Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/882602
36 STiR coffee and tea / Issue 5, 2017 (October / November) By Kelly Stein sia and the Middle East are quickly overtaking Europe as the driver of instant coffee growth in an expanding global market valued at $9.9 billion per year. No matter where you live or how much money you make, it takes utensils and time to brew fresh coffee. Single-serve capsules are a popular solution in more af- fluent countries but single-use, pour-over packets and sticks of freeze-dried, powdered or micro-roast instant are versatile, and easily cached and carried in pocket or purse. Convenient and inexpensive, 2-in-1 and 3-in-1 coffee sticks are packaged with sugar and creamer. Sold in boxes containing 6-7 combination packs, coffee sticks con- tain 2-3 grams of coffee, 7-8g of non-dairy creamer, and 9-10g of refined cane sugar. Customers pay 50 cents or less per cup. Price is a major consideration. Premium micro- roast Via from Starbucks and the best quality Nescafé selections cost only $1 per cup. Fresh-brewed coffee is available worldwide, but instant coffee reached a volume of 21.5 million 60-kilo bags in 2016, according to the International Coffee Organization. Exports of ground roast, mainly arabica, are estimated at 3.5 million bags in 2017/18. In contrast, soluble exports are projected at 15.9 million bags. Market research firm IMARC predicts compound annual growth of 5% per year through 2022. Emerging markets such as Asia and the Middle East will increase sales to $13.1 billion by 2022. For more than 15 years, thanks to new manufacturing methods and greatly im- proved taste, instant has found its way into consumer's cups. Manufacturers like Co- lombia's Buenacafé report strong demand for one-use packages that will increase com- petition and lower prices. Surveys reveal that even freeze-dried coffee consumers "will look for the aroma and smoothness of arabica and the character of other origins," according to Buenacafé. P&A International Marketing business partner, Carlos Brando, predicts instant coffee will experience the fastest growth in emerging markets such as China, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Instant Coffee Gains Against Ground Global instant market grows 5% through 2022 In populous tea lands an emerging middle class favors instant over ground A Sudden instant tastes like pourover