The Rise of the Coffee Bean
As previously mentioned  The Coffee Bean a World Trade Good, coffee enjoyed
an ever increasing popularity. 250 years ago, the annual use in Europe was
65,000 metric ton. France produced nearly
half of the coffee in Europe. The total annual consumption was estimated to
be 300,000 metric tons in 1850, and in 1900, the million ton mark had been
reached. At that time, Brazil took the lead in the coffee industry and produced
75% of Europe’s coffee. The downsides of this economic boom became clearly
evident. Problems like overproduction, price variations and natural occurrences
took their toll on the coffee market. Nearly all of the coffee producing countries
were affected by falling prices and ruined harvests, and many plantation farmers
went bankrupt. In Brazil, for example, farmers were forced to burn 5.7 million
metric tons of coffee between 1931-1945. People searched desperately for another
use for coffee. Soon, coffee berries were used to make paper, asphalt, and
leavening agent. (Farmers in third world countries still produce their own
leavening agents from the fruits in their fields.) Even in the pharmaceutical
field, coffee found new uses.
However, let us return to our topic. In order
to control overproduction, a world trade agreement was reached in 1962. This
was an important moment for the 50 coffee growing countries for whom export
was guaranteed. Of course, in the 26 importing countries, tolls were placed
on the import of coffee. This system has since become somewhat corrupt, as
speculators try to use it to their own advantage.
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