The History of Coffee
  • Culture of Commodity
    • Early Coffeehouses
    • Modern Coffeehouses
  • Origins
    • Overview
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • The Americas
  • Migration
    • Timeline
    • Description of Timeline
  • Growth of Production
    • Factors of Growth
    • Case Studies
  • Coffee in the Modern World
    • Trends in Coffee
    • Starbucks vs Maxwell House Case Study

The Growth of Production
Factors of Growth

Factors Contributing to Growth

​​Growing Demand
  • After the industrial revolution, coffee consumption increased in North America.
  • The invention of instant coffee during World War II increased demand for low-value beans from Africa. 
Transportation Advancements
  • Railways made transportation to shipping hubs more reliable and cost effective. 
  • Steam ships created reliable shipping passages so buyers could count on deliveries. This stabilized prices in stores. 
​Futures Market
  • The futures market gave a degree of certainty that was necessary to construct large roasters and processors in North America. 
  • This increased demand further as the price was decreased with economies of scale. 

Obstacles to Growth

Pests and Diseases
  • Monoculture in Asia lead to many diseases, including leaf rust. 
  • This decreased some areas production so drastically that they became importers of coffee, as seen in Ceylon. 
The Rising Cost of Labour
  • When slavery was abolished, plantation owners had to create new ways to control their labour.
  • In Brazil, growers paid for the passage of European workers and they would work off the debt for the rest of their lives. 
Environmental Abuse
  • Unsustainable growing practices led to depletion of resources in some areas. 
  • Clear cutting destroyed forest lands
  • The construction of railways and infrastructure also had negative environmental effects.
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  • Culture of Commodity
    • Early Coffeehouses
    • Modern Coffeehouses
  • Origins
    • Overview
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • The Americas
  • Migration
    • Timeline
    • Description of Timeline
  • Growth of Production
    • Factors of Growth
    • Case Studies
  • Coffee in the Modern World
    • Trends in Coffee
    • Starbucks vs Maxwell House Case Study