Decaf coffee is gaining popularity in global markets as more and more customers follow the current wellbeing trend, considering it as a healthy alternative to common coffee.

In contrast to Western markets that already have large numbers of decaf coffee consumers, the popularity of coffee without caffeine (or with a small content of it) is just gaining momentum in several emerging nations, many of which can provide significant growth opportunities for players operating in this market segment.

The existing big potential of the decaf coffee market is confirmed by research data. According to predictions of international research agency, Skyquest Technology, over the next seven years, the decaf coffee market will grow by six to seven percent annually, reaching USD $28.86 billion by 2030. By comparison, in 2022, this figure was $19.5 billion. The growth will be observed both in developed nations and emerging countries, where such growth rates are expected to be higher.

As for developed nations, it is expected the United States will be a major driver of growth for decaf coffee in years to come as the demand for coffee with less caffeine among local consumers remains high.

The National Coffee Association (NCA) of the USA reports that more consumers across the country are adopting healthier lifestyles, which may also be associated with increased coffee consumption, since scientific evidence continues to strengthen and shows that both decaffeinated and regular coffee are associated with decreased risk of multiple cancers and chronic diseases.

Speaking with T&CTJ, William “Bill” Murray, president and CEO of the NCA, said decaf coffee has already become an integral part of life for many Americans. “Like regular coffee, decaf is a mainstay in Americans’ lives, and we expect that to continue. Signs point to growth for decaf with Americans over the age of 40, and opportunities for decaf to adjust to consumers’ tastes and interests are abundant.”

Murray further noted that consumers are more interested in health and wellness than ever before and that “there is growing awareness that decaffeinated coffee is associated with decreased risk of multiple cancers and chronic diseases.”

In accordance with NCA’s Spring 2024 National Coffee Data Trends (NCDT) Report, seven percent of Americans had decaf coffee in the past day, and past-day decaf consumption is increasing among Americans ages 40-plus.

Per the NCDT report, past-day decaf consumption is highest for Americans in the 60-plus age group, ten percent of whom had decaf in the past day – up by 11 percent since July 2023. At the same time, past-day decaf consumption has also increased for Americans ages 40-59, with six percent drinking a decaf in the past day – up by 20 percent since July 2023.

Consumption grows in Scandinavia

In the European Union, the biggest growth in demand and consumption of decaf coffee has been observed in certain Nordic states – the countries which are known for their record coffee consumption in general.

One such country is Finland, where sales of decaf coffee have been rapidly growing since the beginning of the 2020s.

Löfbergs instant decaf coffee. Image: Löfbergs

Marleena Tanhuanpää, director of the Finnish Food and Drink Industries´ Federation, said that in recent years there has been a positive trend and continuous sales increase for decaffeinated coffee in Finland. “It is definitely trending at the moment as [there has been an increase in the number] of new locally roasted products, [along with] increased visibility and assortment availability, which is raising consumer interest [in decaf coffee].” Tanhuanpää further noted that decaf coffee innovations coming from local roasteries such as filter coffee with good taste profiles that meet the local needs and preferences are helping drive growth.

“The absolute user amount is still limited in the market but the potential for further growth is there,” Tanhuanpää explained, adding, “especially with the younger (under 35 years old) urban demographic, and women, in particular, are interested in decaffeinated coffee – they want to enjoy the taste of coffee, but regular coffee is not always the most suitable option.”

In neighbouring Denmark, the demand for decaf coffee also remains high, although the share of the segment in the overall Danish coffee market is small.

Henrik Frellsen, the chairman of the Danish Coffee Association and CEO of Frellsen Kaffe, one of the biggest local coffee producers, said decaf coffee currently makes up a small share of the coffee market in Nordic countries. “In Denmark, it accounts for less than one percent of the volume, [which is] constant and has historically remained at this level.”

He does not expect a sharp growth of the segment in years to come despite believing in its huge future potential. “We foresee no significant development at this level. In recent years, coffee has transitioned from a product perceived as less healthy to one that naturally fits into a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, caffeine no longer appears to be harmful,” Frellsen explained. “However, increased awareness of the importance of sleep for health pulls in the opposite direction. In Nordic food culture, there is a loyalty to pure raw materials. Hence, [those] with this concern would choose an alternative beverage later in the day rather than a decaf coffee.”

Some analysts report that the estimated potential of decaf coffee is too exaggerated and does not correspond to some current realities. Referencing the most recent edition of Euromonitor International’s Voice of the Consumer: Health and Nutrition Survey, Matthew Barry, insight manager, Food and Beverage at Euromonitor International, said that self-reported interest in drinking less caffeine or none at all reached a new record high, at 46 percent of respondents. “You could interpret that to mean we were at the verge of an explosion in decaf. After all, that is nearly half of adults in the world saying they want to drink less caffeine. But I don’t see things that way. The reality is that caffeine is just too important for people to get through their days so this represents an aspiration more than anything else. I think this signals that people recognise that they need to take actions to mitigate some of the negative side effects of excess caffeine consumption.”

Barry noted that the data absolutely shows there has been a real explosion of products with calming, relaxing, or sleep-promoting claims across food and beverage in recent years. “Essentially, rather than switch their morning coffee to decaf, consumers are sticking with the regular coffee and looking for something in the evening to calm them down and help them sleep. People want to have it all,” he said.

The decaf coffee market is also of great interest to the global majors, many of which have significantly strengthened their positions in it in recent years. For example, illycaffè, the Italian coffee producer, considers the decaf coffee segment a priority.

Francesco Bosso, chief commercial officer of illycaffè, said the company offers decaffeinated coffee in its range with all preparations to satisfy the taste of all consumers. In recent years, he said, the

illy’s low caffeine coffee, Idillyum. Image: illycaffè

demand for such coffee has significantly increased, noting that “usually, decaffeinated coffee is preferred by one out of four consumers and mainly as an alternative to coffee in the evening.” Bosso said that illy coffee is a blend composed of 100 percent Arabica beans of the best quality, which by its nature contains a lower amount of caffeine than Robusta coffee. “In addition, for consumers who are looking for a preparation with a very low caffeine content, we also propose Idillyum, a coffee composed only of the fine Arabica variety called Laurina, grown specifically for our company in El Salvador. This product naturally has a very low caffeine content, less than one percent (a third less than the classic Arabica varieties and less than half of Robusta).”

Bosso expects the demand for decaf coffee will continue to grow, while the growth of the segment will be comparable to the dynamics of the entire coffee market.

Regarding further market prospects, most of the interviewed analysts and producers believe the demand for decaf coffee will continue to grow in years to come, as more and more customers will position it as a heathy alternative to traditional coffee. That will be primarily observed in such countries as Russia, which has low decaf coffee consumption.

Tanhuanpää believes that decaffeinated coffee will continue to increase its share driven by the wellbeing trend that has for many years already been present in many food and drink categories, for example, driving growth of non-alcoholic beer. “The need for relaxation without compromising the enjoyment of coffee is one driver for decaffeinated coffee consumption,” she said. “And according to our research, the usage situations for decaf coffee can be varied, not only limited to evening use. One motivation can be the stomach friendliness of decaf coffee.”

• Eugene Gerden is an international freelance writer who specialises in covering the global coffee, tea and agricultural industries. He works for several industry titles and may be reached at gerden.eug@gmail.com.

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The Nordic instant coffee market is experiencing a serious stagnation, as the current dominance of ground coffee in the region has provides limited growth for major instant coffee producers.

In fact, the Nordic region, which consists of such highly developed European nations as Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland to some extent, has long been known for its high coffee consumption, substantially exceeding even those in such coffee-drinking nations as Italy and France.

Similar to other EU nations, in recent years, the Nordic coffee market has undergone significant changes and experienced major transformation, which is primarily associated with the rise in popularity of ground coffee, as well as variety premium and specialty coffees. According to official market statistics, currently, the share of ground coffee is estimated at about 70 percent of the entire market, with the share of capsuled coffee and various specialty coffees being estimated in the range of 80 to 85 percent. The remaining 12 to 15 percent of the market accounts for the instant coffee segment, depending on the country. As a rule, the coffee market of each country in the region, including instant coffee segment, is characterised by high level of maturity with small room for a further growth of major players. As for the latter, Nestlé, with its flagship Nescafé brand, remains the leading company in the instant coffee market of the Nordic region.

In terms of Sweden – the major country of the region – according to a recent report prepared by the local coffee maker, Kafferosteriet Löfbergs (which is known as the first edition of the Coffee Report), four out of five Swedes drink coffee regularly, and ground coffee is undisputed as the leading choice, as 72 percent of local citizens drink it. The volume of imports into the country is rather small, mainly accounting for high-quality Arabicas.

Typical Norwegian coffee shop in the city of Oslo. Image: The JetSetting Fashionista

Specialty coffee and instant coffee account for the remaining 28 percent of the market. Instant coffee appeared in Sweden for the first time in 1942 during World War II.

According to the Swedish business paper, Orebronyheter, Swedes consume an average of 7.6 kilos of coffee per person per year, which corresponds to approximately 2.5 cups per day. That makes Sweden the world’s third largest country in terms of per capita coffee consumption.

Among the leading local players are Nestlé, Löfberg (its coffee factory in Karlstad also produces several instant coffee varieties including an espresso instant coffee called Bold Espresso, which is a dark roasted Arabica coffee), and Gevalia.

Finland still leads in consumption

The position of coffee in Finnish food culture is even stronger, which contributes to its record consumption. Coffee consumption in Finland remains the largest in the world. Over the decades, the amount of per capita coffee consumption in the country has remained steady, between 9-10 kilogrammes. Most local coffee companies do not believe that consumption will grow any further, so they seek growth through new premium products. Light-roasted coffee accounts for most of Finland’s market, but the popularity and supply of dark-roasted coffee has increased in recent years. Instant coffee’s share is estimated at 10 to 12 percent of the market.

The Russian-Ukrainian war and its economic consequences has led to a sharp growth of coffee prices in both Finland and Sweden in recent years. According to some Finnish media reports, the current prices for coffee in the local market are among the world’s highest, while a similar situation is also observed in Sweden. According to some independent coffee analysts, the high prices could provide a chance for instant coffee to retain its positions in the local market, mainly due to its more attractive price compared to ground coffee. Although, presently, the prospects for the segment’s further growth remain cloudy.

