Comparative Cultures- Anthropology- Coffee Essay

Comparative Cultures- Anthropology- Coffee - Essay Example Over the years, coffee has become a profitable tradable commodity and has had great success in most parts of the world. It is bought and sold by roasters, investors and price speculators due to its demand and value. The two main cultivated species are the Robusta coffee and the Arabica coffee. Most Arabica coffee beans originate from either Latin America, eastern Africa, Arabia or Asia. Robusta coffee beans are grown in western and central Africa, many parts of Asia, and to some extent in Brazil (Wasendorf, R, 2002; p 87). In the beverage market, Coffee holds an important place and makes a majority business in the market. Many millions of people rely on coffee for living and is a very labour-intensive culture in any region of the world. The coffee industry currently has a commodity chain that involves producers, middlemen exporters, importers, roasters, and retailers before reaching the consumer. Middlemen exporters purchase the coffee below market price, keeping a high percentage for them. Large coffee estates and plantations often export their own harvests or have direct arrangements with a transnational coffee processing or distributing company. Under either arrangement, large producers can sell at prices set by the New York Coffee Exchange. Roasters have the highest profit margin in the commodity chain. Large roasters normally sell pre-packaged coffee to large retailers. Coffee reaches the consumers through cafes and specialty stores selling coffee, of which, approximately, 30% are chains, and thr ough supermarkets and traditional retail chains. Supermarkets and traditional retail chains hold about 60% of market share and are the primary channel for both specialty coffee and non-specialty coffee. Twelve billion pounds of coffee is consumed around the globe annually, and the United States alone has over 130 million coffee drinkers. The export market for coffee has been reported to have flourished in the late nineteenth century