Facts & Figures

As coffee is grown in tropical and subtropical regions only the German coffee trade and industry and indirectly the German consumer contribute in a significant way to the currency income of coffee producing countries.

German green coffee traders understand themselves as an important link between producers and processors of coffee all over the world. They move a volume of 20 million bags of coffee per annum equivalent to values of 3 billion US$. To cover the demand, imports of around 1,5 billion € are ordered annually by German roasters.

Coffee has an important position in the transport and warehouse business. 50 shipping companies carry the valuable good with around 1.500 vessels from origin to Germany and from there to other countries. Around 2 million bags of green coffee are stored - mainly in the port warehouses of Bremen and Hamburg.

By careful transformation the coffee industry offers products of high quality according to the requirements of the market and the consumer. Roasted and soluble coffees - made in Germany - are also goods high in demand in other countries and are exported to many countries of the world.

The coffee trade and industry employs around 13.000 persons - thereof 8.000 in the processing industry.

In 150,000 outlets, i.e. retail trade, own branches and depots, bakeries, drugstores, gas stations etc., the consumer has the possibility to buy roasted and soluble coffee. 250,000 points of sale in the out-of-home market offer the consumer the possibility to drink a good cup of coffee almost everywhere. Daily in 3 million firms coffee is consumed at the working place with high intensity.

The knowledge about coffee is profound but still the expenditures for research and development are very high. In the producing as well as in the consuming countries scientists are constantly working in the areas of agronomy, chemistry, technology and last not least physiology in order to maintain a safe product for the consumer.