The International Coffee Organization says coffee consumption in the United States is expected to grow at two percent a year until 2020. The United States is the world’s largest national coffee market and accounted for 16 percent of global coffee consumption during the 2015-16 coffee growing season. A spokesperson for the International Coffee Organization says: “Coffee has emerged as the winning beverage as the U.S. has turned away from soft drinks.” The Organization says worldwide, the global demand for coffee is expected to slow because of sluggish economic growth in Europe and Brazil, which together account for about half of global demand. The Specialty Coffee Association of America says the strong pace of growth for coffee reflects the strength of the U.S. dollar and the relative strength of the country’s economy. The drink has also benefited from promotion as a healthy beverage, at the expense of sugary drinks. The Wall Street Journal reports that in the 2015-16 season, global coffee production hit roughly 143 million bags, compared with 142 million bags in the previous season. Each bag holds 60 kilograms of coffee beans.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting news service.