Salla Korpivaara, a senior consultant at Euromonitor International, said instant coffee in the Nordics remains a marginal category of the market. “Per capita consumption of instant coffee is more than 25 times smaller than fresh coffee. Traditionally, instant coffee has been used for special occasions, such as travelling, hiking, at summer cottages or for instance baking. I attach the volume growth for 2023 and forecast CAGR.”

She added that like in many other FMCG categories, “we saw a peak in retail sales during the pandemic when people were working from their summer houses. The growth, however, quickly returned to a normal, negative trend. In recent years, coffee beans and capsules are taking market space from instant coffee. We do know that instant coffee in the Nordics is more often consumed by the younger generation and they have a more positive perception of the category than older generations. This might be connected to videos on social media where people are preparing coffee cocktails with instant coffee.”

Little’s flavoured instant coffee has launched in several markets. Image: Little’s

According to Korpivaara, an impetus for the segment could be provided by more active launches of innovative products into the market, while some activities in this field are already ongoing. She said there has been little product innovation in instant coffee in recent years but there are some premium examples:

• Little’s flavoured instant coffee has launched in several markets and there is a wider trend for flavoured instant standard coffee (not mixes);
• Fairtrade, premium and organic products are being launched from time to time.

Given the high inflation the past few years, Korpivaara noted another trend is the rise of private label. “Coffee prices increased by double digit growth in 2022, slowing down a little in 2023, we see that consumers have been downtrading here.”

According to analysts, there was a ‘renaissance’ of instant coffee in the Nordic region between 2015 and 2019 when, according to data of Nestlé and some other global majors, the demand for instant coffee in some countries of the region – such as Finland – grew at 5 to 6 percent in some years and even higher in others. Thus, there were serious expectations that such a trend would continue to be observed during the 2020s. Still, a sharp rise in popularity of ground and specialty coffees, especially among the young, and the highest growth in coffee shops since 2010 in all of Europe, put an end to the hopes of further growth of the instant coffee segment, at least with the same rates during the next decade.

Norway and Denmark: same region but consumption habits differ

Coffee is considered a national drink in Norway, although the consumption of most of its varieties in this country is lower than those in Finland. According to the Norwegian Coffee Information agency, consumption in Norway among coffee drinkers is around four to five cups per day. Of these, the share of instant coffee also does not exceed 15 percent of the market.

Since the early 2000s, the consumption of coffee in Norway has been slowly decreasing, which affects both ground and instant coffee varieties.

Surprisingly, the current situation in the coffee market of Denmark is quite different, as, in contrast to other Nordic nations, there is a generally stable growth of demand for instant coffee among local customers.

Swedish Löfbergs organic instant coffee, one of the most popular instant coffee varieties in the Nordic region. Image Löfbergs

Presently, sales of instant coffee products in Denmark show serious growth because it has become the preferred coffee model among many young people. According to a study from 2024 of the Danish magazine, Kaffe Drikke, the best-selling coffee brand in Denmark is Nescafé, which has long been popular among Danes. In addition, other instant coffee brands, such as Merrild and Jacobs, are also popular in Denmark. Currently, instant coffee accounts for about a quarter of total coffee sales in Denmark, with younger people often preferring more exotic coffee varieties, while older people often stick with more classic varieties.

Euromonitor International analysts expect the demand for instant coffee in the Nordic region will remain generally stable within the next several years, although further growth of the market will be weak, while the demand for premium and specialty coffee will grow.

A spokesperson for Euromonitor International summed up the instant coffee segment in the Nordic states, noting, that overall, instant coffee is projected to see a flat off-trade volume CAGR in the future. “This is expected to be mainly due to instant coffee mixes, which offer more product variety and attributes, such as flavours. Instant standard coffee, on the other hand, is unlikely to see much new product development to stimulate interest. However, it is worth nothing that instant coffee mixes are predicted to see off-trade volume growth, before a level of maturity sets in. Meanwhile, instant standard coffee is expected to see declines until margins pick-up, albeit from a reduced sales base.”

• Eugene Gerden is an international freelance writer who specialises in covering the global coffee, tea and agricultural industries. He works for several industry titles and may be reached at gerden.eug@gmail.com.

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The global green tea market is steadily growing these days thanks to maintaining stable consumption and its favourable image as a healthy drink.

Since the end of the pandemic, consumption of green tea has significantly increased with the best dynamics being observed in its major consuming regions, among which are primarily Asian and African nations.

Matthew Barry, insight manager, food and beverage at Euromonitor International said that presently, green tea is the second-most important segment of the global tea market, with most consumption occurring in either East Asia or North Africa. “In both of these areas, green tea has a very strong historical tradition associated with it, and it represents a large portion of overall tea consumption. China by itself is roughly half the global market, followed by Morocco, Indonesia, and Japan,” he explained.

“Outside of those two regions green tea has a presence virtually everywhere, but it is very unusual to see it rise much beyond a fifth of the total tea market. In the rest of the world there is not much of a historical tradition of green tea drinking so it tends to appeal mostly to wellness-oriented minorities of tea drinkers.”

China & Japan: green tea behemoths

China and Japan traditionally have been the largest producers and suppliers of green tea on a global scale. The level of their domestic consumption has declined in recent years but it has been compensated for by the increase in exports overseas.

In the case of China, since the beginning of the 2000s, the country has significantly increased its green tea exports, which are currently valued in the range of USD $1.3 to $1.4 billion annually. According to earlier data from the 2022 China Tea Import and Export Trade Analysis Report, among the major green tea-producing and exporting provinces in China, Zhejiang Province ranks first with an export volume of 147,000 tonnes and a value of $451.22 million, along with Fujian Province and Anhui Province.

As for the domestic market, according to China Tea Circulation Association data, sales of green tea in China in 2022-2023 were equivalent to 1.2-1.3 million tonnes annually, accounting for 58.1 percent of the total sales. In terms of the other teas China produces:

✦ Black tea – 314,800 tonnes, accounting for 14.3 percent;
✦ Dark tea – 313,800 tonnes, accounting for 14.2 percent;
✦ Oolong tea – 200 tonnes, accounting for 10 percent;
✦ White tea – 62,500 tonnes, accounting for 2.8 percent; and
✦ Yellow tea – 12,300 tonnes, accounting for 0.6 percent.

Japan’s green tea sector has also been experiencing a renaissance. Due to the impact of the Japanese food boom and increasing health consciousness, the amount of Japanese tea exports has more than doubled over the past ten years. According to Japanese Ministry of Finance Trade Statistics data, the demand for powdered tea, including matcha, has increased, and exports in 2023 reached a record high of approximately 21.9 billion yen (approximately $132.6 million). The bulk of exports goes to the United States, which accounts for about 34 percent of the total export volume, most of it is matcha, while leaf tea is popular in the European Union and Taiwan. The Ministry reports that organically grown tea accounts for nearly 80 percent of exports to the European Union and United Kingdom, the bulk of which is green tea.

The Ministry also noted that the current popularity of Japanese green tea in the US is also reflected by the fact that many Silicon Valley companies even offer Japanese green tea as a work conditioning drink in their employee welfare programmes.

Traditionally, most Japanese green tea is produced and grown in the Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan’s leading tea-producing area and its Shizuoka City is known as the ‘town of tea’.

The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is creating conditions for a further increase of exports of Japanese green tea internationally. By 2025, the export value of Japanese green tea should reach 31.2 billion yen (about $197 million), compared with about 25 billion yen (about $158.8 million) in 2023. This is part of the existing state strategy to increase the overall export value of Japan’s agricultural products to over 2 trillion yen in 2025 (circa $12.63 billion) and 5 trillion yen (circa $31.57 billion) in 2030.

Consumption grows in Africa

In recent years, the African region has become one of the major consumers of green tea. For example, Morocco, located in Northern Africa, currently ranks as the world’s sixth largest tea consumer. Green tea accounts for the bulk of tea consumed in the country and it is supplied by China, which leads in terms of tea exports to the region, well ahead of its major rivals.

Harvesting in West Java. Image: Barbara Dufrene

Official statistics of the Moroccan Association of Tea and Coffee Producers (AMITC), report that the kingdom alone accounts for nearly 25 percent of the overall volume of global exports of China green tea, including 46 percent of the ‘Gunpowder’ variety and 54 percent of the ‘Chunmee’ variety.

According to AMITC data, with an annual average of 82,000 tonnes, Morocco is considered one of the world’s leading importers of tea, most of is green tea varieties. Per capita consumption of green tea in the country is estimated at 1.85 kilos per year. AMITC plans to launch production of its own green tea brand as efforts to grow tea started in the 1970s in the Larache region of the country.

In general, green tea consumption in the North African region and in countries in the Sahara region such as Mauritania, Mali, Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, Senegal, and Ivory Coast has significantly increased in recent years, and the growth is ongoing.

Most analysts expect that with the emergence of Northern Africa as one of the world’s major green tea-consuming hubs, the level of competition for its market among global producers will be heightened in years to come.

In addition to China and Japan, the African region is also under the radar of another major regional player — Indonesia.

Indonesia: growing production

In accordance with the Indonesian Tea Statistics Report from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the national tea production in the country varied in the range of 120,000-130,000 tonnes annually during the period of 2022-2023 with the possibility of an increase this year.

In geographical terms, West Java is the largest tea producer in Indonesia with a volume of 66.87 percent of total national production in 2023. Currently, tea is planted on an area of 108.75 hectares in Indonesia with an average productivity of 1.6 tonnes/hectares/year. Most of these areas are green tea. However, according to local experts, the capacity of Indonesia’s green tea processing industry is still limited.

Despite maintaining a high popularity, most analysts do not expect a sharp growth in demand for green tea in Indonesia, over the next several years. Per EM’s Barry, “we are anticipating a slight decline in global green tea consumption [between] 2024 and 2025 of around 1 percent in retail volume terms. That is primarily coming from declining consumption in China and Japan, both of which are very mature markets and facing challenging demographics.”

New green tea markets

In addition to the African nations, a major impetus for a further growth of green tea and its consumption is expected to be provided by India, as well as Turkey and some Arabian nations to a lesser extent.
“The standout in green tea consumption growth is absolutely India, which has been seeing consistent double-digit consumption increases for some time. There is little reason to expect that to slow down.

