THE WORLD'S COFFEE CUP AND THE WORLD'S LARGEST SHIP
A statistical study of world production of coffee by countries—Per capita figures of the leading consuming countries—Coffee-consumption figures compared with tea-consumption figures in the United States and the United Kingdom—Three centuries of coffee trading—Coffee drinking in the United States, past and present—Reviewing the 1921 trade in the United States
The world's yearly production of coffee is on the average considerably more than one million tons. If this were all made up into the refreshing drink we get at our breakfast tables, there would be enough to supply every inhabitant of the earth with some sixty cups a year, representing a total of more than ninety billion cups. In terms of pounds the annual world output amounts to about two and a quarter billions—an amount so large that if it were done up in the familiar one-pound paper packages; and if these packages were laid end to end in a row; they would form a line long enough to reach to the moon. If this average yearly production were left in the sacks in which the coffee is shipped, the total of 17,500,000 would be enough to form a broad six-foot pavement reaching entirely across the United States, upon which a man could walk steadily for more than five months at the rate of twenty miles a day. This vast amount of coffee comes very largely from the western hemisphere; and about three-fourths of it, from a single country. The production, shipment, and preparation of this coffee, directly and indirectly support millions of workers; and many countries are entirely dependent on it for their prosperity and economic well-being.
During the crop year that ended June 30, 1921, this million-ton average was considerably exceeded, though it did not approach the record yield of all time in the crop year 1906–07, when the total amounted to almost 24,000,000 sacks; or, in round numbers, 3,000,000,000 pounds.
As indicated by the Statistical Record table, on page 274, Brazil produces more than all the rest of the world put together. Coffee growing, however, is general throughout tropical countries, and in most of them constitutes one of the leading industries. Yet in most cases, the actual production of these countries can only be estimated, as accurate figures, showing the exact output, are seldom kept. But the contribution which each country makes to the total world traffic in coffee can be determined by its export figures, which are obtainable in reasonably accurate and up-to-date form. The table on page 276 gives the coffee export figures, in pounds, for practically every country that produces coffee for sale outside its own borders. Figures are given for the latest available year, and also for the average of the last five years for which statistics are to be obtained. The figures are taken from official statistics, from the publications of the International Institute of Agriculture of Rome, and from other authoritative sources.
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Statistical Record for Thirty-eight Years |
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Crops |
Deliveries |
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Fiscal Year |
Rio
and |
Other |
Total |
Europe |
United |
Total |
Visible |
Quotations, |
|
1883–84 |
5,047,000 |
4,526,000 |
9,573,000 |
6,774,000 |
2,635,000 |
9,409,000 |
|
|
|
1884–85 |
6,206,000 |
4,004,000 |
10,210,000 |
7,388,000 |
3,169,000 |
10,557,000 |
5,398,000 |
81⁄4 |
|
1885–86 |
5,565,000 |
3,505,000 |
9,070,000 |
7,198,000 |
2,938,000 |
10,136,000 |
5,051,000 |
71⁄8 |
|
1886–87 |
6,078,000 |
4,106,000 |
10,184,000 |
7,363,000 |
2,672,000 |
10,035,000 |
3,985,000 |
81⁄4 |
|
1887–88 |
3,033,000 |
3,214,000 |
6,247,000 |
5,888,000 |
2,164,000 |
8,052,000 |
4,134,000 |
167⁄8 |
|
1888–89 |
6,827,000 |
3,672,000 |
10,499,000 |
6,589,000 |
2,659,000 |
9,249,000 |
2,329,000 |
131⁄2 |
|
1889–90 |
4,260,000 |
3,965,000 |
8,225,000 |
6,716,000 |
2,704,000 |
9,420,000 |
3,579,000 |
141⁄2 |
|
1890–91 |
5,358,000 |
2,886,000 |
8,244,000 |
6,046,000 |
2,673,000 |
8,719,000 |
2,384,000 |
171⁄2 |
|
1891–92 |
7,397,000 |
4,453,000 |
11,850,000 |
6,392,000 |
4,412,000 |
10,804,000 |
1,909,000 |
