Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/491350
20 STiR tea & coffee industry international Celebrating ICAFE Sintercafé also hosted a celebration of the 80th anniversary of Instituto del Café de Costa Rica, or ICAFE. The event took place at the Marriot Los Suenos and pre-con- ference activities included a golf event and a visit to a farm affected by coffee leaf rust. The line-up of presenters included a diverse array of experts in technology, finance, and coffee. The sessions giving updates on the roya crisis, on the commodity market and what a lasting surplus might mean for coffee prices drew large numbers of at- tendees. The conference sold out this year. Representing nearly three-fourths of those at the event, the majority of participants by business type were producers, producer groups, importers, traders, and exporters. Other categories of attendees included retail, ma- chine manufacturers, storage and shipping line representatives. ICAFE invited 50 producers making Saturday's attendance perhaps the largest in the history of the event. Costa Ricans made up the largest group in attendance by re- gion with North Americans, Central Americans and Europeans together representing over half those present. Korea In her update on the Korean coffee market, Yunson Lee, vice president of Terarosa Coffee, noted that that consumption had grown by 265% from 2007-2012. Koreans increasingly prefer ready-to-drink coffee as well as specialty items. Of those two cat- egories, consumption in coffee houses shows higher growth. Average prices to the consumer mostly fall in the range of $1.50 to $7 (all dollars US). However, some complain about quality given higher prices in some areas. For example, at some high end hotels, a cup of coffee might cost as much as $30. In addi- tion to seeking higher quality, Koreans now seek out brands with a good track record in transparency and sustainability. Reporter Jenny Neill traveled to San Jose, Costa Rica to attend Sintercafé, an annual event founded in 1987 that has become known worldwide as a gathering of coffee professionals. This year's November conference drew more than 500 attendees from the most important coffee companies in the world. 27th Sintercafé Norway Marit Lynes, Manager Norwegian Coffee Association began her talk by pointing out that 80% of adults in Norway con- sume four to five cups of coffee a day. On a per capita basis, that puts Norwe- gians ahead of Americans and Canadi- ans. They gave nearly equal preference to location, 40% drinking the hot brew out with another 39% imbibing at home Only 10% report adding milk or sugar. Serge Mantienne, director of Sustainability Management Services describes the export seasons in Vietnam. Photos on Pgs. 18-19 Courtesy of Matias Suater and Daniela Linares Marit Lynes, Norweigian Coffee Assn. Photo Courtesy of Matias Suater and Daniela Linares