Coffee consumption is spreading to parts of the world where it is not a traditional beverage – for example, to China and India. The popularity of coffee is growing in these emerging markets and the number of coffee shops is increasing rapidly.

Coffee production faces serious challenges where climate change, deforestation and plant diseases are concerned. Consumers increasingly demand sustainable coffee and look for certifications that ensure social and ecological standards have been respected in the value chain.

Easy accessibility to coffee and saving time during preparation are crucial factors in coffee consumption. In this context, canned and bottled coffee are two well-known options. But they are not often adopted by consumers for their regular consumption.

Coffee consumption differs between younger and older generations. For example, younger coffee drinkers tend to consume less coffee on average and prefer coffee beverages that contain more milk than those chosen by older consumers.

Preparing coffee at home rather than buying it to go or drinking it in a café has risen in recent years. An important driver of this development has been the inflation surge from 2021 to 2023. Instant coffee is the preferred choice at home.

In the relationship between coffee growers and roasters, direct trade without any intermediaries is on the rise. In turn, roasters are increasingly using e-commerce to sell and communicate with consumers. Both trends allow closer connections between market participants.