Hoy por Hoy (SER Podcast)

Episode Title: ¿Por qué el café se lleva la palma en las subidas de precio?
Date: September 19, 2025
Host: Àngels Barceló
Guest/Contributor: Jordi Fábrega

Overview

This episode zeroes in on the steep rise in coffee prices during 2025, analyzing why coffee is leading the surge among everyday food items. Host Àngels Barceló and economics journalist Jordi Fábrega dissect the underlying global causes, compare with other notable food price changes, and offer broader context on food inflation trends in Spain.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Coffee Takes the Lead in Price Increases

• Price Surge: According to data from the Spanish Statistical Institute (INE), coffee prices jumped 17.5% between January and August 2025.

  • [00:26] "El café se lleva la palma. Un 17,5 % más hay que pagar por el café hoy que a principios de año." — Jordi Fábrega

• Long-term View: Comparing to three years ago, coffee prices have doubled.

• Reasons:

  • Weather issues: Floods and droughts in major producers such as Brazil, Colombia, and Vietnam have reduced global supply.
  • Increased Demand: Rising coffee consumption in several Asian countries, where historically coffee was less common.
  • Supply & Demand Effect: Less supply plus more demand equals higher prices for all consumers.

  [00:49] "Tenemos por tanto menos oferta, más demanda y la consecuencia es que todos pagamos más por el café y que como te digo, es lo que más ha subido de precio en lo que llevamos de año." — Jordi Fábrega

2. Other Notable Price Rises

• Eggs: The second highest increase at 15.7%, connected to supply problems following avian flu outbreaks in the US, which in turn led to greater exports from Europe and pushed prices up globally.
  • [01:34] "Lo segundo que más se ha encarecido son los huevos. Un 15,7 % más hay que pagar ahora que a principios de año, también por un problema de oferta." — Jordi Fábrega
• Chocolate & Cocoa:
  • Chocolate rose 13%; cocoa 10%.
  • Primary cause: Similar weather disruptions (droughts and floods) in Africa, affecting cocoa yields.

3. Price Decreases – Some Good News

• Olive Oil: Big drop after a period of intense price surge.
  • Prices have fallen 34% this year.
  • Now costs about the same as late 2022.
  • [02:49] "Lo que más ha bajado es el aceite de oliva... Ahora está bajando mucho, un 34% ha bajado su precio este año." — Jordi Fábrega
  • The decline is significant because it's rare for food prices to drop after steep increases.
• Other Foods Going Down:
  • Sugar (-6%), fish, yogurt, pasta, and slight decreases in cereals and pizzas.
  • [03:31] "En lo que llevamos de año solo hay 8. Además del aceite de oliva está el azúcar, que es un 6% más barato, también el pescado, el yogur, la pasta..." — Jordi Fábrega

4. The Broader Inflation Context

• Most food prices have increased only modestly.

• Only six products rose more than 5%, a reassuring sign after the sharp inflation experienced a couple of years ago.

  [04:10] "Lo que sí vemos es que aunque la mayoría de alimentos suben algo de precio, es una subida bastante contenida... Y eso, viniendo de lo que venimos, es bastante tranquilizador si lo comparamos con las subidas que sufríamos durante la crisis de inflación de hace un par de años." — Jordi Fábrega

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Àngels Barceló reacts to chocolate price hikes:
  • [02:39] "Este es el que me preocupa a mí, la verdad."
• Jordi Fábrega on olive oil's exceptional decrease:
  • [02:49] "En el caso del aceite de oliva sí que se está produciendo esta bajada. Es verdad que son pocos los productos que han bajado de precio."
• Reassurance about general inflation:
  • [04:10] "Es una subida bastante contenida... bastante tranquilizador si lo comparamos con las subidas que sufríamos durante la crisis de inflación de hace un par de años." — Jordi Fábrega

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:08 — Introduction to the topic: food price increases
• 00:26 — Coffee tops the price hike list, detailed reasons
• 01:26 — Eggs and chocolate: other top risers explained
• 02:49 — Olive oil and other product prices falling
• 03:40 — Overview and context about general inflation trends

Conclusion

The episode provides a sharp, accessible analysis of why coffee prices have soared in Spain this year, connecting international agricultural conditions and global demand patterns to local supermarket and café bills. The discussion also offers context with broader inflation data, noting the rare good news for olive oil lovers and a generally stabilized food market compared to prior years. The tone is informative yet conversational, with the hosts mixing practical advice and personal reactions to keep listeners engaged.