India is already of course a massive consumer of tea, but health and wellness trends have shifted an increasing number of Indian consumers towards green over the black tea that has historically dominated in India,” Barry explained. “A couple of other big historically black-drinking markets are also seeing similar shifts, such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia.” He said black tea is not seriously threatened in any of these countries but there is an increasing number of occasions shifting to green.

The green tea segment has always been of interest to global players, many of which have significantly expanded their presence in recent years.

An example is US-based Harney & Sons Teas, which has continued to increase its green tea offerings, most notably introducing additional specialty Japanese teas. Emeric Harney, a spokesperson for the company, said that one of its new green teas is called Wazuka Guricha and comes from the Wazuka Valley, the other Asanoka Sencha from the Miyakazi prefecture.

Harney believes the US will provide some major opportunities for growth in the coming years. “America will continue to grow its green tea consumption in 2024. We still find that our export markets show a tempered interest in green teas.”

The US market will remain a priority for another major player – The Republic of Tea. Kristina Tucker, minister of enlightenment and commerce at The Republic of Tea, said the brand continues to see demand for innovative green tea blends. “Our organic Double Green Matcha in tea bags consistently grows year over year since its launch in 2007. Demand for matcha is growing fast again as well as our green teas with a wellness benefit, such as our organic SuperGreen Brain Boost tea.”
Currently, The Republic of Tea offers over 50 varieties of green tea, and “we plan to continue to innovate new blends for green tea lovers. As our focus is on the American tea drinker, we certainly anticipate continued strong demand for green teas in the USA.”

• Eugene Gerden is an international freelance writer who specialises in covering the global coffee, tea and agricultural industries. He works for several industry titles and may be reached at gerden.eug@gmail.com.

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Mexico eyes becoming one of the leading players in the global coffee market, which will take place by increasing both domestic consumption and exports.

Despite a tough economic environment, the demand for coffee and its consumption in Mexico remains strong, which is also leading to the growth of its local production.

According to the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture and Development (SADER), coffee is a strategic crop in Mexico — its production currently employs more than 500,000 producers from 15 states and 480 municipalities. In total, 94.1 percent of its coffee production is located in five provinces: Chiapas, Veracruz, Puebla, Oaxaca and Guerrero. More than 92 percent of the coffee supply comes from small producers, who grow coffee on less than two hectares.

SADER figures indicate that Chiapas is the main producing state, contributing 41.3 percent followed by Veracruz with 24.4 percent, and Oaxaca with 8.2 percent. Coffee currently represents 0.66 percent of Mexico’s national agricultural GDP (gross domestic product) and 1.34 percent of the overall production of agro-industrial goods in the country. Still, this is just the beginning, as state plans include creating conditions to increase both coffee production and consumption within the next several years.

In accordance with Mexico’s National Agricultural Planning, it is estimated that in 2030, national consumption will increase from 0.80 to 0.94 million tonnes, and that national production will expand from 0.82 to 4.7 million tonnes. Exports should also grow, which will allow Mexico to re-enter the ranks of the world’s top-ten largest coffee producers and exporters. It currently stands in eleventh place.

As for coffee retail sector, according to data presented during Expo Café 2023, the coffee industry’s main event in Mexico, the coffee sector grew by 5 percent in 2023. That was mainly due to local consumption jumping from 230,000 tonnes in 2020 to 311,000 tonnes in 2022, an increase of 37 percent. In 2023 the consumption exceeded 320,000 tonnes.

In addition to more than 500,000 producers, Mexico’s coffee sector consists of more than 75,500 coffee shops, the number of which is constantly growing.

According to analysts’ predictions, there could more than 80,000 cafeterias by the end Q1 2024, with annual growth between 5 percent and 7 percent in terms of new units, capable of employing more than 377,000 Mexicans (averaging five people per cafeteria).

In general, coffee shops are presently one of the most profitable businesses in Mexico, which attracts many domestic and foreign entrepreneurs.

Most coffee shops are concentrated in the country’s four largest cities – Mexico City (the capital), Jalisco, Guanajuato and Puebla – which all together make up about 45 percent of those establishments throughout Mexico.

Producers under pressure

Mexico is currently ranked as the ninth biggest coffee-producing country in the world (in terms of land) with the harvested area of 646,00 hectares (ha) and with a production of about 987,000 tonnes.

However, experts of the Mexican Institute of Ecology, Inecol, have recently warned that despite its coffee sector maintaining generally good results the past few years, the current tough economic situation in Mexico has put a serious pressure on Mexico’s coffee farmers, some of which may declare bankruptcy in the short-term, which is mainly due to low incomes (earning 75 percent below the national minimum wage), the lack of state support, and climate change.

Coffee shops such as Cafe Negro in the city of Coyoacan, continue to open around Mexico. Image: Mexplora

Analysts report that coffee yields in Mexico are among the lowest in Latin America (five to seven quintals per ha), which led to the country dropping from once being the fourth largest coffee producer in the world to the eleventh.

Multinationals show interest

Most independent analysts believe that despite the existing challenges, Mexico’s coffee and tea sectors recorded generally good results last year and have prospects for further growth in 2024.

According to Alberto Trueba, research & data analyst at Euromonitor International, in the case of coffee, in 2023 there was a 2 percent volume growth in the retail category on a year-on-year basis. “In general, [locals] are becoming more cautious in their spending habits. However, the desire for a delightful cup of coffee persists. Currently, more and more local people prefer to consume more coffee at home, while seeking new flavours or experiences with each cup.”

Historically, the Mexican coffee sector has been within the sphere of interests of global players. In recent years, many of them have significantly strengthened their positions in the local market, planning further expansion.

One such company is Nestlé, which remains one of the leading players in the Mexican coffee sector, providing active support to local farmers through the various local programmes, such as Nescafé Plan 2030. There are 80,000 Mexican producers who are part of the Nescafé supply chain. Through its Nescafé Plan 2030, Nestlé has been cooperating with academic and research institutions to establish better coffee plants, training for producers, and technical assistance.

Nestlé opened a new Nescafé factory in Veracruz Mexico in 2022, making Mexico Nestlé’s main coffee producer globally. Image: Nestlé

Nestlé is the number one buyer of coffee in Mexico, buying 30 percent of the national production from more than 80,000 producers. In addition, the company recently launched a number of new products across different categories such as Dolce Gusto coffee capsules with Starbucks Vanilla Madagascar and White Mocha flavours. Nescafé also introduced Nescafé Ice, a variant of its flagship product, which is the first instant coffee in Mexico designed for cold preparation.

However, Nestlé is not the only global player that is actively expanding in the Mexican market. Another is The Coca-Cola Company’s Costa Coffee, which recently introduced its new coffee machine to the market. This machine offers a level of beverage personalisation akin to what a barista would provide.

Tea: small but growing

In case of tea, in Mexico and Latin America, tea consumption has increased continuously over the last ten years, but even so, there are few people who consume this drink regularly, so the opportunities for growth and development in the industry are enormous. A significant part of local needs in tea is met by imports.

According to data from Mexico’s food title, TheFoodTech, Mexico’s annual tea imports vary from 1,200 to 1,400 tonnes, making it the second largest tea importer in Latin America, behind only Chile. The Mexican tea market is estimated at USD $79.3 million, with the possibility of reaching $98 million by 2026. The leading brands are those that are sold by large retailers. The main players are La Pastora, with 20.1 percent of the market; McCormick, with 19.4 percent; and Therbal, with 18.2 percent.

While tea consumption in Mexico is growing, it is still small as there is no tea culture in the country. Mexicans consume 12 grams of tea a year, the equivalent of six cups. By comparison, in Turkey, the country that drinks the most tea, consumption per person per year is around 3 kilograms, per Euromonitor International.

Trueba noted that there was a 0.3 percent volume growth in retail in 2023, exceeding the figures from 2022. “In terms of value, there was a 1.3 percent growth, also higher than in 2022. The slight growth of the tea category can be attributed to various factors, including health trends observed since the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Euromonitor International’s Voice of the Industry: Food and Nutrition Survey in 2023 found that 65 percent of the food and beverage companies in Mexico consider the use of natural ingredients, less processed ingredients, and additives with additional functionalities to be very or extremely influential in the coming years. This trend has significantly impacted the entire category, with particular emphasis on green tea, which experienced the highest growth in both value and volume in 2023.

Similar to the coffee category, people are increasingly consuming tea at home. Despite many individuals returning to their pre-pandemic routines of full-time work and school, they also seek to spend more time at home with family or alone,” said Trueba. “According to our Voice of the Consumer: Lifestyles Survey in 2023, 28 percent of Mexican consumers seek to spend more time taking care of themselves, often aligning with the consumption of indulgent products. This has driven the consumption of tea at home, replicating drinks from the foodservice channel.”

The importance of e-commerce

Euromonitor and other interviewed experts also anticipate e-commerce playing a supporting role in coffee and tea growth due to its inherent advantages and convenience.

Success will also depend on effective brand positioning, given the inclination of coffee and tea consumers to remain loyal to their preferred brand and their minimal tendency to switch to more affordable alternatives, driven by the paramount importance placed on taste. Consequently, social media will continue to play a pivotal role in brand-positioning campaigns.

Coffee grown in Mexico’s Oaxaca region. Image: Primera Coffee

Euromonitor also expects social media to be instrumental in promoting premium products, such as Dolce Gusto’s coffee capsules designed for cappuccino with lactose-free milk. The upward trajectory of this trend is expected to endure in the coming years, driven by the growing influence of social media in the Mexican market and its facilitation of enhancing the positioning of new or existing products.

Most analysts believe Mexico’s coffee market will continue growing in 2024, driven mainly by new product launches that focus on indulgence and convenience. The introduction of Nescafé ICE, the first instant coffee for cold preparation, and Dolce Gusto Frappé coffee capsules for homemade frappés, are part of this trend.

Regarding the tea sector, Euromonitor reports that growth will also be observed both in value and volume terms, with a 2.2 percent increase in both cases, surpassing the figures seen in 2023. These growth projections are supported by the relaunch of existing products or the introduction of new ones, where functional ingredients will play a significant role.

Health trends will continue to drive growth in the category, as tea is perceived as a healthy beverage. Brands such as Lagg’s emphasise the benefits of their wellness line on packaging, highlighting infusions like Sleeping Time and Gastro Plus.

