World Coffee Demand Rises; East Europe, Japan Cited

By Susan Buchanan
of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

MIAMI (Dow Jones)--Coffee-sales opportunities exist in mature and newer markets, with Eastern Europe, parts of Western Europe, Japan and other Asian nations all promising, said John Gilmore, of Datamonitor, speaking at a National Coffee Association conference in Aventura, Fla., on Saturday.

Overall coffee demand in the 40 countries tracked by Datamonitor's research is growing by 1%-1.5% annually and should increase at a faster pace later in the decade.

Western Europe is the largest single market for coffee, with 63% of consumption from roasted, ground beans and the rest from instant coffee, Gilmore said.

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