The True Cost of Your Morning Cup: From Climate Change to Tariffs

“Why is coffee getting so expensive?”

If you’ve wondered this lately, you’re not alone. In early 2025, green coffee futures for commodity-grade lots reached a record US $4.41 per pound (2025: Tough Year for Specialty Coffee). Even high-scoring specialty-grade “premium lots” regularly sell between $5.00 and $6.00 per pound at origin (Coffee Prices Rise).

At LA LISIÈRE, we start with premium micro-lots—often from single farms or smallholder co-ops producing only a few bags each harvest—at $5 to $6 per pound green at origin. That’s the price before the beans even leave the farm. Once you factor in international shipping, freight insurance, customs duties, and import tariffs, the landed cost is already closer to $9 per pound—and we haven’t even begun roasting.

From there, each batch still needs to absorb:

• Roasting costs, including energy, equipment maintenance, and skilled labor.

• Packaging and labeling to protect freshness and tell each coffee’s story.

• Distribution, storage, and quality control to maintain consistency from first bag to last.

By the time all of that is factored in, the true cost per pound is well above $9—and that’s still before a single dollar of rent, wages, or other operating expenses is covered.

Meanwhile, the supply chain is under pressure. Climate disasters in Brazil and Vietnam have slashed yields (Price Surge & Supply Chain Challenges), global shipping remains congested, and the U.S. trucking industry faces a 70,000-driver shortage—each factor adding cost and uncertainty.

Starting a roastery? Expect to invest US $120,000 just to open the doors (Why You Shouldn’t Open a Passion Project Roastery). Add rising interest rates, insurance, wages, and ongoing operating expenses, and the margins tighten fast. Many smaller operators scale back or shutter entirely; others are absorbed into larger groups.

How LA LISIÈRE keeps delivering: 

• Long-term relationships with farmers to secure quality and fair prices year over year.
• Origin diversification—Ethiopia, Colombia, and Brazil micro-lots—to spread climate and political risk (Coffee Bean Trends in 2025).
• Precision roasting and rigorous QC to maximize flavor and consistency with every batch.

What it means for you:

When you buy LA LISIÈRE, you’re not paying for a marketing label—you’re investing in the exceptional coffees, the farmers who produce them, and the craft that turns them into something extraordinary. That $9/lb starting point is only the first step in a much larger journey from seed to cup, and every penny is accounted for in the quality you taste.