Organic Coffee Market Reached $1 Billion in 2007

"Media who attended the Organic Coffee Collaboration's showcase of new organic coffees yesterday at New York City's Union Square Cafe returned to work extra caffeinated.

The event was hosted by the Organic Trade Association (OTA) and participants included Dallis Coffee, Elan Organic Coffees, Equal Exchange, Fresh Harvest Products, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, and Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company.

Attendees were buzzing about the rich, delicious brews, but the organizers were buzzing about something else: the growth of the organic market.

Daniele Giovannucci, senior consultant to the World Bank Group and the author of State of Sustainable Coffee, presented data on organic coffee at the event. He said the North American organic coffee market reached $1 billion in 2007, while the market for organics overall was nearly $22 billion. He says this translates to about 4 billion cups of organic coffee served in the U.S. last year (and some busy baristas)."

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