Coffee: The Second Most Traded Commodity In The World

Mountains of coffee beans are shipped from country to country every day to satisfy customers' cravings for a delicious morning brew, or simply an afternoon pick-me-up. In fact, coffee beans are probably one of the few food products that are produced, used and loved by almost the entire world. So just how big is the coffee industry? It's bigger than you probably ever imagined!

The popular consumer crop, one of the most highly valued items in international trade, is grown in close to 80 tropical and subtropical climate countries. About 17 billion pounds of green coffee are produced around the world each year. The United States is the largest coffee consumer, drinking close to 3 billion pounds of coffee each year. That means the United States buys about one-fifth of the entire world's coffee crop annually. In 2004, more than 25 million acres across Latin American, African and Asian nations were dedicated solely to growing coffee beans, and that number continues to climb.

The coffee industry in the United States is valued at about $19 billion each year. Gourmet coffees account for about half of that industry value. Food enthusiasts are trying to increase that value even more by promoting a new coffee-industry trend: pairing specific coffee blends with food to enhance the flavor of both items, much the same way as particular wines are matched with particular foods. While the industry value itself is massive, a $3 latte typically only provides the original farmer with an income of one penny.

The Coffee Industry Plays a Big Role In Many Developing Economies

When the world's coffee industry was hit in 2001 to 2003, Americans heard very little about the crisis. However, coffee crop prices fell to their lowest level ever, destroying national economies and ruining millions of small-scale farmers' livelihoods. The coffee industry, though only an unnecessary pleasure product for most, has become so ingrained in international farming and trade that millions of people worldwide are dependent on Americans' cravings for a good brew. About 20 million people are estimated to work in the coffee industry worldwide.

Likewise, there are an astounding number of coffee shops throughout the world. Out of close to 20,000 stores, Starbucks owns more than three-fourths of the retail coffee world, with 16,680 stores. Another newer coffee-crop trend driving up the international trade value and adding jobs to the economy is an extension of the world's "green" or environment-friendly movement. New buzzwords for coffee sales include organic, shade-grown, sustainable and fair-trade certified. The organic coffee market has now become a billion-dollar industry in itself, according to the Organic Trade Association, due to consumers’ increasing desire to minimize their global footprint.

Coffee Is The Most Popular Beverage In The World

According to the Coffee Research Organization and the National Small Business Development Support Center Clearinghouse, more than 400 billion cups of coffee are consumed each day, making it the most popular beverage in the world. Statistics estimate that Americans consume 400 million of those cups of coffee daily, which equals about four-and-a-half thousand cups of coffee each second. The next time you take a swig of the world’s favorite drink, give yourself a pat on the back for funding the continuation of millions of jobs around the world. Cheers!

Most Americans live within minutes of several specialty coffee shops, while our grocery stores carry a plethora of flavorful options as well. The facts are clear: in the United States, coffee consumption is a cultural staple. In fact, even when the recession floored commodity sales nationwide, coffee consumption remained strong. Coffee drinking, as a cultural, business, pleasure and energy-producing activity, is here to stay.

The National Coffee Association states that on average, 54 per cent of the American adult population drank coffee beverages daily in 2009. This number is statistically equivalent to the 2008 percentage, while the number of cups drank per-person and per-capita are also on par with levels since 2003, when consumption amounts increased. Thirty per cent of the population drinks coffee occasionally.

“Consumers still see coffee as an integral part of their everyday lives,” said Robert Nelson, President and CEO of the National Coffee Association.  “Even if economic conditions cause some to alter their coffee choices, they are nonetheless continuing to enjoy coffee at levels very much on par with recent years.”

The Association’s survey also brought light to an increasingly popular trend: at-home coffee brewing due to movements toward greener, cheaper and anti-establishment alternatives. Eighty-three per cent of consumers reported brewing their previous day’s coffee at home. Figures also suggest that consumers in the United States are gravitating towards bringing their at-home brew on their commute more often, while a steady 18 per cent of coffee-drinkers reported getting their coffee fix at work. Fewer Americans are partaking in coffee consumption at restaurants.

