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tags: [] - coffee/business - coffee/business/economics aliases: - Coffee price collapse - low coffee prices - commodity price crisis created: 2026-05-10 updated: 2026-05-10

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Coffee Price Crisis

Tags: #coffee/business #coffee/business/economics Aliases: Coffee price collapse, low coffee prices, commodity price crisis Related: C-Market and Specialty | Specialty Coffee Pricing | Specialty Coffee MoC Status: 🌱 Stub

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Overview

The coffee price crisis refers specifically to the collapse of the C-Market price for Arabica in 2001–2004, when the price fell below $0.50/lb — well below the cost of production for most farmers — causing significant economic hardship, farm abandonment, and migration in major producing countries including Colombia, Mexico, and Central America. This crisis was a catalyst for the growth of fair trade certification, direct trade models, and broader industry attention to producer sustainability and supply chain equity.

Related Notes

• C-Market and Specialty
• Specialty Coffee Pricing
• Direct Trade Development
• Specialty Coffee MoC

References

• Oxfam, "Mugged: Poverty in Your Coffee Cup", 2002

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