Wake up and smell the coffee

Coffee is a multibillion-dollar industry, but the players aren’t only focusing on profits … And this wonder brew can be seen as liquid gold for another reason.

In its piece “Global Coffee Market: Insights & Forecast with Potential Impact of Covid-19 (2020-2024)” ResearchAndMarkets.com (one of the largest market research stores) notes that the Covid-19 pandemic has created an unfavourable impact on the global market, as the production, exports and imports of coffee and related products have decreased significantly. 

The global coffee market is, however, anticipated to reach US$ 134,25 billion in 2024, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 5,32% for the period spanning from 2020 to 2024. 

“Factors such as an increasing out-of-home coffee consuming population, rapid urbanisation, rising e-commerce retail sales, accelerating disposable income, increasing instant coffee preference, growing demand for speciality coffee and rising green coffee consumption in emerging economies are expected to drive the market,” the research site points out. 

“However, growth of the industry would be challenged by weather uncertainties, retail consolidations and stringent regulations. A few notable trends include the growing penetration of premium coffee shops, high demand for cold brew over iced coffee and increasing gourmet coffee sales in America.” 

With the booming business it’s no wonder that hearsay and rumour, as noted by the e-commerce website JavaPresse Coffee Company, dominate the conversation about coffee and health. 

“There’s a lot of mumbo-jumbo out there (like ‘weight loss coffee’), which makes it difficult to separate fact from fiction and discover what’s really going on in our bodies when we drink our liquid gold,” the online company states in its piece “The Ultimate Guide to Coffee and Health: 2020 Edition”. 

The site notes the following benefits: 

• Coffee enhances your mood and awareness. Generally, coffee is known to put you in a slightly better mood and helps you stay alert.

• Coffee can reduce the risk of many cancer types. Despite what you may have heard from California, coffee’s positive impacts on cancer risk are clear and measurable.

• Coffee helps keep away type 2 diabetes. The connection between coffee and a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes is clear.

• Coffee’s really good for your heart. Hypertension, strokes and a variety of other cardiovascular illnesses are less likely to come your way if you drink coffee.

• Better, harder, faster, stronger. Coffee does give you a short-term energy and endurance boost during workouts and physically taxing activities, even if you drink coffee regularly.

• Coffee can help you maintain weight. If you’ve lost weight and are trying to maintain the results of your efforts, coffee consumption can help.

JavaPresse adds that moderate coffee consumption (three to five cups per day) has been shown to reduce the risk of liver disease and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s (or at least lessen its effects). “Some studies seem to indicate that coffee consumption can lead to a slightly reduced risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, though inconsistent results mean more research is required to determine if there is a connection. 

“Coffee’s not a miracle drink, nor is it all sunshine and rainbows, but the evidence is clear: coffee is overwhelmingly good for you. These health benefits are well documented, generally undisputed and available to most people.” 

But the drink isn’t the only thing that is healthy: the producers are also focusing on the greater well-being of our planet. Nespresso has made a commitment that every cup of Nespresso coffee, both for at-home and professional customers, will be carbon neutral by 2022. 

Having already achieved carbon neutrality in its business operations, the company’s new commitment will tackle emissions that occur in its supply chain and product life cycle. 

“Climate change is a reality and our future depends on going further and faster on our sustainability commitments,” says Guillaume Le Cunff, CEO of Nespresso. “That is why we are accelerating our commitment to offer our consumers a way to drink a carbon-neutral cup of coffee by 2022. I truly believe that both our business and the coffee industry can be a force for good in the world by tackling this issue.” 

Nespresso will achieve carbon neutrality through the following initiatives: the reduction of carbon emission; the planting of trees in and around coffee farms where Nespresso sources its coffee; and support and investment in high quality offsetting projects. 

Carbon emission reduction 

A crucial element of Nespresso’s vision is to decarbonise its value chain. These immediate initiatives include:

• Sustainable energy usage within Nespresso’s operations: driving towards 100% renewable energy in all Nespresso boutiques and increasing the use of biogas within the manufacturing process.

• Expanded circularity of Nespresso products and packaging: increasing the use of recycled plastic within Nespresso machines, as well as of recycled and low-carbon virgin aluminium within coffee capsules. 

Planting trees in coffee farms and the surrounding environment

Trees are the best way to capture carbon from the atmosphere; planting them is also an investment in nature and a way to build a regenerative agricultural system. Trees provide the shade needed to improve the quality and quantity of a coffee harvest. The roots also help protect against soil erosion and landslides and promote soil regeneration. With its partner Pur Projet, Nespresso will triple the capacity of planting trees in coffee-producing countries such as Colombia, Guatemala, Ethiopia and Costa Rica. 

Accelerate to make an immediate positive impact

Nespresso will also invest in projects to support forest conservation and restoration as well as implement clean energy solutions within farming communities. 

“Climate change is happening now, which means that we must all take responsibility and action, quickly,” says actor-director George Clooney, Nespresso global brand ambassador and member of the Nespresso sustainability advisory board. “It’s clear that Nespresso understands this urgency and is putting our planet and people front and centre of the choices it makes. These ambitions and vision build on a commitment to sustainability that I have been privileged to have been involved in over the last seven years. I’ve seen how far we’ve come in that time, and I’m excited to see the good that Nespresso can deliver in the next 10 years.”