Australia is known as a nation of coffee obsessives, but few have tried a local cup.
Key points:
- Less than 1 per cent of coffee consumed in Australia comes from local beans
- Coffee growers are thinking outside the box to compete with overseas suppliers
- Some in the industry believe not enough Australians know about the local market
Enter any cafe and you’ll likely find a selection of beans from Papua New Guinea, Brazil and Colombia, the biggest suppliers of the market.
Less than 1 per cent of coffee consumed in Australia comes from Australian beans.
But a small but innovative group of growers is looking to change that, overcoming the hurdles of labour costs, market share and cultural cringe.
Brewing new ideas
Australian coffee has an earthy, nutty flavour and is relatively low in acidity and caffeine.
But it’s expensive to purchase, as growers must compete with overseas suppliers whose labour costs are substantially lower.
Mechanising the picking of coffee beans is one way they can edge out…
