Comparative Cultures- Anthropology- Coffee Essay

Comparative Cultures- Anthropology- Coffee - Essay Example Over the years, coffee has become a profitable tradable commodity and has had great success in most parts of the world. It is bought and sold by roasters, investors and price speculators due to its demand and value. The two main cultivated species are the Robusta coffee and the Arabica coffee. Most Arabica coffee beans originate from either Latin America, eastern Africa, Arabia or Asia. Robusta coffee beans are grown in western and central Africa, many parts of Asia, and to some extent in Brazil (Wasendorf, R, 2002; p 87). In the beverage market, Coffee holds an important place and makes a majority business in the market. Many millions of people rely on coffee for living and is a very labour-intensive culture in any region of the world. The coffee industry currently has a commodity chain that involves producers, middlemen exporters, importers, roasters, and retailers before reaching the consumer. Middlemen exporters purchase the coffee below market price, keeping a high percentage for them. Large coffee estates and plantations often export their own harvests or have direct arrangements with a transnational coffee processing or distributing company. Under either arrangement, large producers can sell at prices set by the New York Coffee Exchange. Roasters have the highest profit margin in the commodity chain. Large roasters normally sell pre-packaged coffee to large retailers. Coffee reaches the consumers through cafes and specialty stores selling coffee, of which, approximately, 30% are chains, and thr ough supermarkets and traditional retail chains. Supermarkets and traditional retail chains hold about 60% of market share and are the primary channel for both specialty coffee and non-specialty coffee. Twelve billion pounds of coffee is consumed around the globe annually, and the United States alone has over 130 million coffee drinkers. The export market for coffee has been reported to have flourished in the late nineteenth century

Market Segmentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Market Segmentation - Essay Example Backpackers are people who travel with very limited budgets. They do not carry any fancy gadgets neither they have any kind of equipment with them. The people who go backpacking are usually those who are looking for the experience of the real world, they want to experience the world in the raw form. Nearly all the students who go for travelling for the first time are backpackers as backpacking is not expensive or difficult on the pockets. Backpackers usually prefer to walk or other wise use public transport to travel. Many countries do not prefer backpackers as they associate them with hippies, and therefore they feel that the backpackers would create an environment that would not be preferable by the tourists visiting their countries (Weaver, 2005). Flash packers are travelers who are well equipped and have affluence. Such kinds of travelers face no issues with regards to money and therefore they are equipped with all the luxurious goods and technologically advanced gadgets. Though they also travel independently like the back packers but unlike backpackers they stay at good hotels and enjoy everything without caring about the money. They are also known as posh packers. Unlike backpackers they are not travelling on any limited budget and hence have access to a lot of facilities that backpackers cannot afford. Many countries are not very welcome towards the influx of backpackers, but they prefer that the flash packers are attracted towards them as they know that these travellers are not short on money and would prefer only independence while they are travelling. Countries like India offer a lot of facilities and individual touring opportunities to such travellers who mostly arrive from European countries. Flash packers also use p roper means of transportation like taxis (Weaver, 2005). Gap packing is term that can be used for backpackers as well as flash packers. It is a term that is