173⁄8 |
|
1892–93 |
6,203,000 |
4,887,000 |
11,090,000 |
6,457,000 |
4,389,000 |
10,945,000 |
2,955,000 |
177⁄8 |
|
1893–94 |
4,309,000 |
5,307,000 |
9,616,000 |
6,272,000 |
4,298,000 |
10,570,000 |
3,100,000 |
165⁄8 |
|
1894–95 |
6,695,000 |
5,069,000 |
11,764,000 |
6,816,000 |
4,396,000 |
11,212,000 |
2,146,000 |
161⁄2 |
|
1895–96 |
5,476,000 |
4,901,000 |
10,377,000 |
6,803,000 |
4,339,000 |
11,142,000 |
3,115,000 |
153⁄4 |
|
1896–97 |
8,680,000 |
5,238,000 |
13,918,000 |
7,155,000 |
5,080,000 |
12,244,000 |
2,588,000 |
13 |
|
1897–98 |
10,462,000 |
5,596,000 |
16,058,000 |
8,535,000 |
6,036,000 |
14,571,000 |
3,975,000 |
73⁄8 |
|
1898–99 |
8,771,000 |
4,985,000 |
13,756,000 |
7,798,000 |
5,682,000 |
13,480,000 |
5,435,000 |
61⁄4 |
|
1899–00 |
8,959,000 |
4,842,000 |
13,801,000 |
8,937,000 |
6,035,000 |
14,972,000 |
6,200,000 |
61⁄8 |
|
1900–01 |
10,927,000 |
4,173,000 |
15,100,000 |
8,486,000 |
5,843,000 |
14,329,000 |
5,840,000 |
815⁄16 |
|
1901–02 |
15,439,000 |
4,296,000 |
19,735,000 |
8,853,000 |
6,663,000 |
15,516,000 |
6,867,000 |
6 |
|
1902–03 |
12,324,000 |
4,340,000 |
16,664,000 |
9,118,000 |
6,847,000 |
15,966,000 |
11,261,000 |
51⁄4 |
|
1903–04 |
10,408,000 |
5,575,000 |
15,983,000 |
9,280,000 |
6,853,000 |
16,133,000 |
11,900,000 |
53⁄16 |
|
1904–05 |
9,968,000 |
4,480,000 |
14,448,000 |
9,475,000 |
6,687,000 |
16,163,000 |
12,361,000 |
71⁄8 |
|
1905–06 |
10,227,000 |
4,565,000 |
14,792,000 |
9,934,000 |
6,806,000 |
16,741,000 |
11,265,000 |
73⁄4 |
|
1906–07 |
19,654,000 |
4,160,000 |
23,814,000 |
10,502,000 |
7,042,000 |
17,544,000 |
9,636,000 |
715⁄16 |
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1907–08 |
10,283,000 |
4,551,000 |
14,834,000 |
10,481,000 |
7,043,000 |
17,525,000 |
16,400,000 |
63⁄8 |
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1908–09 |
12,419,000 |
4,499,000 |
16,918,000 |
11,129,000 |
7,519,000 |
18,649,000 |
14,126,000 |
61⁄4 |
|
1909–10 |
14,944,000 |
4,181,000 |
19,125,000 |
10,811,000 |
7,287,000 |
18,098,000 |
12,841,000 |
73⁄4 |
|
1910–11 |
10,548,000 |
3,976,000 |
14,524,000 |
10,492,000 |
7,015,000 |
17,507,000 |
13,719,000 |
83⁄8 |
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1911–12 |
12,491,000 |
4,918,000 |
17,409,000 |
10,712,000 |
6,762,000 |
17,474,000 |
11,070,000 |
131⁄8 |
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1912–13 |
11,458,000 |
4,915,000 |
16,373,000 |
10,144,000 |
6,675,000 |
16,820,000 |
11,048,000 |
143⁄4 |
|
1913–14 |
13,816,000 |
5,796,000 |
19,612,000 |
11,027,000 |
7,545,000 |
18,573,000 |
10,285,000 |
95⁄8 |
|
1914–15 |
12,867,000 |
5,019,000 |
17,886,000 |
13,368,000 |
8,010,000 |
21,378,000 |
11,302,000 |
83⁄4 |
|
1915–16 |
14,992,000 |
4,764,000 |
19,756,000 |
11,050,000 |
8,834,000 |
19,884,000 |
7,523,000 |
71⁄2 |
|
1916–17 |
12,112,000 |
4,579,000 |
16,691,000 |
5,171,000 |
9,046,000 |
14,217,000 |
7,328,000 |
91⁄8 |
|
1917–18 |
15,127,000 |
3,720,000 |
18,847,000 |
6,209,000 |
8,624,000 |
14,833,000 |
7,793,000 |
91⁄2 |
|
1918–19 |
9,140,000 |
4,500,000 |
13,640,000 |
6,073,000 |
8,994,000 |
15,067,000 |
8,783,000 |
81⁄2 |
|
1919–20 |
6,700,000 |
8,463,000 |
15,163,000 |
7,047,000 |
9,683,000 |
16,730,000 |
7,173,000 |
221⁄4 |
|
1920–21 |
13,816,000 |
6,467,000 |
20,283,000 |
6,397,000 |
9,701,000 |
16,099,000 |
6,909,000 |
131⁄4 |
[I] 1 Bag=132.27 lbs.
THE WORLD'S COFFEE CUP AND THE WORLD'S LARGEST SHIP
The statistical sharks talk of the 17,566,000 bags, or 2,318,712,000 pounds of coffee that the world drinks every year; but how many really appreciate what those huge figures mean? For instance, computing 40 cups of beverage to the pound, there are more than 90,000,000,000 cups drunk annually, or enough to fill a gigantic cup 4,000 feet in diameter and 40 feet deep, on which the "Majestic," the world's largest ship, would appear floating approximately as shown in the drawing.
For the most part, these figures of exportation are the only ones available to indicate the actual coffee production in the countries named. The following additional data, however, will serve to show the extent to which the coffee-raising industry has developed in most of these countries, and in a few places of minor importance not named in the table: