Global coffee consumption: the highs and the rise

Coffee beans (Coffea canephora and Coffea arabica) are grown in more than 70 countries, primarily located around the tropical regions of the equator – in Africa, South America, and Asia. The top 20 countries with the highest coffee production are (in order): Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, Ethiopia, India, Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Honduras, Uganda, Ivory Coast, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Ecuador, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Dominican Republic. Kenya is in 21^st position.

But the high production countries are not the countries with the highest consumption of coffee per capita.

The Netherlands tops the list of per-capita consumption of 2.4 cups a day. It is the only country to exceed the 2 cup-a-day barrier, according to The Atlantic (January 15, 2014), which provided the results for 80 countries.

The top 20 countries that consume the most coffee are: Netherlands (2.4 cups per day per capita average), Finland (1.8), Sweden (1.4), Denmark (1.2), Germany (1.2), Slovakia (1.2), Serbia (1.2), Czech Republic (1.2), Poland (1.2), Norway (1.1), Slovenia (1.1), Canada (1.0), Belgium (1.0), Switzerland (1.0), New Zealand (0.9), USA (0.9), Austria (0.8), Costa Rica (0.8), Greece (0.8), and Algeria (0.8).

The bottom 20 countries – those that consume the least amount of coffee – include: South Africa (0.1), United Arab Emirates (0.1), Malaysia (0.1), Kazakhstan (0.1), Bolivia (0.1), Ecuador (0.1), Hong Kong (0.1), Cameroon (0.1), Peru (0.1), Indonesia (0.04), Vietnam (0.03), Taiwa (0.03), Egypt (0.02), India (0.02), Uzbekistan (0.009), Pakistan (0.008), Kenya (0.007), Azerbaijan (0.006), China (0.003), and Nigeria (0.002).

Georgia is currently 27^th with 0.6 cups on average per day per capita, which is almost the same as Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan combined – and rising. Georgia has significantly increased its coffee consumption – by 10% from 2012 to 2013 (finchannel.com April 7, 2014). It imports coffee beans from several countries, but most come from Indonesia. Georgia’s top import countries for coffee are: Indonesia, Armenia, Vietnam, Russia, and Italy. However, Georgia imports a lot of instant coffee too – from Singapore, Russia, Ukraine, Brazil, Taiwan, and India.

Georgia’s significant upturn in coffee consumption is attributable to increased consumer disposable incomes, as well as the growth of supermarkets in the country. The trend for instant coffee is growing over freshly ground coffee, mainly due to price and convenience. However the consumption of freshly ground coffee is not expected to decline, but rather, it is likely to remain stable, reported Euromonitor International. The increase in sales is expected to come from speciality and Italian coffee varieties. But if the rate of increase in coffee continues, Georgia may become one of the world’s biggest consumers of coffee.

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/01/here-are-the-countries-that-drink-the-most-coffee-the-us-isnt-in-the-top-10/283100/

2016 update on Rike Park, Tbilisi: from construction to busy park

From a flat patch of uninteresting dirt, Rike Park in Tbilisi, Georgia, has transformed in four years (from 2014-2016) into a busy park full of trees, flower beds, sculptures, fountains, and events. Rike (Rikhe) Park is on the left bank of the Mt’k’vari River (the Kura River) near the Old City of Tbilisi. The Peace Bridge links the right bank to Rike Park. Rike Park is below the hillside Presidential Palace and, via cable car, it is the starting point for the ride to Sololaki Ridge (with the Narikala Fortress and the Mother of Georgia statue). The glass box-shaped cable car terminus was opened on 23 June 2012, and since then the park has continually developed into a ‘people’s park’ where people can walk around, eat at the nearby restaurants, sit next to the statue of American president Ronald Reagan, climb the steps to Avlabari district, and access the sights of Meidan Square, the Peace Bridge, the Metekhi Church, the Old City, the waterfall, the sulphur baths, and t...

Pir-E-Kamil - The Perfect Mentor by Umera Ahmed: book review

The Perfect Mentor pbuh (2011) is set in Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan. The novel commences with Imama Mubeen in medical university. She wants to be an eye specialist. Her parents have arranged for her to marry her first cousin Asjad. Salar Sikander, her neighbour, is 18 years old with an IQ of 150+ and a photographic memory. He has long hair tied in a ponytail. He imbibes alcohol, treats women disrespectfully and is generally a “weird chap” and a rude, belligerent teenager. In the past three years he has tried to commit suicide three times. He tries again. Imama and her brother, Waseem, answer the servant’s call to help Salar. They stop the bleeding from his wrist and save his life. Imama and Asjad have been engaged for three years, because she wants to finish her studies first. Imama is really delaying her marriage to Asjad because she loves Jalal Ansar. She proposes to him and he says yes. But he knows his parents won’t agree, nor will Imama’s parents. ...

Hop on hop off bus tourism comes to Tbilisi, Georgia

City Sightseeing buses have arrived in Tbilisi. The iconic red double-decker buses, a feature of many cities around the world since the company was established in Seville, Spain in 1999, is now in six continents and almost 100 cities. The company established its Tbilisi business in November 2013, with its operations commencing in February 2014. The 90-minute tour stops at 11 major locations in Tbilisi (with 2 to 5 minute waiting times at each location): the Old City (where it commences), Freedom Square, Rose Revolution Square, Marjanishvili Square, the Dry Bridge, Konka, Avlabari, Metekhi, Akhundov Museum, the Sulfur Baths, and European Square. Passengers can hop off at any stop and see the sights, hopping back onto the next bus at any time. Alternatively, passengers can remain on the bus for the whole tour and take photographs when the bus stops at each location. There are one day (24-hour) passes (for 35 lari – about $20) and 48-hour passes for 55 lari, with family d...

FEAST OR FAMINE

Search This Blog