Vanúsia Nogueira, Executive Director of the International Coffee Organization, shares her industry predictions for the year ahead.
In 2025, the world is expected to move towards a steadier and improved coffee harvest. The effects of climate events on production have weakened, suggesting a positive outlook for the year ahead.
In terms of consumption, strong and growing demand from the Middle East and Asia is projected, with global consumption likely to remain on the rise despite markets in the more mature Northern Hemisphere remaining in a phase of stability. The growing interest of Generation Z in coffee will be an intriguing phenomenon to watch. Coffee has become more and more appealing to this age group, and the distinguishing factor in this case lies in their emphasis on coherence. Generation Z consumers demand that promises made during sales are fulfilled, reinforcing the need for stakeholders across the entire value chain to be increasingly transparent.
As for production, regenerative agriculture practices are gaining traction and proving to be feasible without requiring investments that are too large. The same applies to circularity, which goes beyond simple waste management to include resource reuse, such as water reuse, sustainable energy use, and carbon credit initiatives, among others.
Both regenerative agriculture and circularity resonate strongly with Generation Z. They have the potential to engage more producers as they provide opportunities for income diversification and have a direct impact on making coffee cultivation more sustainable and competitive. As a result, 2025 is shaping up to be a year of positive transformation in both coffee consumption and production, driven by trends that prioritise sustainability and innovation.
This article was first published in the January/February 2025 edition of Global Coffee Report. Read more HERE.