Moreover, the growth of the category is expected to be supported by several brands promoting tea consumption in various social scenarios, emphasising an experiential aspect beyond the act of drinking tea. For instance, Twinings underscores in its advertising campaigns that its products can be consumed hot, cold, or as mocktails.

• Eugene Gerden is an international freelance writer, who specialises in covering the global coffee, tea and agricultural industries. He works for several industry titles and may be reached at gerden.eug@gmail.com.

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The Argentinian tea and coffee markets are steadily growing this year thanks to generally improving economic situation in the region and stable domestic demand.

Argentina has rich traditions of tea and coffee drinking. While the Covid-19 pandemic and serious financial problems of the country had resulted in a serious drop of consumption of both drinks, the market has almost completely recovered, although the rise of coffee prices by almost 150 percent in the last year put a serious pressure on the market.

For many global coffee majors, the expansion into Argentina along with Brazil, is a priority due to the potential, which is associated with the Latin American region and the exodus of business from the markets of Russia and Ukraine — once the most important emerging markets for them.

With the population of more than 47 million people and a status of the second largest country in the Latin American region, Argentina has always been under the radar of some major tea and coffee producers.

Emanuele Uccellini, the Caribbean and Latin America BU Director for Lavazza Group BU Americas told T&CTJ in an exclusive interview, that Lavazza has been present in the Argentina for many years, and that the market represents a top priority within the Latin America region for two main reasons:

1. The growing interest of consumers in high-quality coffee brands. The demand for specialty coffees has been increasing significantly, especially during the pandemic, and we’ve seen the trend keep growing, mostly among younger consumers.
2. The relevant presence of people with Italian roots: they always feel at home when they sip a good Lavazza cup of coffee.

The Argentinian coffee market has always been of interest to other global majors as well.

One of them is JDE Peet’s, which in recent years has significantly strengthened its positions in the local market. A spokesperson for JDE Peet’s, said, “JDE Peet’s does sell a range of products across our brand portfolio in Argentina including NCC capsules. We anticipate that the demand for coffee and tea will only continue to grow globally. We recently signed an agreement to acquire Marata’s coffee and tea business in Brazil, and South America in general is an area in which demand for coffee and tea is increasing.”

The Argentinian market also attracts the interest of global coffee chains, many of which are considering accelerating expansion in the local market in years to come, which is primarily done through the expansion of the existing portfolio. One example is Starbucks, which considers the local market as a priority for its growth.

A Starbucks’ spokesperson told T&CTJ, “Starbucks entered Argentina in 2008 with our first store in Buenos Aires. Today, the brand operates over 130 stores in the market, providing employment opportunities to over 1,700 green apron partners,” noting that earlier this year, Starbucks celebrated its 15^th anniversary in Argentina, together with its licensed business operator, Alsea.

In April 2023, the spokesperson said that Argentina took a significant step toward a more sustainable future by certifying its first two Starbucks Greener Stores. “This is part of Starbucks global vision to have 3,500 Greener Store-certified locations worldwide, aiming to cut our climate, water, and waste footprints in half by 2030. Starbucks Argentina also continues to expand its plant-based menu offerings in an effort to deliver increased options for our customers.”

Furthermore, in collaboration with Alsea, Starbucks announced plans to operate 2,000 Starbucks stores in the 12 markets where Alsea operates the brand globally by the end of 2025.

Starbucks and other leading Western coffee chains operating in the country have faced strong competition with local players. An example of this is Café Martinez chain, a local chain that has almost doubled the number of its outlets within Argentina the last few years and which plans to continue its active expansion in years to come.

Coffee consumption is growing

A senior researcher at Euromonitor International said that in 2022, the total volume sale of coffee in Argentina is set to post a third consecutive year of growth, following a decline during the outbreak of Covid-19. “For the current year and beyond even though consumers have returned to pre-pandemic habits, total volume consumption is forecast to grow much slower. This is due to the long-term unstable economy, increased poverty, and high inflation, which is diminishing the purchasing power of middle and low-income consumers.”

However, coffee is set to post the highest total volume and current retail value growth in hot drinks, driven by the widening use of instant coffee, which began seeing consumption growth in 2021 and 2022. Instant coffee benefits from being affordable, while offering a widening variety of coffee mixes. New coffee consumers tend to start with lighter options, with less coffee flavour and with more milk content, with the inclusion of chocolate and other ingredients.

The coffee industry has suffered a major world price hike due to drought conditions in Brazil, which led to considerably lower production and higher freight costs. Coffee pod consumption rocketed as consumers prioritised high-quality coffee with a desire to replicate foodservice experiences at home. The coffee pod category was also stimulated by a continuous entry of new brands, including La Morenita, La Virginia, Jacobs, L’Or, Viaggio, and Nestlé Argentina’s latest novelty with Starbucks. Sales of coffee pods were fueled by the growth of ecommerce, the fastest-growing channel in the hots drinks industry in 2022.

According to Euromonitor’s spokesman, retail value sales of coffee in Argentina increased by 67 percent in current terms in 2022 to ARS 80.3 billion The instant coffee mix category was the best performing one in 2022, with retail value sales rising by 75 percent in current terms to ARS 5.4 billion. Retail sales in 2022 had a CAGR of 59 percent, hitting ARS 811 billion (CAGR of 15 percent over the forecast period 2022-2027).

Coffee does grow in Argentina; however, it is produced in only a single plantation in the Yungas — a bioregion of a narrow band of forest along the eastern slope of the Andes Mountains from Peru and Bolivia. It emerged in the early 1970s under the name of Café Baritú when authorities in the province launched an ambitious plan to make Northern Argentina a coffee-producing area.

Graciela Ortiz, the owner of Café Baritú in an interview with the Argentinian iProfesional business paper said that the coffee produced on the Salta farm is Arabica. “It is actually a mixture of two Arabicas, one Colombian and the other Brazilian,” he specifies. “It has a very subtle flavour, with fruity, perfumed notes.”

As for coffee, although Argentina is still far from countries like Norway, Finland or the United States in terms of coffee consumption – being stagnant for years at a per capita consumption of only one kilo per year – the sector has shown sustained growth recently, which is mainly due to the rise of popularity of coffee among local customers.

According to a study conducted by the Argentine Coffee Chamber in collaboration with the firm The Brand Bean, today, coffee in Argentina represents 45 percent of the beverages chosen compared to all other beverages and is consumed mostly by people between 25 and 44 years old.

Most local citizens prefer milder coffees instead of stronger roasts as in many European countries. According to some media reports, an average of one kilo of coffee per capita is consumed annually (208 cups) in the country, with the instant variety being the most consumed. Nine out of 10 Argentines prepare it at home and approximately 50 percent of consumers add milk.

Regarding the most chosen varieties, young people seek to customise it and choose to consume cold and instant coffees. On the other hand, those over 35 years of age choose the capsule format.

According to experts of La Nacion, local consumers are increasingly interested in knowing everything about the product: who makes it, what differential attributes it has, what extraction method enhances it, what the differences are between varietals and what the different types of filtering are like. In addition to choosing coffees from more exotic origins, such as Kenya, the Dominican Republic, Honduras or Haiti, they also turn to cold brew when the temperature rises.

Tea-growing & consuming are strong

In the case of tea, retail value sales grew by 62 percent in current terms in 2022 to ARS 21.3 billion. Green tea was the best performing category in 2022, with retail value sales rising by 73 percent in current terms to ARS131 million.

Retail tea sales had a CAGR of 41 percent in 2022, reaching ARS 118 billion (constant value CAGR of 2% over the forecast period).

Tea sales saw growth in total retail volume terms in 2022; resulting from the increasingly positive perception of tea as a healthy option. Argentinian consumers have always been very health conscious, but the outbreak of Covid-19 increased this, with consumers discussing and looking for ways to boost their immune systems. Greater interest has been given to specific functional benefits offered by different tea varieties, particularly those claiming to strengthen the immune system or provide a calming effect. Thus, green tea and herbal/fruit tea have seen strong growth, driven by their functional fortified options.

Argentina has a more robust tea production than that of coffee. According to Argentinian Mitre Y Elcampo business paper, tea production is in the southernmost part of Argentina, located between 26° and 28° South latitude, there are about 6,800 producers with an area of 40,500 hectares. About 94 percent of them are located in the province of Misiones, and the remaining 6 percent are in Corrientes. A characteristic of Argentine tea is its high concentration of polyphenols.

Approximately 90 percent of Argentine tea production is destined for foreign markets and its volume represents almost 2 percent of world consumption. The main destination is the United States, with 70 percent of the production. Currently, Argentina is the main exporter of tea to the United States of America. Other important destinations are Chile, Poland, Russia, Germany; followed by the United Kingdom, India, Malaysia and 30 other countries

The annual volume of tea exports from Argentina are varied in range of 70,000-75,000 tonnes mostly black tea for about USD $75 – $83 million in value terms. Nearly 64 percent of the cultivated area is certified with the RAS Standard (Sustainable Agriculture Network, triple impact).

Tea consumption in Argentina has been steadily growing with the biggest demand being observed in case of gourmet tea. This has even stimulated the development of tea tourism in the region, with the province of Misiones, which is located in the northeastern corner of the country in the Mesopotamia region, at forefront of this.

• Eugene Gerden is an international freelance writer, who specialises in covering the global coffee, tea and agricultural industries. He worked for several industry titles and may be reached at gerden.eug@gmail.com.

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The private label tea and coffee market in Eastern European and Nordic states is steadily growing this year, thanks to a stable demand and the ongoing expansion of portfolios by leading local players. 

In contrast to Western Europe, where the tea and coffee private label segment has been actively developing since the 1980s, most Eastern European states have registered significant market growth and massive launches of new, private label products in recent years. The same, however, cannot be said for the Nordic states, where the popularity of private label tea and coffee brands, produced by leading local retail chains has always been high. 

One such brand is Norwegian chain, REMA, which is implementing its REMA 1000 private label strategy that involves actively developing its private label brands in both the Nordic states and other Eastern European states. REMA has significantly expanded its portfolio of private label tea and coffee brands over the past few years, and most of analysts expect the company will continue to develop this segment. 

