The coffee industry is undeniably a popular one: Business Insider reports that coffee is the most sought-after commodity in the world after crude oil, and studies show that an estimated 14 billion espresso coffees are consumed each year around the world. The Australian sector of this industry is especially profitable: according to IBIS research, the Australian coffee industry is worth around $5 billion in revenue, which isn’t surprising when you consider that the average Australian reportedly buys one cup of coffee for every seven cups consumed at home.
This popularity and success has lead to a number of interesting developments: for example, many people have decided to test out new small business opportunities by opening cafes across the world. Others have taken advantage of coffee shop franchise opportunities in the form of mobile coffee vans and more. Now, an international team of researchers has stated that they have successfully mapped and released the sequenced genome of the coffee plant, which they say offers opportunities to improve flavors and strengthen the plant as a whole.
Currently, the top three producers of coffee in the world are Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia. Plants in these locations and others are subject to a number of pests and diseases, as well as the caprices of the weather, particularly droughts. By releasing the sequenced genome, the researchers say it is possible to create hardier plants that can help farmers better survive the season and provide coffee drinkers with their beloved beverage. It also provides ways to play with taste, caffeine content and more, which could potentially lead to a variety of new flavors in the future.
The current status and success of coffee in our culture is unlikely to abate, and creates a number of business possibilities for entrepreneurs, including coffee shop franchise opportunities. And with the coffee genome sequenced and released, the results are limitless. Who knows what kinds of coffee you might be able to sell from a mobile cafe or buy from a coffee shop in a few years! Find more on this here.