For several decades, Brazil has been the world’s largest producer and exporter of instant coffee. The country also has the world’s largest instant coffee production capacity, with up to 132 thousand tonnes per year. Exports to 100 countries reached record levels in 2019, 2020, and 2021, with annual volumes exceeding 4 million bags.
With a 5% share of total coffee consumption in Brazil, instant coffee has seen an average growth of 3.5% per year since 2016. The total amount consumed today is equivalent to one million bags of green coffee per year.
Bartalks reported recently that “due to unpredictable weather conditions, shipping bottlenecks and the war in Ukraine, some consumers have turned to robusta coffee as a cheaper substitute,” which presents an even greater opportunity for Brazil as much of its land can be used to grow the coffee variant that is typically used to produce instant coffee.
In order to compete with the growing global competition, the instant coffee industry has incorporated new technologies and expanded its industrial capacity. Over 25 different types of international certifications audit its manufacturing processes, including good environmental and social sustainable practices and processes, bioterrorism preparedness, kosher and halal concepts.
The Brazilian Soluble Coffee Industry Association (ABICS), in collaboration with the Institute of Food Technology (ITAL), developed a sensory analysis methodology that proposes quality standards for instant coffee.
The development of ABICS methodology began in 2019 with the participation of experts from all instant coffee industries in operation in Brazil, using the most popular instant brands in the Brazilian market as well as from abroad. The innovative and pioneering sensory analysis methodology classifies the cup based on its attributes and intensity rather than scores/points.
The methodology was first publicly discussed at the Green Coffee Summit in January 2022, a virtual space for people involved in the green coffee trade to find information about coffee markets. Bruno Giestas, Commercial Director of Realcafé Solúvel do Brasil S/A and Director of ABICS presented Instant Coffee: Creating Domestic and Export Market Value & Opportunities at the event.
This concept enables customers to choose coffees based on their preferences, including the method of consumption. Customers can then determine which products/coffees are best suited for black coffee, milk blends, cappuccinos, drinks, gastronomy and the like.
For more information, watch the video presentation here.
ABICS is a member of the Global Coffee Platform (GCP) and 4C, and has collaboration agreements with coffee growers’ entities to develop digital platforms for traceability and sustainability, with carbon balance to come soon, and to offer those tools to coffee growers.
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