Coffee mania
Coffee beans spilling from a cup
Credit: Jessica Lewis 🦋 thepaintedsquare, Pexels
Coffee mania in Europe; centuries of supply
Tell me how you take your coffee and I´ll tell you what´s on your mind. Europe´s coffee mania flourished for centuries, starting in the 1600s and 1700s, loved or hated across the EU due to religious, political, and medical beliefs.
Today, it´s difficult to find a European who doesn´t place coffee at the top of their daily routine, often relying on caffeine to “get through the day.” Linked to high productivity and increased energy, Europe´s intricate coffee culture has created an industry giant that sells everything from iced latte macchiatos to the classic aromatic Americanos.
According to a German researcher, Statista, Europeans consume approximately 3,2 million metric tons of coffee per year, making up for almost 33 per cent of total coffee consumption worldwide. In revenue, cafes and restaurants are making more than €96 billion per year, now alarmingly growing in prices.
From Brazil to Europe; coffee mania concerns
Making at least 40 per cent of the world´s coffee production, Brazil remains the world´s largest coffee producer, known for its low-acidic, chocolate and caramel-flavoured beans. Yet, at a time of high coffee demand, Brazil is battling endless droughts which severely affect the arabica coffee-growing regions and reduce yields.
Estimates reveal that the 2023-2024 crop cycle has already seen a significant decrease in production; with potential to reduce by as much as 20 per cent. The Arabica masters are especially concerned about the Minas Gerais region; Brazil´s largest coffee-producing state, which has not seen average rainfalls in months.
From Vietnam to Europe; coffee mania concerns
Positioned after Brazil in top coffee production, the world´s mega-producer of the cheaper robusta bean – used in instant coffee – Vietnam, has similarly struggled with severe climate conditions. Earlier in September, Vietnam´s prominent coffee-growing regions in the Central Highlights were annihilated by Typhoon Yago; at least 60 people lost their lives and hundreds injured.
The estimated predictions seem no better; since thousands of hectares of coffee plantations were affected, both current and future production potential have been destroyed, with the trees expecting to take several years to recover.
Coffee prices in Europe; money mania
The increasing price of coffee has not gone unnoticed; coffee drinkers across Europe share their shock at receiving €3,96 checks for one espresso and more than €4,98 for a humble cup of cappuccino. The ICO ((International Coffee Organization) reported that prices increased by nearly 20 per cent in the third quarter of 2024, reaching their highest levels in almost a decade. In Europe´s largest coffee hub, Germany, retail prices for ground coffee have risen by an average of 10 per cent since 2022, according to Statista.
Distressingly, the prices of coffee are reported to continue to increase in the face of surging natural disasters, which hit the two countries leading in coffee production. “A quick recovery for the coffee sector is unlikely, even with potential improvements in supply,” said Katharina Erfort from international supply chain management company Inverto. “The ongoing effects of climate change make a swift return to stability difficult. The sector remains vulnerable to extreme weather patterns that can continue to disrupt future harvests.”
She also reported that due to coffee consumption “rising global demand, particularly in emerging markets like Asia,” “upward pressure” is likely to be put on European prices.
