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Coffee has developed into a significant economic factor over the years. It is considered a true export hit and is only exceeded by oil production.

Coffee in worldwide trade

Around 148 million sacks of coffee beans are produced annually (as of 2016). Every sack weighs 60 kilograms. The extension takes place especially in developing and emerging countries near the equator. The largest coffee producers represent Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia, Colombia and Ethiopia. The latter is the country of origin of the coffee.

Coffee is enjoying global popularity and is therefore also strongly traded in all possible countries. Germany, the USA and Brazil are very far ahead. In the Federal Republic alone, more than half a million tons of coffee are sold every year. This means that the individual citizen comes to 6.4 kilograms of coffee beans annually, which corresponds to a consumption of around 150 liters of coffee. The drink is often consumed in a wide variety of variations. In addition to the classic black coffee, cappuccinos, latte macchiatos and all kinds of milk coffee are particularly popular. Even if the trade with coffee has always experienced small drops in sales, steady export growth has been visible over the years. So more and more is being drunk by the enjoyable hot drink.

The increasing economic factor of coffee does not only have good news. The production and conditions in the cultivated countries often throw a bad light on the drink that was loved so much. Even if the trend is increasingly about organic coffee and fair trade, this part only makes up almost 1.5 percent of the extension. Around 140 liters of water are also used for normal coffee and organic coffee. This includes the entire manufacturing process – from cultivation, roasting and shipping to the end of the end. In order to be able to cover the immense demand for coffee, more and more coffee farmers opt for monocultures. For example, large areas are cleared in the growing areas in order to be able to grow robusta coffee there. This not only harms the small farmers, who get into the price war with large producers, but also affects the biodiversity. The native animals there no longer find places to nest and have to move on a narrowing habitat.

Coffee as an economic factor and livelihood

Throw and developing countries such as Ethiopia, Brazil and Colombia build coffee on a strong gross domestic product. Without this economic factor, strong financial crises would quickly occur. More than 25 million people work in the coffee industry worldwide. If you include their family members, the coffee forms the livelihood for approx. 100 million people. The economic factor of coffee is therefore an important pillar for countries all over the world – unfortunately, in addition to its great and enjoyable taste, the coffee also brings with it many problems.

Whether as a morning pick-me-up, a relaxed afternoon ritual or simply as an energy boost: many people cannot imagine their everyday life without coffee. The popular drink began its triumphal march at the beginning of the 17th century. He conquered Europe from Africa and the Orient and a real coffee house culture developed, especially in Vienna. The first coffee house in Germany was built in Bremen around 1673. In the 18th century, the colonial powers finally spread the coffee plant all over the world and our coffee became an important economic factor worldwide.

In Europe, above all, the rich citizens loved to enjoy the caffeinated drink. They had coffee beans imported via important ports such as Amsterdam, Venice, Hamburg and London, so coffee houses were increasingly established in the cities. These became places of intellectual exchange for the upper classes.

Coffee is conquering the German economy

Germany was not one of the colonial powers, so it took almost 100 years before coffee finally arrived in Germany. Here, too, it was above all a luxury good that remained unaffordable for the common people. After the opening of the first coffee house in Bremen and its move four years later to the Hanseatic city of Hamburg, coffee gradually caught on in all social classes. Since the middle of the 19th century and the new technical processing of the coffee beans, coffee has been considered a popular drink: The ever-increasing demand made coffee more and more important as an economic factor.

Coffee – development into a global economic factor

Coffee is heavily traded in all countries due to its popularity. At the forefront are Germany, the USA and Brazil as coffee consumers. Cultivation takes place above all in emerging countries near the equator: Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia, Colombia and Ethiopia, with the latter being the country of origin of the coffee bean.

Around 148 million sacks of coffee beans are produced annually (as of 2016) and more than half a million tons of coffee are sold in Germany every year. This means that every citizen consumes 6.4 kilograms of coffee beans every year. Without coffee as an economic factor, there would quickly be serious financial crises in the emerging and developing countries: More than 25 million people work in the coffee industry worldwide, which at the same time forms the livelihood of around 100 million people and is an important mainstay for the whole world is.

Fight the economic insecurities of coffee producers with Fairtrade coffee

The growing economic factor of coffee not only brings good figures: negative reports about production and conditions often come from the producing countries. And even if the trend is increasingly towards fair trade and organic coffee, this part of production has so far only accounted for just under 1.5 percent of cultivation.

Nevertheless, Fairtrade coffee is becoming more and more of an important topic, especially in Germany fair trade is getting a place in people’s consciousness. Even though Fairtrade coffee has its price, people are happy to pay for it to protect small farmers from exploitation and unfair plantation work. Since the economic factor of coffee plays an important role, especially in the poorer producing countries, Fairtrade coffee is an important further development in this context.