Coffee has always been a globally popular beverage. This smoky and bitter drink has dominated the beverage industry in the Americas, Asia, and Europe, especially in the Nordic countries like Finland, Sweden, and Norway. According to Statista, an online research portal, about 9.9 million metric tonnes of coffee were consumed globally between the years 2020 and 2021, a modest rise from 9.8 million metric tonnes the previous year. The global coffee market is estimated at $102 billion.
Just like other crops, coffee is also grown in Ghana. Even though Ghana is very important in the global cocoa industry as the second-largest producer, its contribution to the coffee economy is not much to boast about. Ghana is the third-smallest coffee producer in sub-Saharan Africa, behind Liberia and the Central African Republic; Côte D’Ivoire is the largest producer. In Ghana, the crop is mainly grown in the Volta, Eastern, Central, Ashanti, Western, and Bono regions.
Available records indicate that coffee production in Ghana has experienced a significant decline in recent years, even though more locals have acquired a staunch appetite for the cash beverage. Some experts believe that coffee production in the country is currently estimated at around 600 metric tonnes, a number which some experts believe is below the country’s production potential. The concerns regarding the decline in the production of coffee were further corroborated in a press conference by the Coffee Federation of Ghana in February 2021.
There seem to be signs of a conscious effort to grow the industry both by the government and other private-sector industry actors in terms of productivity and processing of the raw beans.
Because Ghanaians are known for having a sweet tooth, whenever coffee is mentioned, it’s habitually linked to sourness or bitterness. Also, when you hear about coffee in Ghana, all that comes to mind is “instant 3 in 1 coffee.” Take a stroll through Accra’s bustling streets and you will notice that Ghanaians are developing a coffee culture, with several busy cafes dotted around the city, and lots of people ordering the product. Cafés like Cuppa Cappuccino, d Caffe, Vida e Caffe, Second Cup, Café Kwae, and others, are busy serving the coffee addicts.
The consumption of coffee in Ghana has seen continuous growth in recent years. For some, it is now a lifestyle. Others also see it as a beverage of necessity for surviving the day, as they cannot avoid drinking at least a cup of coffee daily. For some, it is because of the enormous health benefits associated with coffee, which include;
- Lowering the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
- Lowering the risk of heart disease and failure.
- Lowering the incidence of Parkinson’s disease
- Lowering the risk of liver cancer:
According to research published by Fitch Solutions in April 2021, the consumption of coffee will grow by 5.9% year-on-year between the years 2021 and 2025. This growth may be attributed to the rise in population, growth in income levels, changing habits, and product innovation, especially in ready-to-drink coffee products. This projected increase in consumption means automatic growth in the coffee market for producers and processors.
This presents an opportunity for the local industry to enhance its gains across the coffee value chain. Thus, from production to processing to marketing, cafes continue to serve customers their daily cups, etc. It is encouraging to know that there are now local companies making strides to cultivate and process locally produced coffee, present commercially acceptable products through innovation, and even blend it with other local ingredients in a bid to offer superior products to satisfy Ghanaians’ daily caffeine cravings.
One such company is Kawa Moka, a wholly women-owned Ghanaian coffee company, is producing and adding value to raw coffee. Kawa Moka samples Robusta coffee beans from organic farms in the mountainous areas of Leklebi, and other parts of the Volta Region.
To stand out in the fast-growing coffee market in Ghana, Kawa Moka produces interesting coffee flavours such as Ginger coffee, Prekese, and Dawadawa to meet the diverse Ghanaian taste and needs. Kawa Moka not only produces coffee to drink but also produces coffee-infused detox scrubs, body oils, whipped body butter and handmade cappuccino soap.
Others, such as Cafemagnifico, Gold Coast Roasters, and Asili Coffee, are all making efforts to produce and add value to our coffee to meet the growing local demand and taste.
The black beverage has prospects; the global market is USD 102 billion. The question is, is it not time we explore ways to increase our gains from this foreign exchange resource to brighten the prospects of our economy? Let the brainstorming continue.