MAP IT FORWARD Middle East

MAP IT FORWARD
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The Map It Forward Middle East Podcast explores the business of coffee across the Middle East, featuring conversations with entrepreneurs, producers, and professionals building the future of the region’s coffee industry. Hosted by Dubai-based Map It Forward founder Lee Safar, each five-episode series highlights one guest's journey, offering practical insights, regional context, and candid discussions that reflect the evolving global coffee landscape. Episodes are released daily at 6 am local UAE time. The video version of the podcast can be found on our YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/mapitforward Our website https://www.mapitforward.coffee/middleeastpodcast

  1. 21 hr ago

    EP 1070 Part 5 of 5 | Can Coffee Quality Ever Be Objective? (Ian Fretheim) Map It Forward

    Advertising SponsorMIF Coffee Business Plan Review Service: AI can write a business plan. We'll help you determine whether it will work in the real world. Email support@mapitforward.org or DM @mapitforward.coffee to get started. Episode Description This is Part 5 of a five-part series with Ian Fretheim, Director of Sensory Analysis at Cafe Imports. Throughout this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, Lee Safar and Ian Fretheim have explored one of the coffee industry's most fundamental questions: What is quality coffee? The series concludes with perhaps its most challenging discussion. Can coffee quality ever be objective? For decades, the specialty coffee industry has presented quality as though it can be measured, scored and compared objectively. But is that really what's happening? Or are we confusing objective measurement with subjective judgement? Lee and Ian unpack the philosophical foundations behind sensory evaluation, discussing the difference between describing a coffee and evaluating it. They explore whether quality exists within the coffee itself or whether quality only exists once people decide what they value. The conversation examines why standards are essential for consistency, while also recognising that every standard begins as a human decision. Ian explains how Cafe Imports approaches sensory analysis by separating the subjective process of creating standards from the objective process of assessing whether coffees meet those standards. Together they explore why this distinction matters, not only for cupping, but for education, buying, communication and the future of coffee quality assessment. As the series concludes, listeners are left with a deeper appreciation that coffee quality isn't becoming more confusing because the industry is failing. It's becoming more nuanced because coffee itself, and the people who produce, buy, roast and drink it, continue to evolve. Whether you're a producer, importer, roaster, educator or café owner, this conversation offers a thoughtful framework for thinking differently about quality, standards and the future of specialty coffee. Connect with Ian Fretheim here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-fretheim-31628323/ If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: https://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

    EP 1070 Part 5 of 5 | Can Coffee Quality Ever Be Objective? (Ian Fretheim) Map It Forward

  2. 1 day ago

    EP 1069 Part 4 of 5 | How Language Shapes Coffee Quality (Ian Fretheim) Map It Forward

    Advertising SponsorThis episode is brought to you by Map It Forward Podcast Advertising. Interested in advertising on this podcast? Email support@mapitforward.org to learn more. Episode Description This is Part 4 of a five-part series with Ian Fretheim, Director of Sensory Analysis at Cafe Imports. Throughout this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, Lee Safar and Ian Fretheim are exploring one of coffee's most challenging questions: What is quality coffee? After examining quality, specialty coffee and sensory education, this conversation turns to something many people overlook: The language we use to describe coffee. Coffee travels through multiple stages before reaching a consumer. At every step of that journey, producers, exporters, importers, roasters, cafés and consumers are all describing the same coffee, but often using completely different language because they have different goals, different customers and different commercial realities. Lee and Ian explore why technical accuracy isn't always effective communication, why language must match its audience, and how descriptors that work in one part of the supply chain can become meaningless somewhere else. The discussion also examines how rising coffee prices and changing market conditions are influencing the way businesses talk about coffee today. Rather than simply describing flavour, language has become a commercial tool that shapes purchasing decisions, customer expectations and ultimately the kinds of coffees producers choose to grow and process. As the conversation develops, Lee and Ian discuss the evolution of flavour descriptors, the growing popularity of highly processed coffees, and why coffee assessment systems must continue evolving if they are to keep pace with what is actually happening throughout the industry. This episode demonstrates that language doesn't just communicate quality, it actively shapes it. Connect with Ian Fretheim here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-fretheim-31628323/ If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: https://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

    EP 1069 Part 4 of 5 | How Language Shapes Coffee Quality (Ian Fretheim) Map It Forward

  3. 2 days ago

    EP 1068 Part 3 of 5 | What Happened to Coffee Quality Education? ( Ian Fretheim ) Map It Forward

