How The Brazil Coffee Shortage Is Affecting Your Brew
Like the Minasul and Cerrado, Brazilian coffees typically have strong chocolate and earthy flavors with hints of nuts and caramel that are ideal for espresso and reliable for brewed coffee for some consumers. Brazil has been the top producer of coffee for over a century and a half, making it almost impossible to talk about coffee without putting the country into the picture.
However, with the series of catastrophic droughts and frosts that have occurred in the country within the past few years, there has been a significant rise and fall in Brazil’s coffee production and export. What seems like a domestic problem has developed into a global dilemma. The scarcity of green beans from Brazil is posing a threat not just to their local community but to the global economy as well.
According to statistics from the International Coffee Organization, the average crop cycle of Brazil makes up about 35-40% of the world’s coffee consumption. 40 percent is a whopping number, and with the growing global demand for coffee, it will be difficult to equal the nearly 25 million bags produced annually by Brazil’s coffee producers.
Photo courtesy of Reuters
With Brazil’s agricultural sector still recuperating from the frost and drought that happened in 2021, the availability of green beans for roasteries will be scarce. More mature trees needed to be cut from the base, while younger trees had to be uprooted. This needs another two years or more to develop, recover, and start yielding fresh crops.
This indicates that the price of Brazilian coffee will continue to rise tremendously, as it has been in the past few months. Giant coffee corporations are reporting a high level of uncertainty with their inventory projections because of the low yield of coffee plus the high demand and the increasing cost of shipping. Smaller coffee shops and roasteries are striving to make Brazilian coffees available to the public at a price that is also accessible to the market.
Photo courtesy of Reuters
All the things that have happened since the 2020 pandemic have led us to believe that nothing is ever predictable and steady anymore. However, regardless of anything that comes in the way, we always make sure to enjoy a good cup every day.
Leave a comment