Coffee consumption in the United States remains at the 8th highest level in the world; today, the average American drinks 3.1 cups of coffee each day. This contributes to the massive $18 billion U.S. coffee market (the global coffee market is worth upwards of $80 billion dollars), an amount that continues to increase with the upsurge of specialty coffee sales. These sales account for 8 per cent of the market and are jumping at an astounding 20 per cent per year. Coffee statistics show that 50 per cent of Americans enjoy cappuccino, espresso, latte, or iced coffees.

Here are some more interesting facts and figures about coffee consumption in the United States:

• The average coffee cup size is nine ounces.
• The average price for an espresso-based drink is $2.45.
• The average price for a cup of brewed coffee is $1.38.
• 35% of coffee drinkers prefer their coffee black.
• 65% of coffee consumption takes place during breakfast hours.
• Seattle has 10 times more coffee stores per 100,000 residents than the United States has overall.
• The United States imports more than $4 billion dollars of coffee each year.

Chicago-based foodservice research and consultant firm Technomic, Inc. estimates that about 20 to 30 per cent of coffee sales are made up of flavored coffees, another trend that is expected to rise throughout the years as young adults from Generation Y continue to enter the work force. The top flavors, in 2007, were chocolate, vanilla, caramel, hazelnut and cinnamon.

Whether you like your coffee hot or iced, specialty or regular, with or without cream, you’re not alone in rewarding yourself – or just rolling out of bed – with the world’s favorite drink.

Most of the world’s coffee drinkers consume their daily espresso, decaf, brewed, or instant coffee to get that instant caffeine hit that only coffee seems to provide. While the content of caffeine differs depending on the type of coffee being consumed, coffee nutritional facts suggest that coffee does in fact improve cognitive performance among other things. There are many potential benefits regarding the consumption of coffee beverages, and much debate about coffee nutritional facts. Overall, moderate consumption of coffee seems to do the body no harm and can actually have long-term benefits.

Coffee nutrition facts suggest that drinking coffee could have numerous health benefits in terms or preventing or reducing the chances of getting various diseases. Ailments such as gallstones, Parkinson’s disease, Type 2 Diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and even Cancer can be risk-reduced by consuming coffee. Coffee nutrition facts even suggest that drinking coffee could lessen the frequency of such things as asthma attacks.

Coffee consumption offers other considerable health and nutrition benefits that affect our day to day well being. Coffee nutrition facts show that the antioxidants present in coffee beverages are an integral source of energy and protection against common illness. While antioxidants can be consumed in higher doses in other foods and drinks, it remains a nutritional component of coffee. Antioxidants maintain health by preventing diseases such as Coronary Heart Disease and Cancer. In this respect, drinking a beverage that contains antioxidants helps protect the heart.

Other benefits from coffee nutrition facts show that consuming highly caffeinated products such as coffee can considerably reduce the risk of deterioration in terms of brain activity and dementia. Caffeine content in coffee ranges from approximately 2mg in instant decaf coffee up to 175mg in some forms of drip coffee. Other general coffee nutritional facts show that coffee contains 0mg of cholesterol, 0mg of sodium, 0.01g of fat, 0.01g of carbohydrates, and 0.04g of proteins.

Coffee nutritional facts detail the other remaining contents of coffee such as: lipids, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins. There are quite a few minerals found within coffee such as: Magnesium, Niacin, Phosphorous, Foliate, Manganese, and Thiamine. These minerals occur in small traces depending on the type of coffee. Coffee nutritional facts note that minerals are all integral to maintaining proper growth and development within the body as well as strengthening the immune system.

Caffeine also effectively blocks the damaging effects of cholesterol. Coffee nutritional facts show that the caffeine levels found in coffee are demonstrative in protecting a vital barrier, the “blood brain barrier,” that separates the central nervous system from any contact with harmful chemicals in the blood. While cholesterol can weaken this barrier, caffeine consumed from products such as coffee drinks helps to solidify it.

Coffee is a popular drink of choice for many due to the relatively low calorie content of drinking simple black coffee. It is also considered an equally effective diuretic for proper hydration as sports energy drinks. General coffee nutritional facts suggest that while over consumption of coffee is not advised, coffee consumption in moderation certainly has its health-related benefits.