Expanding Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee in the EU

The European Union Market for JBM Coffee

Expanding Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee in the EU Windward Commodities 30th June 2022

4.4. Coping with Competition The EU imported over 3.6mn MT of green beans in 2020, at a value of US$8.2bn (€7.9bn). This showed a decrease of -1.3% between 2016 and 2020 due primarily to the COVID 19 pandemic with supply chain disruptions and closure of out of home establishments. Most origins have established national speciality coffee bodies, and/ or solicited external support to invest in the development of high-quality, climate resilient coffee, as well as creating brands and marketing their speciality coffee internationally, including in the EU market. While the figures here are for all coffees, not just specialty, all of these origins have niche offers that have the potential to compete in time with JBM and have been referenced by buyers. Some key examples are included below, and on the following page.¹

Origin

EU Imports (MT)

Specialty Focus

Largest Producers increasing supply of speciality coffees:

95% Arabica, largely standard quality. Brazil Speciality Coffee Association elevating quality and marketing.

Brazil

1,024,000

Vietnam

758,618

Mainly robusta for the instant coffee market but innovational and new varietals for high quality specialty robusta are growing. Increasing focus on specialty robusta such as Monsoon Malibar which is starting to compete with high quality Arabica origins. Washed Arabica. Colombia Growers Foundation strategically promotes and markets Colombian coffee. Café de Colombia trademark is a registered Geographical Indicator in the EU. Ethiopian government focus on quality Arabica with high-end varietals such as Yirgacheffe dominant in specialty markets. EU imported 46,000 MT National coffee brand Cafés del Peru : unique origin, high quality varietals increasing.

India

157,119

Colombia

206,000

Largest Organic Producers:

Ethiopia

93,000

Peru

124,000

Mexico

38,000

EU imported 10,000MT organic coffee within this total. No national coffee institute but AMECAFE association to boost speciality coffee.

90% Robusta, but speciality coffee is exported such as Gayo 1 (Satu) from Sumatra .

Indonesia

90,000

¹ European Coffee Federation Report 2018/2019

Time to Wake Up and ‘Cup’ the Coffee | 19