REMA’s current list of tea and coffee brands is wide and includes some iconic brands in the Nordic market. An example of this Kolonihagen, a well-known Norwegian coffee and tea private label supplier within REMA, which in recent years has strengthened its positions both in the domestic market and overseas.  

Arnt Ove Dalebø Englund, co-founder and director of innovation at Kolonihagen, said that Kolonihagen recently entered the premium tea category with a range of four variants. “This is part of the REMA 1000 private label strategy, having alternatives — [opening price point] (Prima), mid-range (R) and now finally also covering the premium through the organic Kolonihagen brand.” He said that this series of teas is nationally distributed and is present in all 650 REMA 1000 stores in Norway. According to the size of the category [in each store] (both shelf space, rotation and turnover), there are four premium products at the moment. 

“We do not have plans to expand the [number of products, [instead] bringing in new flavours [as a] one in-one out. Additional value propositions are also highly relevant and part of a continuous strive to do things better. That is the core of our brand,” said Dalebø Englund. “One example of this is to put regenerative principles (and certifications) on top of the organic standards. Seasonal products are [also always being considered].” 

Dalebø Englund expects Norway’s private label market and that of other regional countries as well as Eastern Europe will show stable growth rates in years to come. “It’s hard to answer this on behalf of competitors in FMCG market in Norway, but in general, the private label category share is lower than that of other Nordic and European countries. [I predict] that moving from 20 percent to between 40 and 50 percent is likely in a two to three-year period, and this will probably be even higher for the tea and coffee category. 

Other major players are also considering accelerating their expansion both in the market of Nordic states and Eastern Europe. 

Bethany Physick, marketing manager at Finlays Europe Extracts, shared that across Europe, Finlays is continuing to help European brand owners tap into the health and wellbeing trend with its Just Add Water solution, a range of sachets containing tea and botanical powder blends that are designed to meet consumers’ desire to drink functional water on the go. “Later this year, Finlays’ new cold brew coffee extraction facility will open in the United Kingdom bringing an exciting range of cold brew coffee extracts to the fast-growing European market,” she said. “The coffee extraction facility will produce for branded and [private]-label suppliers in the UK and European and Eastern European retail and hospitality sectors.” Physick noted that Finlays is already a global leader in cold brew in the United States, and it expects growth in the category in the European market. 

Regarding future market prospects, Sian Edwards, insights manager, Finlays Group, explained that tea in all formats offers major potential in Eastern Europe, in terms of the market scale and growth prospects. “There are big markets, many of which are fast premiumising, as consumers seek a wide range of healthy, functional and indulgent beverages. The ready-to-drink (RTD)/iced tea market was valued at USD $2 billion in 2022, and has yet to reach maturity, with a forecast of 18 percent CAGR between 2022 and 2027, to reach an estimated market size of $5 billion in 2027.” Furthermore, he noted that RTD/iced tea is being bolstered by consumers seeking healthy and innovative alternatives to traditional soft beverage categories. 

“Hot tea and infusions are a more mature category for consumers in Eastern Europe. The category was valued at USD $9 billion in 2022 and is expected to exceed $10 billion by 2027 – with a 2 percent CAGR,” said Edwards. “Per capita consumption in the region is particularly high, with tea established as a habitual, daily necessity in many Eastern European markets. There is continued consumer demand for both RTD/iced tea and hot tea and infusions, and we see private label continuing the play a valuable role in this market growth.” 

PL still strong in Western Europe 

The private label market is traditionally within the interests of some major Western European players. 

Jens Schneider, managing director of Kloth & Köhnken Teehandel GmbH, one of leading tea suppliers in Europe, said the company has big plans for the further expansion this year. “There is an ongoing demand for organic and the wish for a sustainable supply chain throughout the world. The Nordic states, and Eastern Europe are markets we have good contacts in for many years, and we [see] steady, growing consumption [in both]. 

Still, according to Schneider, after three years of continuous challenges with consequential influences in sales channels, filled stocks and market movements, “it is currently difficult for the company to predict what trend or demand it really has in the market. [However], the focus on and trends toward organic, transparency and sustainable sourcing will be ongoing and rising.” 

PL optimism fades in the Nordics 

Representatives of some leading Nordic and Northern European retailers are less optimistic, regarding further prospects of the private label market, particularly in the coffee segment. Juhani Haara, a senior sales manager, S Group, a Finnish retailing cooperative organisation, said that private label, the coffee segment in particular, has decreased. “According to our sales data, there is a clear decline in private label coffee sales volume – a nearly 19 percent drop – this year. The reason for this is the increased campaigning with branded products both in S-Group and in the market. On the other hand, private label tea sales volume has increased significantly, by about 25 percent, during this year,” she said, adding, “this is certainly influenced by the economic situation. We expect this trend to continue towards the end of the year.” 

Haara said that new private label products have been added to the tea selection this year: two Kotimaista herbal teas and four different X-tra products. “There hasn’t been any promotion in tea products, but our own PL products are remarkably affordable compared to brands. This year there have been no private label novelties in coffee yet, but we are developing our selection.” 

Most independent analysts also do not expect sharp market growth rates in years to come. Julija Poliscuk, a senior consultant at global market research firm, Euromonitor International, believes that private label tea and coffee items are not growing as quickly as in other food and drinks categories. “The slow dynamics in current value and flat or declining volume share can be attributed to these products’ association with rituals and thus, the demand for high-quality offerings, reflecting the cultural and image significance they hold.” 

She said that in 2022, the current value share of private label in Nordic countries for coffee and tea increased slightly, reaching 9.3 percent. “This cooling trend aligns with stabilised consumer financial confidence and desire to spend after the challenging years of Covid-19. Notably, the volume share of retailers’ own brands in coffee rose by 0.7 percentage points, reaching 11.8 percent in 2022, signaling better performance compared to the overall coffee market in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark combined,” Poliscuk explained. “In Eastern Europe, historically known for brand-oriented preferences in tea and coffee, the current value share declined by 0.2 percentage points in 2022, reaching 5 percent. Coffee’s volume share was 7.2 percent (versus 7 percent in 2021), which pales in comparison to the strong growth of discounters and retailers’ own brands’ performance in other categories.” 

She added that many Eastern European markets offer big promotions for national tea and coffee brands, which reduces price gap between those products and private label ones. This market situation, according to Poliscuk, favours branded products. “When the price difference is marginal, consumers opt for familiar brands, purchasing them on discount. This hampers the development of private labels in tea and coffee in the region.” 

Poliscuk said that the hyperinflation in Eastern Europe, did not boost private label in 2022, as consumers inertially continued their ‘revenge’ spending after the Covid-19 period. “However, 2023 might bring a different outcome as consumers already started downtrading, potentially making private label a more attractive option. The level of sophistication and price segmentation within private label is more prominent in countries with well-developed modern grocery retail.” Additionally, recent launches of private label coffee and tea products in the Nordics target audiences seeking added value, which leads to the appearance of more specialty coffee (eg, specific bean origins). “Retailers are also expanding their assortment to align with sustainability strategies, offering more organic teas and coffee in modern, environmentally friendly packaging.” 

Per Poliscuk, private Labels primarily are considered ‘anti-crisis products’, allowing consumers to save or maintain their preferences without compromising on quality. The hyperinflation in Eastern Europe during 2022 and continuing into 2023 will impact consumer behaviour and drive the surge in private label adoption. As people seek cost-cutting measures, price increases in coffee and tea will push them to revise their previous preferences. “While Private Label won’t dominate the hot drinks market due to the nature of these products, its expansion alongside aggressive discounters will positively influence retailer’s offerings.” 

In Nordic countries, Poliscuk said the volume of private label hot drinks is expected to stagnate, even decline, but the value share will increase alongside the price. More premium coffee and tea aimed at quality seekers eager for better prices will emerge. “More caffeine-free and health-improving teas are expected, while coffee offerings will focus on specific beans and roasting variations. Retailers in these Western countries have the expertise to develop premium store brands based on specific needs like sustainability or fair trade.” 

Despite the impact of war on logistics chains and prices, with a small private label market and a decreased national brands presence, Eastern Europe expects a stronger demand than ever before for retailers’ own brands. 

• Eugene Gerden is an international freelance writer, who specialises in covering the global coffee, tea and agricultural industries. He worked for several industry titles and may be reached at gerden.eug@gmail.com. 

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The tea and coffee markets in Greece are steadily developing this year despite traditional economic problems of the country caused by high debts and soaring energy costs. In general, drinking coffee is a strong modern Greek tradition, with 95 percent of Greek consumers buying coffee. 

The lifting of pandemic restrictions has provided an impetus for growth for many segments of the Greek national economy and industrial sectors, including tea and coffee, however, a number of serious problems, along with the ongoing hostilities in Ukraine, continues to put a serious pressure on the industry, preventing its more active growth. 

According to global market research firm Euromonitor International, price hikes are currently the main factor that impacted hot drinks sales in Greece. 

Ilaria Abagnale, a senior consultant at Euromonitor, said that coffee manufacturers being unable to absorb costs (and therefore passing on via higher retailing prices to consumers) combined with disposable incomes decreasing has created a significant demand challenge. She said this has negatively affected consumption, since decreasing disposable incomes and higher prices are forcing consumers to cut back on their purchases. 

“Discounting activities have been increasingly being used by retailers as companies seek ways to prevent losses. For example, more companies are introducing economy ranges to appeal to cash-strapped customers,” said Abagnale. “Thanks to these activities, volume sales recorded a mitigate decline for overall hot drinks, as consumers are choosing to migrate to cheaper products rather than avoiding them altogether. However, coffee and tea registered a 0.2 percent and 0.7 percent growth respectively.” 

Greece is attractive to coffee chains 

In the meantime, major global players have been interested in the Greek coffee and tea markets. One of them is Coca-Cola HBC, which in recent years has significantly strenghthened its position in Greece’s coffee market. 

Athina Popof, coffee, premium spirits and snacks director, Coca-Cola HBC Greece & Cyprus, told T&CTJ that the company has distributed the Costa Coffee at-home range, which includes five different propositions of roasted and ground espresso and seven different varieties of espresso capsules. 

