Tools & Brews

28/02/2026

24/02/2026

QUEZON CITY — Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. has ordered the establishment of a Coffee Industry Development Office (CIDO), marking a major policy shift in how the government manages the struggling coffee sector.

Created under Department Order No. 06, CIDO will operate within the Office of the Undersecretary for Special Concerns and Official Development Assistance, headed by Undersecretary Jerome Oliveros.

The new office consolidates programs, funding, and policies previously scattered across multiple units, giving coffee its first dedicated headquarters.

The order draws authority from Executive Order No. 292, the Administrative Code of 1987, which empowers the Department of Agriculture to support domestic and export-oriented crops.

Laurel emphasized that coffee, long treated as a minor commodity, now requires full attention as consumption rises while local production stagnates.

Challenges include aging farmers, limited access to inputs, outdated equipment, and weak infrastructure, resulting in declining yields and rising imports.

CIDO will lead program planning, monitor accomplishments across DA bureaus, and coordinate with local governments, universities, private firms, and farmer groups.

All coffee development funds, including those under the High Value Crops Development Program, will now be managed by CIDO. Laurel said the move aims to restore competitiveness and ensure Filipino farmers benefit from growing demand.

12/01/2026

Happy re-🛞-ment, Sir 🫡 🚲

🚨 BREAKING: From the pits of World Championships to millions of screens around the world. Calvin Jones, the mustache every cyclist recognizes, is officially retiring from Park Tool after nearly three decades.

If you have ever fixed a bike using a Park Tool video, chances are he taught you something. Long before YouTube tutorials became the norm, Jones believed bike repair should be clear, structured, and accessible to everyone.

He joined Park Tool in 1997 with a background as a master mechanic and educator. There was no fixed roadmap, but his obsession with standards and teaching quickly reshaped how the company approached education.

His impact was already visible years earlier with Team USA.
At major championships, American riders once stood in long lines with no dedicated technical support. Jones changed that by creating the USA Team Shop, a professional system built to serve athletes first and set a new standard for race support.

But what truly set him apart was his mindset.
Instead of guarding knowledge, he opened the door.
He helped transform bike repair from a mysterious skill into something anyone could learn.

At Park Tool, that philosophy exploded into books, courses, and iconic videos watched by riders across the globe.
His calm explanations and no-nonsense teaching style made even complex mechanics feel approachable.

Now, after 28 years of education, Jones is stepping back.
He plans to keep riding, explore new educational projects, and yes, finally figure out when to use that dropper post.

He will still support youth cycling programs and remain involved in future Park Tool video projects. The wrench may be resting, but the legacy he built will keep turning for generations of riders.

07/12/2025

🚨 BREAKING: Campagnolo, one of cycling’s most iconic brands, is facing a major shakeup. The Italian components manufacturer announced it is laying off 40% of its workforce 120 employees out of 300 after recording losses exceeding €24 million over the past three years.

Valentino Campagnolo, son of founder Tullio Campagnolo, said these steps were necessary to protect the company and its Vicenza headquarters. Despite a €10 million loan secured between 2024 and 2025, the brand admitted that current liquidity cannot sustain operations without major cost restructuring.

Founded in 1933, Campagnolo revolutionized cycling with innovations like the quick-release hub and hundreds of other patents. Legends from Fausto Coppi to Tadej Pogacar have raced on its components. Yet in recent years, the brand’s presence in the pro peloton waned, disappearing from the WorldTour in 2024 before returning with Cofidis this season.

The company aims to safeguard the future of its Vicenza factory while continuing product development, even with a smaller workforce. The layoffs are part of a financial plan to stabilize the business and return it to self-sufficiency.

Cyclists and fans alike will feel the impact of this historic brand’s turbulence, but Campagnolo’s legacy of innovation and excellence remains.

30/11/2025

RESEARCH | This article aims to assist Robusta coffee farmers in Sultan Kudarat in identifying significant production inputs that will increase their farms' productivity and the important factors that might increase or decrease their technical efficiency. It was found that at high elevations, the technical efficiency of Robusta coffee farms decreases. High-elevation coffee farming is associated with increased application of inputs such as land and fertilizer, increased erosion risks, and unsustainable land use. This has significant implications for sustainability, particularly the promotion of medium-elevation coffee farming instead of highland coffee farming.

Authors: Mark James S. Saguimpa (Agri-Aqua Value Chain Laboratory, University of the Philippines Mindanao) and Larry N. Digal (Agri-Aqua Value Chain Laboratory, University of the Philippines Mindanao | School of Management, University of the Philippines Mindanao)

Read more: https://ovpaa.up.edu.ph/research/the-efficiency-with-which-robusta-coffee-farms-convert-inputs-into-outputs-declines-at-higher-elevations/

Image by Παῦλος from Pixabay

10/11/2025

05/11/2025

During his travels to source offerings for the roastery, Bernd Braune observed that the weakest link in evaluating coffee often lay with the grinders.

The Comandante grinder was born as a solution to this quandary. Much like the early days of Supremo, Bernd became fixated on gaining complete understanding of coffee bean biochemistry, burr mechanics, and steel alloy composition to deliver the best product possible.

‘You have to think of the burr as a concept. Then you create one, test it, analyse the particle distribution, cup the coffee, and select the best option. You may do this a hundred times. As an engineer, you don’t trust only your taste; you also want to know exactly what you’re getting out.’

Read more in Standart Issue 40. Out now!

Text by Rafael Sans (.el.sans)
Photography by Rory Griffin ()

02/11/2025

Let’s travel back to the Netherlands in the early 1960s. In the middle of a self-service store, a UG 22n quick roaster takes center stage. Customers gather around, watching the roasting process and happily enjoying their freshly prepared coffee.

A glimpse into how PROBAT technology has been shaping coffee experiences for decades.

04/01/2024

Great!

Will the nation reap the benefits? That remains to be seen. https://bit.ly/3TMaa9T