Increased coffee consumption is insufficient to balance prices, says Carlos Brando

In the II World Coffee Producers Forum, held in Campinas, Carlos Brando, Marketing specialist, warned that coffee consumption is growing at a faster pace than in the past, but this growth is still not enough to ensure good Income conditions to producers. Although it is not a measure of immediate results, increasing consumption is one of the solutions to tackle the price crisis affecting the sector. In the moderated panel by Brando was presented the scenery of coffee consumption around the world. It is in Asia that is the largest volume growth of sacks per year. Europeans are in the area of the world where more coffee is consumed, but consumption has grown little. "Africa has great growth potential, but there is still much to do to make that potential a reality," says the moderator. Brazil is historically the country that has increased its domestic consumption. Nathan Herszkowicz, CEO of Unionafé-SP, presented an overview of the evolution of coffee consumption in the country. Improving the quality and adding value to the products, according to it, is a successful way for small and medium-sized enterprises, as it is necessary for the consumer to perceive the value of what he is consuming. Moenardji Soedargo, Operations director and Vice president of the soluble coffee industry PT Aneka Coffee Industry, explained how the change in consumption habits in Indonesia was responsible for the growth of the sector in the country. The keys to this change were the growth of the economy, the increase in the use of social media, the ease of entry into the coffee market and the social and cultural transformation of the country, which made coffee a social drink from Indonesia. "We pay dearly for our coffee, so why aren't the producers being properly remunerated?" asked American Phyllis Johnson, co-founder and president of BD Imports, in her presentation on the panel. She said that during the last eight years, the consumption of coffee in the United States remained regular, but people are beginning to choose the type of coffee they want to drink better. Namely: Although coffee in the country is not growing in volume, it is growing in value. Fred Kawuma, Secretary general of the Interafrican Coffee Organization – OIAC, was the last panelist to perform on the first day. Representative of the African continent in the discussion, he commented that Ethiopia is the country with the highest consumption on the continent, responding By 25% of what is produced. Kenya has had the growth of grain consumption of more than 100% in five years, until 2018. Kawuma used as a good example Cameroon, a country that has an annual coffee festival to promote coffee and create opportunities in the sector.