“Through our distribution network, we are serving Costa Coffee in independent cafés all over Greece. We are also addressing new channel opportunities with our own close system and capsule solutions,” Popof said. “In 2022, we strengthened our proposition with the launch of Caffè Vergnano, which offers authentic Italian espresso, in Greece, following an exclusive distribution agreement with the family-owned Italian coffee company.” Headquartered in Santena, Italy, Caffè Vergnano is one of the oldest coffee roasters in Italy with roots dating back to 1882. 

Popof noted that it is a super-premium and high-quality coffee that represents Italian heritage and authenticity at its best. “Caffè Vergnano’s products focus exclusively on the HoReCa (hotel, restaurant and café) channel, targeting premium customers. It matches perfectly with our strategic priority to create value and support our customers in this sector.” 

Furthermore, Popof shared that the two brands are highly complementary, which enables Coca-Cola HBC to address an even wider range of consumer tastes and segments. “Caffè Vergnano allow us to recruit consumers loyal to the Italian coffee taste, while Costa continues to be our mass premium global coffee proposition with broad consumer appeal across multiple platforms.” 

“Our focus in 2023 and beyond is to continue building distribution and appeal in these two great coffee propositions. Together with our partners, it is our passion to respond to all our customer and consumer needs with top quality coffee propositions for all occasions,” she explained. 

According to Popof, in general, in Greece, coffee is not just a product, it is part of the culture, and part of daily lives. She added this is also evident by the category growth both in HoReCa and in supermarkets in Greece. On a year-to-date basis, espresso coffee is growing by almost 10 percent, and this trend is expected to continue. 

Popof believes that modern coffee consumers are typically very well informed and have high standards. They are also diverse in their preferences. “This is why we have evolved our portfolio to offer two different brands, each with a unique proposition within the category.” 

Local player Kafea Terra is expanding its interests in Greece, with investments of EUR €6 million over the next two years and a 28 percent stake in the HoReCa market. Owned by local businessman, Yiannis Iosifidis, Kafea Terra, which produces Greek espresso under the Dimello brand and exclusively distributes illy coffee in Greece, is nearing €100 million in sales. 

Although it is estimated that coffee will show a decline in the Greek market in the next five years, Nikos Kougioumtzis, the commercial director of Kafea Terra, said in a press conference that the company plans to continue its expansion, particularly with its flagship Greek Dimello ground espresso, which now accounts for 20 percent in the Greek retail. 

Still, according to some Greek media reports, the ever-rising prices force Greeks to drink less coffee as well as tea. 

In general, the Greek coffee market is characterised by intense competition and saturation, especially in HoReCa segment (with, per Greek business paper, Capital, more than 70,000 bakeries, cafés, restaurants, and hotels throughout the country), which has forced some leading local players to expand in abroad. 

According to Greek Total Business magazine, in recent years many leading Greek coffee chains such as Coffee Lab, Mikel Coffee Company, Coffee Island, Grigoris and Coffee Berry have begun active foreign expansion. 

Economy options

In terms of coffee consumption, annually, at-home consumption is estimated at €300 million, while the out-of-home market reaches €3 billion in consumer prices. In volume terms, consumption hits 40,000 tonnes per year, 40 percent of which is consumed in restaurants and 60 percent at home and in workplaces. Per the Capital, the annual per capita consumption of coffee in Greece is estimated at 500 cups per year. 

According to the Hellenic Coffee Union, ground coffee in Greece accounts for 78 percent of sales, while 18 percent is capsule sales, which have shown growth in recent years. 

Euromonitor noted that given the strong price increases in the coffee category, more expensive segments (such as fresh ground coffee pods) slowed their growth. Since there aren’t many economy options, consumers switched to less expensive coffee categories such as standard fresh ground coffee. Likewise, the value growth in tea (which has been driven by premiumisation) slowed as fewer consumers can afford to purchase premium products on a regular basis. 

In response, retailers have undertaken major discounting activities and allocated more space to economy ranges. For instance, AB Vassilopoulos introduced a new private label coffee in 2022 under the name of Perla. The Perla range is comprised of fresh ground coffee pods (compatible with both Nespresso and Dolce Gusto machines) as well as filter coffee and espresso products. Domestic company, NutCo, introduced the Buon Gusto economy brand; compatible with Dolce Gusto coffee machines. 

Tea, a small market with potential 

Thanks to the healthy living trend and the strong marketing of the wellness and immunity-strengthening benefits of certain types of tea, these categories have attracted a lot of investment from both domestic and international players, leading to greater product variety, and grocery retailers are allocating more shelf space to such products. As such, visibility of herbal and green teas is growing and encouraging more people to purchase it. 

Caffeine-free infusion teas are particularly well-positioned to gain share in Greece as they do not compete with coffee – the most popular hot drink in the country. Instead, infusion teas are positioned to meet different consumption occasions, such as the evening time. The relaxation and sleep aid qualities of infusion teas make them more appealing to consumers and is stealing share from black tea. 

Over the forecast period, the consumption of tea is set to grow due to the expected persistence of the healthy living trend and the increase in product variety and availability. This has resulted in an increase in consumer awareness and attracted new consumers to the category, many of whom will continue to purchase tea in the coming years. Nevertheless, once dynamic, tea’s market penetration is low given the cost of living crisis and because there is not a strong tea drinking culture in Greece, consumers have reduced spending on non-essentials. 

Dimitris Siandris, COO of Lux, a Greek beverage company based in the city of Patras, speaking to Greek media, confirmed consumers’ shift to healthy tea options, including iced tea. “The past year was a pivotal year for businesses in the sector. We have witnessed a shift in the purchasing public to products with high nutritional value that harmonise with a balanced diet. The long-term confinement due to the pandemic and dealing with health issues created a completely different situation, to which we were called to respond in the best possible way”. 

Positive outlook ahead 

Euromonitor analysts believe Greece is set to remain a coffee dominant market when it comes to hot drinks and per capita consumption of this category will remain high. Coffee will remain the largest category in both the off-trade and on-trade channels. 

The share of fresh ground coffee is set to grow further at the expense of instant coffee. Most notably, Greek-style fresh ground coffee is anticipated to retain a loyal audience, with this already the largest category in terms of volume sales. Meanwhile, coffee pods appear to not yet have reached maturity and thus have plenty of space to grow. This category will continue to benefit from the strong increase in investment by leading players as well as the entry of new companies capitalising on this trend. 

Within the off-trade channel, value will perform better than volume across all hot drinks categories thanks to the continuing rise in average unit prices and the ongoing premiumisation trend. Although people in Greece will experience a decline in disposable incomes, this is set to affect volume sales more than value because it is higher-income consumers who purchase premium products, and they tend to be less affected by economic turbulence than lower-income consumers. Furthermore, consumers have become more demanding and are more likely to consume fewer items than to trade down to cheaper products. 

The ‘home barista’ trend (which gathered pace during the lockdown period of the pandemic) is set to remain relevant over the forecast period, with consumers expected to continue investing in premium coffee experiences at home. Whilst such experiences are more expensive than buying and preparing instant coffee, they remain less expensive than purchasing coffee through on-trade channels. As such, the decline in disposable incomes will drive some consumers towards premium at-home experiences whilst reducing the amount they spend out-of-home on foodservice. 

In case of tea, given that the consumer base of tea in Greece is largely comprised of higher income people, many of whom are health conscious, the decline in disposable incomes is not set to have a strong impact on tea-purchasing behaviour. Instead, such consumers are likely to prioritise quality over quantity, allowing premium brands to continue to gain share and add value to the category. 

Unfortunately, consumers must deal with escalating coffee prices because of a Special Consumption Tax on coffee in Greece.  

The president of the Hellenic Coffee Union, Yannos Benopoulos recently said in an interview with Greek media, that “not only does there exist a Special Consumption Tax on coffee, but it has been a constant request of the Hellenic Coffee Union in recent years to abolish it.” He added that “this specific tax measure burdens the operating costs of businesses as well as the price of the coffee that the consumer buys.” 

• Eugene Gerden is an international freelance writer, who specializes in covering global coffee, tea and agricultural industry. He worked for several industry titles and can be reached at gerden.eug@gmail.com. 

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The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a significant growth in demand for functional beverages in the ‘Old World’, particularly those which can ensure a positive response to immunity, stress, sleep management, vitality, and cognitive function. Some of the most popular functional beverages are botanical and herbal teas. Most of analysts expect the demand for them in the EU and the UK will be steadily growing in years to come ,which will provide additional opportunities for growth for the majority of industry’s players.

As the demand for botanical/herbal teas is rapidly increasing in most EU countries and the UK, many of herbal tea producers and suppliers are considering a further expansion of their portfolios and increase of their output this year.

Steve Scott, general manager of Finlay Botanicals, a global botanical and herbal extracts supplier, informed T&CTJ about the company’s plans for its further development and expansion of its range for the coming months, as the demand for the company’s range rises.

“Launched in 2020, Finlay Botanicals, part of the Finlays group, aims to help brand owners tap into the rising global demand for traceable, sustainably sourced botanicals. Situated next to our tea farms in Kenya, Finlay Botanicals offers a range of botanical products, all of which are 100 percent traceable back to origin, and sustainably produced,” said Scott. In 2022, we launched four new products: chamomile and fermented blackberry leaf in our conventional range, and in our organic range, peppermint and lemongrass. We have also started producing a dark red hibiscus product which we plan to launch early in 2023.”

Image: Finlays

In terms of market prospects, Scott expects the fruit and herbal infusion market in Europe is forecast high growth of +9 percent between now and 2025 tapping into consumer demands for good-tasting, healthy and functional beverages. Scott said that having been accelerated by the pandemic, “we anticipate these trends remaining a major driver for consumers through 2023 and beyond, with botanicals such as chamomile and mint appealing to over half (56 percent) of European consumers who believe that botanical and plant extracts have a positive impact on their health.”

Expansion plans have also been recently announced by US-based Harney & Sons, a leading American tea company that specialises in high-quality loose teas and herbal teas.

“We’ve launched quite a few new herbals and wellness teas, especially during the COVID pandemic,” shared Emeric Harney, an official spokesman for Harney & Sons. “We will continue to observe the market and stay tuned to it as there has been some consumer retrenching.”

Other interviewed analysts and producers expect the UK will be at the forefront of the demand for herbal and botanical teas in the whole Europe in years to come.

