Global consumption of coffee up 1.7% in 2011

Global coffee consumption, the world’s second-highest traded commodity after crude oil, rose 1.7 per cent to an estimated 137.9 million bags in calender year 2011, the International Coffee Organisation (ICO) said.

Worldwide consumption of the brew stood at 135.6 million bags (of 60 kg each) in calender year 2010. “The total for 2011 is provisionally estimated at 137.9 million bags, an increase of 1.7 per cent in relation to the previous year,” ICO said in its report.

During the last 12 years, consumption increased at an average annual rate of 2.5 per cent. Global demand continues to show signs of buoyancy on the back of increased domestic consumption in both exporting countries and emerging markets, it added.

However, there has been a decline in consumption in some countries, ICO said.

“Data for some important markets show significant decreases. This is the case in some traditional markets in southern Europe, such as Spain (-2.6 per cent) and Italy (-1.8 per cent), which have been affected by a combination of higher retail prices and macroeconomic turbulence,” it added.

Substantial falls have also been recorded in a number of emerging markets, such as Korea (-17.1 per cent), Algeria (-11.5 per cent) and Ukraine (-10.8 per cent), showing their sensitivity to high prices, ICO pointed out. Despite the decline, market experts feel consumption of the brew will remain buoyant.

According to market analysts, the rise in consumption globally can be judged with the considerable increase in export volumes and earnings from coffee. The value of total exports in 2011 is forecast at $23.5 billion for a total volume of 102.4 million bags, against $16.7 billion for a volume of 96.8 million bags in 2010, according to ICO data.