meet future challenges and opportunities.