Andy Byron, trade marketing and training manager of UK-based teapigs, said that in the UK, English Breakfast Tea is a must as this will be most people’s ‘go to’ tea. “But more and more people, however, are drinking green and herbal teas and there is a definite shift towards people choosing functional drinks throughout the day particularly among younger consumers–things like our feel good range or kombucha drinks are ideal for this.”

Byron added that many people are swapping a morning coffee for drinks which are naturally caffeine free, like herbal infusions, or lower in caffeine such as the popular matcha green tea powder so it’s important to offer these types of products. “People also want ways to top up their water levels during the day, making items like our cold brews perfect items to stock. What started as a health and wellness trend is now a full blown movement and will certainly continue for years to come.”

Botanical Tea Sales Blossom

According to analysts at US-based consulting agency, Future Market Insights, Inc(FMI), this year the global herbal (botanical) tea market is expected to reach USD$3.7 billion in value terms, with the EU and the UK accounting for a significant share of the market.

Per their forecasts, within the next nine years the annual growth rates of the market will reach 7.1 percent (compared to 5.5 percent during the period of 2016-2021). While the Asian region and other developing nations will demonstrate the biggest growth rates, the growth of the market will be also observed in developed European nations although at lower rates. One of the major drivers for growth will be the ongoing rapid aging of population in the Europe, which will contribute to escalating cases of arthritis, cardiovascular, osteoporosis and other diseases.

In this regard, FMI analysts, and other interviewed experts, believe the popularity of botanical and herbal teas will be growing, which will be mainly due to its healthy properties, will enable them to replace traditional teas in the market. Additionally, the rise in consumption of instant tea is also driving the growth of the botanical and herbal tea industry.

Image: teapigs

In terms of market growth, the biggest growth rates are expected to be observed in green tea market, as it is perceived that green herbal tea is healthier and more suitable for young adults in the market which is why market demand for green herbal tea is growing.

FMI analysts also note that during the assessment period of 2022-2032, demand for ginger herbal tea is expected to grow substantially. Over the forecast period, ginger herbal tea is projected to account for the majority share of the revenue generated by the tea market.

Experts also note that the level of competition in the EU and the UK botanical and herbal teas market will be intensifying in years to come. The list of leading players will include such companies as AB Food and Beverages, Tata Global Beverages, Martin Bauer Group, Nestea, Unilever, Buddha’s Herbs, Green Earth Products Pvt Ltd, Mothers Parkers Tea and Coffee Inc, Global Herbitech, Typhoo India, Rooibos, The Feel Good Tea, Ashford Tea, Silver Leaf Tea, Waku, Opteamal, and others.

However, FMI analysts point out that the existing perception of botanical herbal and tea as a high-end, premium product will be one of the major growth restraints of the industry in the coming years, as consumers search for alternative options like traditional teas or other beverages.

Dr Sharon Hall, chief executive of the UK Tea & Infusions Association said that as people returned to workplaces and social venues after the pandemic lockdowns, the share of food service spend at quick-service restaurants (QSRs) increased from 24 percent to 45 percent, whilst the supermarket share of spend dropped from 23 percent to 8 percent.

She said this also impacted in-home tea consumption, which had increased significantly during the 2020 lockdown, with the value of total tea purchased at retail (including Herbal and Fruit Infusions (HFI) decreasing by 4.4 percent (2021 versus 2020) to just under £696M. According to her data, true tea sales value fell by over 6.0 percent to £578M. However, decaffeinated tea did continue to grow in value (1.3 percent) to almost £68.5M and the HFI category, including Rooibos, also grew by 4.5percentduring the same period, to almost £118M.

“This continued growth can be attributed to the perception of the health credentials of HFI, as the self-care movement continues to grow. Consumers of HFIs tend to be younger and more affluent than the average for standard black and green tea, with similar demographics to roasted and ground coffee shoppers,” said Dr Hall. “Benefit blends are the fastest growing segment, now equating to 34percentof the HFI category. As observed in the previous year, traditional HFI flavours still dominate the category (peppermint, lemon and ginger, and chamomile). New flavours appearing are much more unique to brands with combinations chosen because of their benefits. The top performing benefit for most brands is sleep.”

When it comes to new products, specifically new herbal blends, Dr Hall said innovation may well be borne out of the very latest research. “The Tea Advisory Panel (TAP) has published several pieces of research, including a systematic review on the health benefits of hibiscus tea. This showed primarily the benefits of hibiscus tea in lowering blood pressure. Its flavour, whilst enjoyable to some consumers, also blends well with other herbs such as rosehip, so we’d expect to see more hibiscus blends.”

She shared that a TAP paper on specific herbal teas evaluated the health benefits of chamomile, rosehip, and spearmint in women. Chamomile tea is popular for reducing stress and anxiety (benefits TAP found in their review) but preliminary evidence also shows potential benefits in glucose and insulin control. “Whilst peppermint tea has long been popular, we’d expect spearmint tea products to grow too. Spearmint has a somewhat different health profile to peppermint in that TAP research found benefits in terms of pain and stiffness. TAP also found that German chamomile, rosehip, and spearmint have benefits in menstrual issues such as menstrual pain, hormonal control, and menstrual stress,” said Dr Hall, adding, “Earlier TAP research also found that lemon balm is associated with reduced oxidative stress. In fact, all herbal teas are rich in antioxidants with potential anti-inflammatory properties making them a useful drink in contributing to prevention of inflammatory conditions such as heart disease and contributing to cardiovascular and metabolic health.”

According to Hall, standard black tea still accounts for almost 60 percent of the tea category by value and the UK still ranks in the top five tea-consuming counties (per head) in the world, alongside Turkey, Libya, Morocco, and Ireland (per the International Tea Committee, 2020).The 2021 UKTIA omnibus survey, found that most people drink tea, with regular black tea being the most popular (86 percent) followed by green tea (44 percent). On average, three to four cups of tea are consumed daily, which makes the UK the biggest tea drinkers in Europe after Ireland.

Dr Hall further explained that while some people drink tea simply to quench thirst, greater numbers are recognising its effects on the brain and mood. More than a third (35 percent) say the comfort they receive from drinking tea helps combat frustration, while eight in 10 reach for tea when they get stressed. One in ten say even the action of putting on the kettle is a good way to destress, and nearly six in 10 (58 percent) say tea relaxes them.

She added, “Studies show that the ritual of making a cup of tea, combined with the biological effects of drinking tea, help to boost our mood, reduce stress and improve concentration levels. “Trends and growth in food are often borne out of the very latest health and wellness research, especially with the nation trying to get ‘health fit’ post the pandemic. TAP research as detailed above, shows health benefits of a range of herbal teas–hibiscus, chamomile, spearmint, rosehip, lemon balm, to name a few–and we’d expect these health benefits to be picked up for new products,” said Dr Hall. “Red bush (rooibos) tea consumption seems to benefit the lipid and oxidative profiles of those at risk of cardiovascular disease. It also appears to possess other promising ‘general’ effects on glycemic control, bone, liver, cognitive and respiratory health. Red bush tea has increased in popularity and we’d expect that popularity to grow, and possibly in more blends such as red bush and hibiscus.

• Eugene Gerden is an international freelance writer, who specializes on covering of global coffee, tea and agricultural industry. He worked for several industry titles and can be reached at gerden.eug@gmail.com.

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The global demand for energy-efficient and energy-saving coffee machines is steadily growing, amid the ever-rising gas and energy prices and high inflation in many Western markets these days.

The ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine and, associated with this, the almost complete suspension of gas supplies from Russia to the EU, has put a significant pressure on the industry, forcing most of its major players to consider updating their ranges by rolling out new more energy-efficient, sustainable roasting machines.

In accordance with the recent report by the global analyst agency Mordor Intelligence, the global coffee roaster market will grow by 6.5 per cent annually between 2022 and 2027. In the meantime, the Allied Market Research’s latest report, “Coffee Roaster Market by Type” finds that the global coffee roaster industry generated USD $448.90 million in 2021, and is expected to reach $741.90 million by 2031, witnessing a CAGR of 5.2 per cent from 2021 to 2031.

Most analysts expect energy-efficient and energy-saving roasters will show the highest growth rates of the entire market, which just started to recover from the pandemic and its consequences.

In general, per Mordor Intelligence, the pandemic has reduced coffee sales by around 50 per cent in Europe and around 25 per cent in the US, having a negative effect on coffee roaster suppliers, which saw their sales decline significantly in 2021 and 2022. Additionally, lockdown and social distancing measures have led to a reduction in coffee consumption. The biggest decline being observed in the HORECA segment, where the overall sales of roasters of all types fell by up to 80 per cent during the pandemic.

The situation has started to improve this year when roasters’ sales in many key markets picked up. However, the beginning of an energy crisis in the EU and the US has put an end to the efforts of the market and producers for more active growth. Moreover, the ever-rising energy prices have resulted in a shift of consumer preferences towards machinery which is characterised by reduced energy consumption and higher efficiency being part of a global demand for energy-saving at present.

Many analysts expect the market of energy-saving/sustainable coffee roasters and machinery will continue to grow this year and in 2023. More and more coffeehouses will also be giving a preference to more energy-efficient coffee machines.

In addition to energy savings, the driving force for the market will be maintaining high consumer demand for the fresh and aromatic coffee that the roasting process provides and regular introduction of new coffee aroma blends by global brands. Furthermore, new market trends are emerging as well as the ongoing shift of consumer preferences in the global roasters market.

Global challenges have increased the focus on more efficient and sustainable roasting machines. Image: Scolari Engineering

Fabio Clivio, project director of Scolari Engineering, a leading manufacturer of roasting machines, said the move to more energy efficient/saving/reducing/sustainable packaging and processing machinery really began after the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), while the demand really ‘kicked into high gear’ after the 48^th G7 summit from 26-28 June 2022 in Schloss Elmau, Germany.

“With the high energy costs, it is mandatory to increase the efficiency of the roasting process,” said Clivio. “For Europe, efficiency is a matter of survival now. In the USA, there is a request to make the roasting process more sustainable and to add net technology to reduce the gas consumption.”

According to Clivio, Scolari is in line with the current market trends, regularly adjusting its portfolio in accordance with market demands. That means regular introduction of special features and various improvements in the existing range of the company. “All new equipment is equipped with a green bean preheater (GBPH), while existing roasters can be retrofitted with GBPH,” he said. “Several improvements have also been developed to increase efficiency of the gas burner and to combine with sustainable electrical heat generators. We also must reduce the gas consumption to a standby and quenching process.”

