The History and Future of Coffee

One of the world’s most beloved beverages — coffee has sparked great and controversial events in the past, continuing its legacy into our present and future.

The history of coffee often begins with a legend from the plateaus of Ethiopia. This famous tale tells the story of a herder who discovered seemingly magical berries that kept his goats in high spirits. 

As this discovery was shared and tested, coffee began its swift journey eastward to the Arabian Peninsula, where it was first cultivated and traded. Coffee culture bloomed within this region, giving rise to coffee houses, a common place for scholars to exchange wisdom and ideas.

Coffee soon made its way to Europe but was first welcomed with suspicion. Despite being condemned by many, this controversial yet delightful beverage won Pope Clement VIII’s approval and gained the affection of the continent. Coffee houses also sprouted as major social hubs across Europe, giving rise to more demand for coffee.

This growing demand soon sparked the expansion of coffee cultivation to the global stage. Early plantations were established in Indonesia and Vietnam, followed by Central and South America — regions that still lead coffee production today.

Coffee at Present

The world remains enamored by coffee, to say the least. Coffee remains consistent in its popularity, second only to water in the same regard, with more than 2 billion cups consumed a day. Coffee houses, known as cafés or coffee shops,  are still a go-to place for many who seek to unwind, vibe with friends, or simply get the needed fix to get through the day. 

Coffee is a big part of our lives. Thus, the demand for this well-loved beverage remains consistent. 

In terms of production, Brazil dominates the charts in accounting for almost 40% of the world’s coffee, with Arabica making up the majority of the output. Vietnam follows at 16% but instead produces mostly Robusta. Colombia ranks 3rd at 8%, followed by Ethiopia and Indonesia at 5% each.

Trends, however, continue to evolve within the stable demand. Among the coffee trends, sustainability has become a major standard that appeals more and more to people worldwide.

The Future of Coffee

Why sustainability has grown increasingly vital can be explained through modern-day hurdles faced throughout the coffee chain. Currently, one of the most devastating challenges is climate change.

Climate is a big factor in coffee production. The most widely grown coffee species — Coffea arabica, or simply Arabica, is especially sensitive to its environment. This species grows optimally within the range of 18°C–21°C, only tolerating annual temperatures up to roughly 24°C. Apart from temperature, 1,500 to 2000 mm of rainfall and less than 2-3 months of drought are required for Arabica to thrive.

Continuous exposure to severe conditions can cause damage, affect fruiting periods, and impact the quality and quantity of coffee bean outputs. Additionally, increasingly warmer temperatures promote harmful coffee pests and diseases while posing more challenges to post-harvest processing.

Needless to say, climate change has severe impacts on coffee. In 2014, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) also predicted possible reductions and changes in suitable areas for coffee cultivation by 2050.

The effects of climatic changes can be observed more recently with the 2023-2024 El Niño. While a natural phenomenon, its now-worrying intensity is mainly and significantly felt in many coffee-producing regions, including South America and the Pacific.

Related: How El Niño Affects Coffee

Extreme weather conditions were among the biggest factors affecting production and prices in the 2024 coffee market. Droughts experienced in Brazil resulted in a whopping 10% drop in production, while excessive rainfalls affected and reduced Colombia’s output by 5%.

Thus, the call for sustainable measures has become a standard. Specialty coffee has evolved from a niche product to a growing popular option in many markets. Apart from providing unique flavors and experiences, specialty coffee undergoes precise processing and has better transparency in its production.

Sustainability in Post-Harvest

Proper post-harvest processing is critical in producing specialty coffee. With the looming threats of severe and changing conditions, adaptable solutions are a growing need to preserve and maintain coffee quality.

Dry or natural processing, especially, often encounters challenges with sudden weather changes. As coffee cherries are left to dry under the sun, supervision is vital to ensure quality and adaptable solutions that protect them from sudden rains. The good thing is that climate-smart dryers are more accessible with more energy-efficient options.

Regardless of the coffee processing used, the resulting raw or green coffee beans are highly sensitive to their environment, including scent, air, moisture, temperature, and so on. Extra measures are required to ensure that coffee beans avoid deterioration during post-harvest storage and transport.

Hermetic Technology has long been a reliable solution for safely storing and transporting various dry agricultural commodities, including coffee beans. This concept is quite simple as it uses airtightness to block air and moisture exchange, creating a stable inner storage environment unaffected by external changes. Thus, Hermetic Technology can protect stored commodities against molds and pests without the further use of energy or chemicals.

One great example is the GrainPro® Hermetic Bag Premium™, a world-standard storage and transport solution for coffee. This easy-to-use bag acts as a protective liner that provides 500 times more airtight security than traditional bags, sealing in coffee’s best qualities from origin to destination.

Hermetic bags can also be reused as long as they have no holes or tears. In the case that it is not feasible, used bags may be repurposed or sent to recycling.

Knowing that proper recycling may not be as accessible, GrainPro and Neumann Kaffee Gruppe established a meaningful partnership to boost sustainability in the coffee community by providing better recycling access. This collaborative project has so far opened its doors across the USA and Europe, wherein end users can send their used GrainPro® Hermetic Bag Premium™ and other coffee liners for proper recycling.

More than 55.56 metric tons (50,560 kilograms) of used Hermetic Bags have been recycled today — waste averted from landfills and oceans. Moving forward, GrainPro and its partners hope to continuously increase these numbers and positively impact not only coffee but also our environment, food security, and the future.

Join us in building a more sustainable coffee community through the links below.