Uncertain! It would probably be the answer that most of us would have as a first option, but fortunately, we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in various aspects that disturbed us in 2021. We have divided them into three main themes and we relate them to what unite us, which is specialty coffee.
LOGISTICS: With the shortage of workers, peaks in demand, delays related to supply and the containers shortage in 2021, we now have received information that the situation in ports is beginning to regularize. This means that as the year progresses, the arrival of containers with fresh green coffee should be more fluent. Difficulties finding space and high costs should start to decline. Although today, without a fixed date to solve these problems, it is not a bad idea to be more conservative and careful with your purchase planning.
PRICES: Coffee prices rose to a decade high last month, driven by the logistics crisis, a surge in demand and drought in many regions of the world. Prices for food and farm supplies are also at a 10-year high. Therefore, with inflation in almost all sectors, it is not so clear that coffee growers benefit from the current high prices of coffee, and rather it means a risk of a food crisis, for as always the poorest in the world, which of course includes coffee farmers.
PANDEMIC: Unfortunately, the Covid will not disappear permanently, but we can be optimistic that 2022 will be the year that the pandemic ends and becomes an endemic disease thanks to the very high levels of immunity that we have now, through a combination of vaccination and natural infection. There are still likely to be seasonal winter spikes, such as with the flu, and an annual boost will likely be needed to cope with the new variants and declining immunity.
Looking ahead, roasters should take these aspects into account when planning their purchases for 2022, which undoubtedly promises to be another complex year, but hopefully it will also be sweet, intense and round, like a good African coffee!
PRICES: Coffee prices rose to a decade high last month, driven by the logistics crisis, a surge in demand and drought in many regions of the world. Prices for food and farm supplies are also at a 10-year high. Therefore, with inflation in almost all sectors, it is not so clear that coffee growers benefit from the current high prices of coffee, and rather it means a risk of a food crisis, for as always the poorest in the world, which of course includes coffee farmers.
PANDEMIC: Unfortunately, the Covid will not disappear permanently, but we can be optimistic that 2022 will be the year that the pandemic ends and becomes an endemic disease thanks to the very high levels of immunity that we have now, through a combination of vaccination and natural infection. There are still likely to be seasonal winter spikes, such as with the flu, and an annual boost will likely be needed to cope with the new variants and declining immunity.
Looking ahead, roasters should take these aspects into account when planning their purchases for 2022, which undoubtedly promises to be another complex year, but hopefully it will also be sweet, intense and round, like a good African coffee!
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