    Advertising SponsorGet “The Coffee Report by Map It Forward” directly to your inbox every Friday by signing up for either our Green Coffee or Roasted Coffee Patreon tiers in our Patreon community. Head to https://www.patreon.com/collection/2275485 to read our first report for free. Sign up for as little as $5 per month. Episode Description This is Part 3 of a five-part series with Ian Fretheim, Director of Sensory Analysis at Cafe Imports. Throughout this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, Lee Safar and Ian Fretheim are exploring one of coffee's most important questions: What is quality coffee? After examining how the industry defines quality and whether "specialty coffee" still means what it once did, this episode turns to another question that has become increasingly important: What has happened to coffee quality education? Following the transition from the long-established Q Grader system to the Coffee Value Assessment (CVA), many coffee professionals expected a new era of sensory education. Instead, Lee and Ian discuss why the industry appears more uncertain than ever about how quality should be taught, assessed and applied in commercial environments. The conversation explores the strengths of the legacy Q system, why a shared baseline still matters, and whether the industry missed an opportunity to create a more practical framework that could be adopted across the global coffee supply chain. Rather than debating politics, they focus on what businesses, educators and coffee professionals actually need from quality education today. Lee and Ian also discuss whether certificates alone have become overvalued, why employers ultimately look for critical thinking rather than credentials, and what meaningful sensory education should prepare people to do once they enter the workplace. This is a thoughtful discussion about education, standards, commercial reality and the future of developing coffee professionals. Connect with Ian Fretheim here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-fretheim-31628323/ If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: https://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

    EP 1068 Part 3 of 5 | What Happened to Coffee Quality Education? ( Ian Fretheim ) Map It Forward

  4. 3 days ago

    EP 1067 Part 2 of 5 | What Does "Specialty Coffee" Mean Anymore? (Ian Fretheim) Map It Forward

    Advertising SponsorWant to join our Map It Forward Monthly Community Discussion Group? Head to https://patreon.com/mapitforward to join the community by signing up for the "Roasted Coffee" tier for 20 USD per month. Find other like-minded people in the coffee industry. This community is open to all stakeholders in the coffee industry Episode Description This is Part 2 of a five-part series with Ian Fretheim, Director of Sensory Analysis at Cafe Imports. Across this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, Lee Safar and Ian Fretheim explore one of the coffee industry's most important questions: What is quality coffee? After questioning how the industry defines quality in Part 1, this conversation turns to another term that has become increasingly difficult to define: specialty coffee. For decades, "specialty coffee" has served as the industry's shorthand for quality. But as processing methods evolve, market expectations shift, and businesses throughout the supply chain pursue different goals, the meaning of the term has become less clear. Lee and Ian explore whether specialty coffee still represents a useful category or whether it has gradually become a label that different people interpret in completely different ways. The discussion examines how quality, value and purpose intersect, and why trying to force every coffee into a single definition may no longer reflect the reality of today's industry. They also consider how producers, importers, roasters and cafés often use the same words while meaning very different things. Rather than arguing for abandoning specialty coffee as a concept, this episode asks whether the industry would benefit from being more precise about the language it uses and the assumptions that language creates. If quality coffee is becoming more contextual, perhaps the industry's most recognisable label needs to evolve alongside it. Connect with Ian Fretheim here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-fretheim-31628323/ If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: https://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

    EP 1067 Part 2 of 5 | What Does "Specialty Coffee" Mean Anymore? (Ian Fretheim) Map It Forward

  5. 4 days ago

    EP 1066 Part 1 of 5 | Defining Quality in Coffee in 2026 (Ian Fretheim) Map It Forward

    Advertising SponsorThis episode is brought to you by Arcadia Green Coffee, Colombian coffee exporters taking fresh green coffee from Colombia to the world, farm to roastery, direct. New office now open in the UK.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arcadiagreencoffee/WhatsApp: https://wa.me/353877871523 Episode Description This is Part 1 of a five-part series with Ian Fretheim, Director of Sensory Analysis at Cafe Imports. Across this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, Lee Safar and Ian explore one of the coffee industry's biggest, and increasingly difficult, questions, "What is Quality Coffee?" For decades, specialty coffee has spoken confidently about quality, but in 2026 that confidence is being tested. New processing methods, changing consumer expectations, evolving education systems, shifting economics and growing disagreement around sensory evaluation are forcing the industry to reconsider what quality actually means. In this opening conversation, Lee and Ian begin by asking a deceptively simple question: How is the coffee industry defining quality today? What quickly becomes clear is that there isn't one answer. The discussion explores why different parts of the coffee supply chain often require different definitions of quality, why producers, exporters, importers, roasters and cafés may all evaluate coffee differently, and whether the industry has become too reliant on inherited assumptions that no longer reflect today's realities. Lee and Ian also examine whether quality should be viewed as an absolute standard or something that changes according to purpose, audience and context. Along the way they begin unpacking ideas that will shape the remainder of this series, including sensory evaluation, language, education, specialty coffee and the growing tension between objectivity and subjectivity. Rather than attempting to provide a single definition of quality coffee, this episode challenges listeners to reconsider whether such a definition has ever truly existed. If you work anywhere in the coffee supply chain, this conversation offers an opportunity to question many of the assumptions that underpin how we buy, sell, evaluate and communicate coffee today. Connect with Ian Fretheim here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-fretheim-31628323/ If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: https://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

    EP 1066 Part 1 of 5 | Defining Quality in Coffee in 2026 (Ian Fretheim) Map It Forward

  6. 24 Jul

    EP 1065 Part 5 of 5 | The Lie About Community in Coffee (Lee Safar) Map It Forward

