The mark of success in the development of a program for domestic consumption of coffee is the growth in actual coffee consumption in the specific producing country. Consumption can only happen when coffee is available in the different modalities in which it can be consumed.
The mix of delivery modalities available in any producing country will be determined by a number of factors social, cultural, economic among others. An understanding of the evolution of coffee through its different waves will provide context to the discussions around coffee delivery modalities.
The most basic form of coffee, which may now be considered
low quality coffee. Focus was on
quantity, not quality or transparency.
There was no interest in sourcing better quality beans or
differentiating by origins. Mass production
dominated the industry and investors began to see the opportunity for
exponential growth of the coffee market. The market became commodity driven.
Innovations in processing, packaging, and marketing of coffee, arising
out of this wave laid the foundation for the building of the modern coffee
industry. The main innovations were
First wave coffee is characterised by:
This wave, driven by the rise of the modern café focused on an
experience and was led by the American coffee shop chains Starbucks and Caribou
Coffee. These roasters shifted from mass
production, bringing coffee to life in new ways by introducing coffee drinkers
to a wider variety of coffee experiences.
Coffee started to be seen and sold as an experience rather than just a
beverage. Terms like espresso, and latte
were born along with espresso-based drinks created by Starbucks like
“Frappuccino”. The emphasis however was not the coffee, but
the creative drinks and the café experience created by the mood, the lighting,
and the friendly barista.
Second wave coffee is characterized by
A response to the second wave which evolved from a niche
community of roasters who were more focused on the coffee beans themselves and
began experimenting with lighter roasts and unlocking exotic flavours from well
grown beans. The founding of the
Specialty Coffee Association in 1982, gave a platform to this new way of roasting. Rather than only ensuring a rich café
experience, more attention was paid to the entire supply chain of the coffee
from farm to cup, the growing, processing, sourcing, roasting and brewing. More attention was also paid to
sustainability and transparency in sourcing coffee.
Third wave coffee is characterised by
The other less developed waves are:
There
are differing viewpoints on the definition of the 4th wave of coffee
development. One view is that it is
about commercialization of quality coffee, bringing higher quality coffee to
the masses. Another view defines the 4th
wave as celebrating the science of coffee and the obsession to detail and
perfect coffee taste experiences.
According to this viewpoint, the defining characteristics of the 4th
wave are
Still, another view postulates that 4th wave coffee is a “marriage between stellar coffee products and truly worthwhile social consciousness”, relying on sourcing only the highest-quality beans in small batches for a truly artisanal experience. Most importantly though, is the socioeconomic impact of this wave of coffee development. Fourth wave coffee means that the coffee is a direct and fairtrade product with a direct re-investment to specific farmers and their families, a worldview of partnership from source to sip.
The 5th wave, defined as the business of coffee, represents a new era for the global coffee industry. It is predicted that going forward, the industry will see a greater influence of high-quality boutique chains delivering well-crafted artisan coffee concepts at scale, through the adoption of a more advanced set of business practices. The 5th wave is characterised by
As with the 4thwave, there are varying viewpoints on the definition of the 6th wave. One view holds that the 6th wave relates to a specialty coffee marketplace, where roasters across the world, share their products both nationally and internationally. As such one can find different collections of micro-roasters online offering uniquely crafted products for sale. Another viewpoint, defines the 6th wave as “connectivity”. Connectivity from the consumer back to the farmer, enabling the consumer to truly understand the coffee supply chain and mark the beginning of a truly sustainable supply chain.
In consideration of the development of domestic consumption in a particular producing country, it is important to assess the market against the different waves of coffee development. This assessment should identify where the market in the producing country is relative to these waves of coffee development. Increasing domestic coffee consumption could mean, following the identified development path or adapting development waves to the dictates of the target population.