Representatives of Bühler Group – another major player in the global roasters market – have also confirmed the ever-growing demand for energy-saving coffee machinery, adding, however that it cannot be considered a completely new trend in the market.

As Michael Blatter, Bühler’s head of market segment coffee explained, the trend towards more efficient and sustainable coffee plants has been around for many years and it is difficult to say when and where it exactly started. “Consumer requirements and marketing demand as well as the culture and positioning of companies are defining investments towards this direction. The global situation and challenges have increased the focus on efficiency and sustainability,” he said. “This tendency can be seen across the globe and you would be able to find companies in every country who are willing to invest in sustainable solutions. We see the highest demand in Europe but it is also increasing fast in North America and Asia.”

Blatter added that sustainability must be approached in a holistic way and roasting cannot be seen isolated. “Today the scope of processes in the factory and the entire supply chain must be assessed and taken in consideration to design a sustainable plant.” He said that high-capacity roasters still need gas and coffee still needs certain temperatures to create the perfect flavour profile. “Therefore, we are customising entire production lines to increase efficiency. For example, how to use the energy of the exhaust air in the line or even in the entire factory. We have also introduced a preheating unit for our InfinityRoast. With this unit we can save up to 30 per cent of energy. Further capacity can be increased by up to 20 per cent,” Blatter shared.

Part of roasting machine manufacturers’ plans is more active promotion of their new energy-saving and efficient coffee machines during the forthcoming major industry exhibitions. Most of these suppliers have put big hopes on them, taking into account that the pandemic did not allow them to organise a live showcase of their latest products for the major foreign audience in 2020-2021.

Analysts also expect the level of competition in the segment of energy-efficient and saving coffee machines will continue to be tightened, as leading roasting machine suppliers like Brambati, Scolari, Bühler, Probat and US Roaster Corp, will try to expand their market presence.

• Eugene Gerden is an international freelance writer, who specialises on covering of global coffee, tea and agricultural industry. He worked for several industry titles and may be reached at gerden.eug@gmail.com.

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The coffee market in the Nordic region, which is comprised of Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Denmark, is steadily growing due to the traditional love local customers have for coffee. And as Covid restrictions in the region are easing, representatives of some leading local producers and independent analysts report that out-of-home consumption is growing again.

While the pandemic and its consequences have not resulted in a significant drop of coffee consumption in the Nordic region – of which each country is among the top-10 coffee-consuming nations in the world – it led to the change of structure of demand.

Such a trend, for example, is currently observed in Denmark, which is confirmed by some leading market research firm analysts.

“No negative effects have been noted, but a shift in demand has occurred. We’ve seen office spaces close, sending many home to work. This meant a decline in demand from B2B customers and an increase in B2C demand. The consumption was moved home from work,” said Christian Juul Andersen, chairperson of SCA Denmark, the Danish Coffee Association, in an exclusive interview. “Specialty coffee is becoming more sought after, as customers are becoming increasingly aware of all links in the supply chain are being treated fair, as well as a general heightened focus on higher quality. We at the SCA expect a shift from a high intake of inferior coffee to a higher quality coffee and a small decrease in consumption.”

In the meantime, in neighbouring Norway, the Covid outbreak has even led to growth of coffee consumption among local customers. Bjørn Grydeland, an official spokesperson of the Norwegian Coffee Association, said, “We have had a total growth in coffee consumption. The decline in the professional market (out-of-home) because of the pandemic has been more than compensated by the growth in the home market.”

According to Grydeland, coffee habits of Norwegians, however, do not change that quickly. “I cannot point to a particular segment that stands out. All kinds of coffee for the home market increased, both instant, capsules and roasted fresh coffee,” he explained. “When society returns to normal conditions, I think we will also return to the way we consumed coffee before March 2020. It is difficult to say whether this exceptional year will lead to lasting changes. Black filter coffee has for decades been our favourite. There is one trend that seems to last; sale of whole beans has been increasing continuously for several years. That will probably continue.”

The Finnish love their coffee

Representatives for roasters also confirm maintaining stable demand for coffee in the region, which creates conditions for their further development. Lenita Ingelin, senior vice-president of Paulig Business Area Finland & Baltics, said 2020 was an extraordinary year – especially in the HoReCa channel – due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In Finland and the Baltics, the total coffee sales were slightly below the previous year. “However, during 2020 people were experimenting with new coffee tastes that had a positive effect on the sales of our premium coffee segment,” said Ingelin. “In Finland, our City [Coffee] product range, where each blend of coffee represents the coffee culture of a certain city, saw the most significant increase in sales — not being able to travel meant that customers bought 68 per cent more coffee in terms of the various ‘City’ blends than in 2019.”

Paulig Juhla Mokka, a light-roasted coffee, has been popular in Finland since it was introduced in 1929.

Paulig is especially optimistic for its traditional Juhla Mokka coffee — the light roasted ground coffee, launched in Finland for the first time in 1929, and its popularity and consumption have significantly increased since that time. According to Ingelin, today, almost every other cup of coffee enjoyed in the country is Juhla Mokka coffee.

She added that also last year, the iconic Presidentti coffee celebrated the 70^th anniversary of the coffee ambassador, a tradition of Paulig in which the company selects special ambassadors annually to promote the brand. This tradition dates back to the 1920s.

Furthermore, a new variety for the City Coffee range, Café Reykjavik, was introduced in Finland and Estonia, and Classic Cremoso in the Baltics. “In 2020, we also opened a Paulig Café & Store (a Paulig flagship coffeehouse) in Moscow, Russia. It´s a unique place for coffee lovers, inspired by the Finnish Paulig Kulma, which opened in in the heart of Helsinki five years ago,” said Ingelin. “At the moment, we don’t have any expansion plans in our coffee category. We’ll focus on our current markets and nurture the coffee culture in the Baltics, Finland and other Nordic states.”

Paulig Presidentti coffee brand celebrated the 70th anniversary of its ‘coffee ambassador’ in 2020.

Ingelin confirmed that Finland is an important market for Paulig as its coffee culture is one-of-a-kind, and the Finnish people consume the most coffee in the world per capita. She noted that Finnish coffee consumption is almost 10 kg per person yearly and the figure has been stable for years. In 2020, the consumption declined slightly due to exceptional times. The drop in consumption in the HoReCa channels did not shift fully to the retail channel.

Market analysts confirmed these statements. Sneha Varghese, senior research consultant at Fact MR shared that as with many countries, Covid-19 has had a negative impact on the coffee industry of the Nordic region. “As an immediate response to Covid, various government bodies of the region have introduced country-wide risk management services such as social distancing, travel restrictions, and partially lockdown in various countries. This has significantly impacted the countries’ economies and their coffee industry.”

According to Varghese, there was a disruption in various activities such as labour supply, trade operations, logistics networks as well as import-export infrastructure, which has resulted in shipment delay and transaction costs in the coffee industry of the Nordic region. “Thus, the price of coffee has been highly volatile due to disruptions in the supply chain and the production of coffee. This also affects small-scale coffee roasters that primarily supply hotels, restaurants, and cafés. Moreover, Finland, Sweden, and Norway are predicted to remain the most lucrative markets by the end of 202.

Echoing Ingelin’s comment, Varghese said that based on per-capita consumption of coffee, Finland is the biggest consumer across the globe. “The per capita consumption of coffee in Finland is around 12 kilograms. On the other side, per capita consumption of coffee Norway and Iceland is 9.9 kilograms and nine kilograms, respectively. In addition, the consumption of coffee at home has been increased as people restricted to work from home and has limited options to go outside, consume coffee is one of the few ways for them to take a break from work.”

According to a study of the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries (CBI), which is affiliated with the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, imports traditionally account a small share of the Nordic coffee market (especially compared to other European countries), considering that most coffee is packed and produced at local processing factories.

In Denmark, Sweden and Norway coffee is predominantly consumed black, meaning without milk and sugar, so the quality of the actual coffee is especially important in these markets.

CBI analysts point out that coffee in Scandinavia is generally considered to be of high quality, which despite the pandemic, creates conditions for the development coffee chains and micro-roasteries, with the biggest number being observed in Sweden and Denmark.

Paulig achieved Carbon Neutral certification for its roastery in Vuosaari, Finland and aims to make all its production sites carbon neutral by the end of 2023.

In recent years, local coffee roasters and global majors operating in the region have started to pay greater attention to the issues of sustainability. For example, according to Ingelin, Paulig achieved CarbonNeutral® building certification for its Vuosaari coffee roastery. “Our ambition is to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from our own operations by 80 percent by 2030, and the plan is to make all of our production sites carbon neutral by the end of 2023. Paulig has been a pioneer in the coffee industry’s sustainability work. As one of the few large roasteries in the world, the company uses coffee beans from only verified sustainable sources.”

Specialty tea on the rise

In addition to coffee, the demand for tea in the Nordic region remains also strong, with the biggest being observed in case of specialty teas.

Alexis Kaae, an official spokesperson of Simply Tea ApS, one of the largest tea importers in the Nordic region, based in Denmark, in an exclusive interview commented: There is a huge interest regarding specialty tea in Denmark and some other Nordic states and a decline in supermarket commodity tea. Since the outbreak of Covid19, we are experiencing more and more restaurants and fermented tea companies looking for sustainable specialty tea. The demand for a healthy beverage seems to be on everyone’s agenda.”

She said that quality is always an issue as most Scandinavians know very little about tea or its production. “In order to meet the demand for education we have now planted five acres of Camellia sinensis plants in our own tea garden in Denmark. I suppose this can be defined as our major achievement for this year.

As the demand for tea in the Nordic region remains strong, some leading Western European tea manufacturers and marketers are considering accelerating their expansion into this market. Mike Harney, vice president of New York-based Harney and Sons, said, “We as a family-run company do well in the Norway region and have started distribution in Sweden. In terms of expansion in the next year, we are hoping 2022 takes our company to a whole new level amongst consumers in the Nordic region.”

• Eugene Gerden is an international freelance writer, who specializes on covering of global coffee, tea and agricultural industry. He worked for several industry titles and can be reached at gerden.eug@gmail.com.

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