    Advertising SponsorMIF Coffee Business Plan Review Service: AI can write a business plan. We'll help you determine whether it will work in the real world. Email support@mapitforward.org or DM @mapitforward.coffee to get started. Episode Description This is episode 5 of a five-part solo series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward titled Saying the Quiet Parts Out Loud. In the final episode, Lee Safar challenges the coffee industry’s repeated claim that coffee is all about community. Trade shows, competitions and public cuppings can create meaningful relationships, but they do not necessarily create communities capable of solving the industry’s biggest problems. Lee argues that real community requires coffee professionals to meet regularly, discuss difficult issues openly and work together on practical solutions around pricing, legislation, staffing, financing and business survival. She also challenges the idea that similar businesses must always treat each other as competitors. Cafés, roasters and other coffee businesses can remain in their own lanes while still supporting the health of their local industry. This episode explores what it means to conspire to each other’s success and why smaller, problem-solving communities may become essential as more independent coffee businesses close, consolidate or struggle to survive. Connect with Lee Safar here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leesafar/ https://www.instagram.com/leesafar If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: https://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

    EP 1065 Part 5 of 5 | The Lie About Community in Coffee (Lee Safar) Map It Forward

  7. 23 Jul

    EP 1064 Part 4 of 5 | Pricing, Power and the Coffee Supply Chain (Lee Safar) Map It Forward

    Advertising SponsorThis episode is brought to you by Map It Forward Podcast Advertising. Interested in advertising on this podcast? Email support@mapitforward.org to learn more. Episode Description This is episode 4 of a five-part solo series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward titled Saying the Quiet Parts Out Loud. In this episode, Lee Safar examines why coffee pricing models so often fail to reflect the real cost of operating a business. Across the supply chain, producers, importers, roasters and cafés frequently set prices based on what the market will accept or what competitors are charging, rather than what is required to cover operating costs and generate sustainable profit. Lee explains the difference between gross profit and net profit, and why failing to account for rent, labour, debt, utilities and other expenses leaves many coffee businesses underpriced from the start. She also explores how every part of the coffee supply chain becomes a price taker. Producers are influenced by the futures market, importers and exporters carry risk, roasters compete against market pricing, and cafés face resistance from consumers. This episode argues that responsible pricing begins with better financial understanding, greater supply-chain awareness and more open conversations about what each participant actually needs to be paid. Connect with Lee Safar here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leesafar/ https://www.instagram.com/leesafar If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: https://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

    EP 1064 Part 4 of 5 | Pricing, Power and the Coffee Supply Chain (Lee Safar) Map It Forward

  8. 22 Jul

    EP 1063 Part 3 of 5 | Most Coffee Businesses Aren’t Actually Profitable (Lee Safar) Map It Forward

    Advertising SponsorWant to join our Map It Forward Monthly Community Discussion Group? Head to https://patreon.com/mapitforward to join the community by signing up for the "Roasted Coffee" tier for 20 USD per month. Find other like-minded people in the coffee industry. This community is open to all stakeholders in the coffee industry Episode Description This is episode 3 of a five-part solo series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward titled Saying the Quiet Parts Out Loud. In this episode, Lee Safar examines why so many coffee businesses appear successful while their owners remain unpaid and their margins remain dangerously thin. Many cafés, roasteries and farms generate significant revenue without producing sustainable profit. Owners often work long hours without paying themselves properly, while mistaking money moving through the business for financial success. Lee explores coffee’s low barrier to entry, the difference between revenue and profit, and what she calls the success fallacy—the belief that a busy café, polished brand or high sales figure automatically represents a healthy business. She also distinguishes between the custodians of coffee—the producers, exporters, importers, roasters and cafés responsible for moving coffee through the supply chain—and the businesses built around them, including landlords, banks, equipment manufacturers, software providers and industry associations. While the custodians often operate on razor-thin margins, many of the surrounding businesses continue to profit from them. This episode challenges the industry to stop valuing appearances, branding and revenue over sound financial fundamentals. A responsible coffee business must understand its numbers, pay its owner and employees properly, price its products responsibly and generate enough profit to survive. Connect with Lee Safar here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leesafar/ https://www.instagram.com/leesafar If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: https://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

    EP 1063 Part 3 of 5 | Most Coffee Businesses Aren’t Actually Profitable (Lee Safar) Map It Forward
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About

The Map It Forward Middle East Podcast explores the business of coffee across the Middle East, featuring conversations with entrepreneurs, producers, and professionals building the future of the region’s coffee industry. Hosted by Dubai-based Map It Forward founder Lee Safar, each five-episode series highlights one guest's journey, offering practical insights, regional context, and candid discussions that reflect the evolving global coffee landscape. Episodes are released daily at 6 am local UAE time. The video version of the podcast can be found on our YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/mapitforward Our website https://www.mapitforward.coffee/middleeastpodcast

Information

  • Creator
    MAP IT FORWARD
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    301
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 MAP IT FORWARD | All Rights Reserved 512477
  • Show Website
    MAP IT FORWARD Middle East