The Rising Cost of Coffee

It's no surprise to most of us that the cost of raw materials has risen and will likely continue to rise due to a variety of factors. From Covid-19 staff shortages, to the ongoing sanctions on Russia, to an uptake in natural disasters, there are many reasons for this change. Shipping and freight costs alone have shot up exponentially this year (in some cases more than 700%). 

The ABC recently reported that David Parnham, president of the Cafe Owners and Baristas Association of Australia, has estimated that Australians could soon be paying up to $7 for a cup of coffee. 

David told the ABC, “What’s happening globally is there are shortages obviously from catastrophes that are happening in places like Brazil, with frosts and certain growing conditions in some of the coffee-growing areas,”

News.com.au also reported on the story, sharing it on their instagram. A  number of commenters suggested that they would “never” pay $7 for a coffee, and would rather purchase a coffee machine and make their own coffee at home, whilst others defended the change saying it’s high time it was done. One commenter, Benjaminsweeten911 said, “Coffee is the second largest traded commodity. The prices need to double. Prices haven’t really moved since 2005. Yet everything else has doubled.”

Will Australians accept the change? Are we entering an era of more home-baristas?

Only time will tell.