Business
From Bean to Brew: The Coffee Supply Chain
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What Does The Coffee Supply Chain Look Like?
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There’s a good chance your day started with a cappuccino, or a cold brew, and you aren’t alone. In fact, coffee is one of the most consumed drinks on the planet, and it’s also one of the most traded commodities.
According to the National Coffee Association, more than 150 million people drink coffee on a daily basis in the U.S. alone. Globally, consumption is estimated at over 2.25 billion cups per day.
But before it gets to your morning cup, coffee beans travel through a complex global supply chain. Today’s illustration from Dan Zettwoch breaks down this journey into 10 distinct steps.
Coffee From Plant to Factory
There are two types of tropical plants that produce coffee, both preferring high altitudes and with production primarily based in South America, Asia, and Africa.
- Coffea arabica is the more plentiful bean, with a more complex flavor and less caffeine. It’s used in most specialty and “high quality” drinks as Arabica coffee.
- Coffea canephora, meanwhile, has stronger and more bitter flavors. It’s also easier to grow, and is most frequently used in espressos and instant blends as Robusta coffee.
However, both types of beans undergo the same journey:
- Growing
Plants take anywhere from 4-7 years to produce their first harvest, and grow fruit for around 25 years. - Picking
The fruit of the coffea plant is the coffee berry, containing two beans within. Ripened berries are harvested either by hand or machine. - Processing
Coffee berries are then processed either in a traditional “dry” method using the sun or “wet” method using water and machinery. This removes the outer fruit encasing the sought-after green beans. - Milling
The green coffee beans are hulled, cleaned, sorted, and (optionally) graded.
From Factory to Transport
Once the coffee berry is stripped down to green beans, it’s shipped from producing countries through a global supply network.
Green coffee beans are exported and shipped around the world. In 2018 alone, 7.2 million tonnes of green coffee beans were exported, valued at $19.2 billion.
Arriving primarily in the U.S. and Europe, the beans are now prepared for consumption:
- Roasting
Green beans are industrially roasted, becoming darker, oilier, and tasty. Different temperatures and heat duration impact the final color and flavor, with some preferring light roasts to dark roasts. - Packaging
Any imperfect or somehow ruined beans are discarded, and the remaining roasted beans are packaged together by type. - Shipping
Roasted beans are shipped both domestically and internationally. Bulk shipments go to retailers, coffee shops, and in some cases, direct to consumer.
Straight to Your Cup
Roasted coffee beans are almost ready for consumption, and by this stage the remaining steps can happen anywhere.
For example, many factories don’t ship roasted beans until they grind it themselves. Meanwhile, cafes will grind their own beans on-site before preparing drinks. The rapid growth of coffee chains made Starbucks the second-highest-earning U.S. fast food venue.
Regardless of where it happens, the final steps bring coffee straight to your cup:
- Grinding
Roasted beans are ground up in order to better extract their flavors, either by machine or by hand. The preferred fineness depends on the darkness of the roast and the brewing method. - Brewing
Water is added to the coffee grounds in a variety of methods. Some involve water being passed or pressured through the grounds (espresso, drip) while others mix the water and grounds (French press, Turkish coffee). - Drinking
Liquid coffee is ready to be enjoyed! One average cup takes 70 roasted beans to make.
The world’s choice of caffeine pick-me-up is made possible by this structured and complex supply chain. Coffee isn’t just a drink, after all, it’s a business.
Markets
The Fastest Rising U.S. Housing Markets in 2024
As U.S. home prices hit record highs, which housing market is seen the fastest growth? This graphic shows the top 10 across the country.
The Fastest Rising U.S. Housing Markets in 2024
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
The U.S. housing market has been on a tear, with median sales prices rising more than 40% since February 2020.
While cities in southern states like Florida have witnessed some of the strongest price growth, more affordable cities across the Midwest are also seeing growing demand as buyers seek out cheaper options.
This graphic shows the U.S. metros with the fastest price growth, based on data from Redfin.
Hottest Housing Markets in America
Below, we rank the metropolitan areas with the fastest annual median sales price growth as of February 2024:
Rank | Metro | Median Sales Price Growth Feb 2024 YoY |
---|---|---|
1 | Pittsburgh, PA | +22.0% |
2 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | +18.0% |
3 | Greensboro, NC | +17.8% |
4 | Meridian, ID | +17.3% |
5 | Toledo, OH | +17.0% |
6 | Boca Raton, FL | +16.4% |
7 | West Palm Beach, FL | +16.1% |
8 | Orlando, FL | +15.9% |
9 | Milwaukee, WI | +15.6% |
10 | Alexandria, VA | +15.4% |
U.S. average | +6.5% |
Pittsburgh, PA soars to the top of the list, with median sale prices jumping 22% over the year.
Once known as a center for steel and iron manufacturing, the city has emerged as a hub for high-tech industries including robotics, software engineering, and healthcare. At a time when housing affordability is near record lows, buyers have flocked to the market thanks to its lower home prices. In February, median sales prices in Pittsburgh were $250,000 compared to the U.S. median price of $412,219.
Following next in line is Fort Lauderdale, FL with prices jumping 18% annually. Like several cities across the state, property values have boomed thanks to the state’s warm climate and low taxes. The state also ranks as one of the best in the country to retire. In 2023, it was one of the fastest growing states in the country, adding 365,205 residents overall.
As we can see, just one housing market in the West, Meridian, ID, is experiencing some of the strongest price growth in the country. Since the pandemic, many Californians priced out of expensive real estate markets have moved to the state due to its strong job market, low crime rate, and affordability. In fact, Los Angeles and San Francisco are some of the top metropolitan areas nationally that people are moving away from due to remote-work trends and the high cost of living.
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