☕ Fake coffee?

Welcome to Brazil Agro! This week, we take a look at how skyrocketing coffee prices are affecting the Brazilian industry, from the appearance of sketchy “coffee alternatives” to contract breaches between farmers and traders. 

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Coffee prices soar in Brazil and "fake" alternatives gain ground

If you have tried to buy a bag of coffee in a Brazilian supermarket in recent weeks, you might have stumbled upon what appears to be a bargain: a package resembling the beloved beverage, at a fraction of the price — but labeled in the fine print as a "coffee-flavored drink."

Photos of these products — made with coffee pulp, husks typically discarded during production or even alternative grains such as corn and barley — have gone viral on social media, earning them the nickname “cafake” (a blend of “café” and “fake”).

Brazil, the world’s largest coffee producer, is also one of its biggest consumers, second only to the United States. But with prices surging, coffee has become one of the primary drivers of food inflation, fueling demand for these cheaper substitutes and disrupting the industry.

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