Every day, about 2.25 billion cups of coffee
are consumed in the world (Dicum & Luttinger,
1999, p. IX). Yet, the act of––and symbols attached
to––coffee drinking are not the same
as they were 20 years ago. New consumption
patterns have emerged with the growing importance
of specialty, fair trade, and organic
coffees. Coffee bar chains have spread dramatically,
although the relative coffee content of
the final consumption ‘‘experience’’ in these
outlets is extremely low. 1 Coffee bar chains sell
an ambience and a social positioning more than
just ‘‘good’’ coffee. In short, the global coffee
chain has gone through a ‘‘latte revolution,’’ 2
where consumers can choose from (and pay
dearly for) hundreds of combinations of coffee
variety, origin, brewing and grinding methods,
flavoring, packaging, social ‘‘content,’’ and ambience.
At the same time, international prices
for the raw product (‘‘green’’ coffee) are the
lowest in decades. Coffee industries in developing
countries are in disarray. Coffee farmers
are losing a source of livelihood.