Costa Rican coffee has secured a stronger position in the Korean market, where coffee consumption is steadily growing, according to the Costa Rican Embassy in Seoul, as the country readies to host the Coffee Expo 2018 in Seoul from Apr. 5-8.
Costa Rica, with several of its coffee producers and exporters participating and presenting their sustainable production method will also hold coffee-making sessions and expand their networks with Korean buyers and consumers.
Korea’s domestic coffee market reached 11.7 trillion South Korean won ($10.8 billion) last year, and the demand for the beverage continues to rise. The figure is more than triple the amount of 3 trillion won a decade ago, and translates into 26.5 billion cups last year at an average 512 cups per person.
The Costa Rican Embassy, Costa Rica Coffee and Costa Rica Foreign Trade Promoter, Procomer, have collaborated to bring together a successful trade delegation to Korea, where Costa Rica supplies 4.5% of all coffee.
“Korean consumers look for highly specialized flavors. They are students of quality,” said Mario Arroyo, promotion and information manager at the Costa Rica Coffee Institute. “As they like to know where the coffee comes from, our focus on traceability and sustainability will help Costa Rican coffee gain a stable footing in the Korean market.”
Source: The Korea Herald
