Rising incomes and growing interest in high-quality coffees bring interesting opportunities to the Eastern European coffee market. Multinational companies and mainstream brands currently dominate the market in this region, but specialised small coffee roasters are rapidly emerging, especially in Poland, the Czech Republic and Romania. The specialty market is still a very small niche market, but it opens doors for exporters of high-quality coffees and the establishment of more direct relationships with buyers.
The Scandinavian market offers many opportunities for producing country suppliers. The Scandinavian market is not the largest, but it values quality and sustainable sourcing. This market therefore offers special opportunities to certified suppliers and suppliers of premium and specialty coffee. Five larger roasters dominate the Scandinavian market.
Exporting specialty coffee to Europe comes with strict rules about quality, labels and sustainability. To succeed, exporters need to understand different market segments and how to sell their coffee. Creating a good relationship with your buyers is of key importance. You need this to establish trust and a long-term trading relationship. Many European buyers will have their own quality requirements. This creates opportunities to diversify and appeal to European importers and roasters.
Helping farmers understand their buyers’ markets enables them to adjust their produce to their needs. Producers benefit from improved communication, while all links in the chain benefit from mutual exchanges of knowledge. It starts with ripe cherries on the shrub.
Stijn van Mourik, Product and supply chain expert, Coffee farm manager – Cafés Dagobert, France; La Perla Roja, Colombia
Webinar recording
19 May 2022 Exporting Specialty Coffee to Europe
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The market for specialty coffee in Europe has grown in recent years. It is expected to continue growing in the coming years. Within the specialty market, coffee suppliers compete mainly on quality, sustainability and long-term relationships. Direct trade relations with small roasters open up interesting opportunities that may lead to better margins. It has become essential in the specialty segment to tell the story behind your coffee. This includes its origin and other environmental and social sustainability aspects.
Belgian chocolate is famous the world over. It is produced under strict requirements and is a major export product for Belgium. With its large chocolate industry, Belgium is a major hub for cocoa bean imports from producing countries. Most of its chocolate is produced by three manufacturers: Barry Callebaut, Cargill and Puratos. These three companies dominate the chocolate supply. Sustainability is very important in Belgium, and a large share of the market already buys certified cocoa. This share is expected to keep growing.
Nature and Ecotourism is an important subsegment of Adventure Tourism. Europeans are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious and are keen to reduce their carbon footprint when they travel. They are also keen on immersive, authentic experiences that enable them to interact with nature and local communities while making a positive contribution to others. With this high demand from Europe for sustainable and responsible holidays, operators that actively take steps to minimise the impact of tourism on their destination are more likely to succeed in this competitive marketplace.
Adventure travel is one of the biggest tourism niches in the world today, and it is likely to grow in the near future. European nationals represent a substantial group of adventure travellers, and they are keen to visit new landscapes and go on adventures in different parts of the world. Opportunities to create adventure experiences in developing countries are considerable, but local tour operators must be clear about the requirements for, and process of, launching travel experiences for the European market.
The cruise industry is a vast, global industry and cruising is growing in popularity throughout the major markets, including Europe, the second-largest cruise market. Safety is the industry’s most important consideration, and entrants to the market must implement a large number of strict safety regulations. River cruising offers much potential for development in developing countries, as some of the world’s longest and most spectacular rivers are located in Asian, African and South American nations.
Grains, pulses and oilseeds are often used in healthy snacks. Their nutritional value is positively received by health conscious consumers. As an exporter, you can target the market for specific ingredients, specialise in processing ingredients or consumer products. The further you develop your supply chain, the higher will be your investment and your responsibility in food safety and information to consumers.
Currently, the European market for fonio is in its early stages of development and still niche. Therefore, marketing fonio as a specialty grain offers the most opportunities for this product. In this market, it will compete with other nutritious, gluten-free grains, such as quinoa, amaranth and teff. There could be an interesting future for fonio in Europe with the right marketing efforts and reliable supply.