Brazilian coffee exports soar despite pandemic
In July, 3 million bags were shipped, accounting for $117.4m in revenue. That's despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on economies, individual businesses, and borders.
In September, this had risen to 3.8 million bags: up 8.6% on September 2019.
The biggest market for coffee exports are the US: followed by Germany, Belgium, Italy and Japan.
Specialty coffee
The Brazil Specialty Coffee Association (BSCA) says the harvest also has a high quality; and was able to meet coronavirus and sustainability protocols. It believes the increase in export volume is linked to the fact that consumption of coffee has increased during lockdown and with people spending more time working from home. Although the amount of coffee consumed in the on-trade has dropped substantially; online coffee sales have ‘skyrocketed’.
The BSCA highlights the growing importance of specialty coffee in the overall market: around 60% of coffee consumed in the US, for example, is specialty coffee. However, the specialty sector has still felt the impacts of the pandemic.
“The niche of excellent coffees is formed mainly by small and specialized coffees shops and micro-roasters”, says BSCA president Vanusia Nogueira. “The sales on the internet, while helping, have not yet covered all the damage. But many experts believe that soon specialty coffees will also be purchased for home consumption.”
The majority of specialty coffee farms in Brazil are composed of family farmers. The BSCA says that coffee producers have been communicating with the Ministry of Agriculture to reduce COVID-19 risks. "Brazil is prepared to honor its commitments to domestic consumption and exports, as national coffee production fulfills its role of preserving the livelihoods of its professionals," says Nogueira.
