Have you ever wondered what goes into your favorite blend of coffee? How does it reach the supermarket or coffee shop for you to enjoy? It all starts with the coffee plant. This 30-feet high tropical shrub lives in warm places and has white flowers. The flowers are later replaced by small red fruits that resemble berries. As the berries grow, they change from golden brown to red or yellow when ripe. Each berry has two seeds, which are called beans. These beans are rich in caffeine and each coffee bush produces 0.3-1 kilogram (0.7-2.2 pounds) of beans every year.

Despite the uncertainty created by today’s economic climate, one thing remains the same: People will continue to love coffee. Experts all agree that coffee production in the world will continue to grow by approximately 0.5 percent annually. Large coffee production will amount to nearly seven million tons or 117 million bags this year.